My first landfill visit of the season was highlighted by a crisp juvenile THAYER'S GULL among 1000+ LWHGs working the trash piles. Interestingly it was the only uncommon gull present...not a single Iceland, Glauc or LBBG. It's a small landfill that can be very hit or miss, but has a track record in recent years of pulling in some nice birds (two Slaty-backs and a few Thayer's). Let's hope this is the start of a productive season. For anyone looking for the bird, some ID features to note are: - more delicate head/bill structure than HEGU, heavier-bodied than most Kumlien's Gulls - all black bill with just the slightest hint of paling at the base of lower mandible - faint mask through the auriculars, more visible at some angles than others - apparently all juvenile scapulars - dark-centered tertials with marbled edging - dark brown primaries (but not blackish) with thin pale fringes as seen on the folded wing - short pinkish legs In flight: - dark outer webs of o...
