A Thayer's Gull (3rd winter) was found 330 pm 1/14 Hoover Dam (marina
at Smoke Burr Dr. and Sunbury Rd.) Franklin Co. loafing on the pier
with Ring-billed and 130 Herring (adults, 2-3 2nd winter, 1 first
winter) in good light for over 45 min.  It flew several times for
short distances, spending its time on the pier or in the water below
it.  I carry at Canon with 300 m lens but wasn't able to get ph..

About 5 % smaller than av. Herring Gull and similar shade gray mantle,
pale gray/gray-brown wash over face and neck with variable blurry
streaking, grayish streak through eye, dark eyes and surrounding
(pupil not visible), thin bill with steep hook, short legs.  Legs
"rich" pink.  Bill much thinner than Herring, steep hook often made it
appear long billed.  Bill yellowish with gray cast, more pure yellow
in center, pale tip, with ring over gony ( dark triangle, dark
lower/pale upper).

Wing tips on sitting bird gray (slightly darker than mantle) with
about 5 with tips showing.  They often appeared a shade of gray brown.
On spread wing, the pattern of outer five above gave a venetian-blind
look with dark along outer web and subterminally the tip, the length
of gray on each primary substantially shorter on each moving inward.
Thus, the effect was "L" pattern on each primary.  From below, the
white tips showed only gray spots, the "bars" from the subterminal
pattern above.  On the folded wing, the paleness  of the primaries was
surprisingly easy to see.

Combination of size, eye color, bill structure, and wing tip pattern,
from above and below, point decisively to Thayer's (excl. potential
hybrids, also).  I have not been able to find any published Franklin
Co. records but believe "a couple" recent ones exist (if memory
serves).

PS
An ad. Northern Shrike was seen along a hedge (near OSU agricultural
field) in Arlington near NW Broadway and Kenny 1/13.
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--
David & Patty Tan
Columbus
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