To all: John Pogacnik has offered more information on my gull posting - please see below. Great information. Matt -----Original Message----- From: John Pogacnik [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:51 PM To: Matthew Valencic Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Miller Park Possible California Gull Matt, Your bird is a herring gull. Herring's can also show the black and red bill spot. With a California the eye would be dark. Also the bill would be a bit longer. The back color would also be darker (noticeably darker than the ring-bills. Other things to look for are greenish leg color and the shape of the black wingtips. On a sitting bird look for the all dark eye and darker gray back to get started. John Pogacnik ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matthew Valencic" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:24 PM Subject: [Ohio-birds] Miller Park Possible California Gull >I stopped at Miller Park about 3pm to practice with my new digiscoping > camera (still need practice based on the results) and saw an adult and a > juvenile gull that might be California's. Comments from those-in-the-know > would be appreciated. > http://picasaweb.google.com/mvalencic/MillerParkSheffieldLakeOH111308# > <http://picasaweb.google.com/mvalencic/MillerParkSheffieldLakeOH111308> > > > > Sibley describes the adult with a black and red bill spot (you have to > zoom > in to see it) and Peterjohn (The Birds of Ohio) says they show up along > the > central basin of Lake Erie about this time of year but in small numbers > and > usually in company of Ring-billed and other gulls. > > > > Sibley describes the first-year juvenile to have a "pink-based" bill (zoom > to see this) but otherwise looks like juvenile Herring (all black bill). > > > > Other birds at Miller Park were lots of Ring-billed and Bonaparte's, > several > Herring and about 6 Common Loons (Big Foot Pictures! - sorry!). A few > Mallards in the boat launch area. > > > > Matt Valencic > > Chagrin Falls, OH > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]