Glaucous-winged Gulls were widespread and but not overly common, at least less so than in my March 2007. Most birds were at the coastal locations though Lake Merrit had some good birds but that's not that far from San Francisco Bay. The majority of my Glaucous-winged Gull images come from Roberts Lake, Salinas River Mouth and Goat Rock Beach near Jenner but Lake Merrit, Laguna Park in San Louis Obispo and Point Pinos near Monterey also weight in the with some good images.
The majority age groups were first-winters and adults though virtually all ages were represented and photographed and I have endevoured to include these below. For More Glaucous-winged Gulls click here.
California - November 2009
Glaucous-winged Gulls
Heermann's Gull
Boneparte's Gulls
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Hybrids
Albino Gull sp.
Glaucous-winged Gull
Yellow-footed Gull
Western Gull
American Herring Gull
Often very approachable this juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull was photographed at Lake Merrit, Oakland.
Note the overall uniform sandy-brown appearance. The Primaries are only marginally darker than the tertials and secondaries, which are exposed beneath the greater coverts. The tertials are plan brown based with paler tips. The whole affect is of a rather 'pallid' looking gull.
It could be within range of normal Glaucous-winged Gull however the primaries look a little darker than I would have expected on a pure Glaucous-winged though this could be a lighting affect as they are close to the tertial tone and doesn't look out of place on the bird on a whole.
This juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull at Salinas River mouth is slightly longer winged than the previous bird however the primaries are concolourous with the tertials, wing coverts and rest of upper and under-parts which again creates a 'pallid' looking bird
A little more advance juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull as a number of the scapulars have been replaced with plainer pale grey. The primaries are short and a little dark but appear to still be within range of a pure Glaucous-winged. This bird was at Salinas River Mouth where the species was encountered quite commonly.
The overall pale, almost whitish, appearance of these birds is apparent however this is perhaps falsely enhanced by the reflective white surface of the breaking surf beneath the birds.
Second-winter Glaucous-winged Gull at Point Pino near Monterey. Note the plain, uniform plumage and still mostly dark looking bill.
Near adult Glaucous-winged Gull, Salinas River Mouth. Very close to adult, typical adult grey primary tip colouration (matching upper-parts), bubble gum pink legs and mottle head and neck creating a fully hooded affect. Aged as a near adult due to the bill pattern
Glaucous-winged Gull, probable adult, Golden Gate Park. Note the deep gonydeal angle, large square looking head and dark eye
Adult Glaucous-winged Gull, Salinas River Mouth. Note the pale grey upper-parts, paler than American Herring Gull, broad white trailing edge to the secondaries and primaries and the slightly darker outer primaries with largish white mirror to P10.
The above and below adult Glaucous-winged Gulls were both photographed at Salinas River Mouth on the same day and show the usual characters of the species as well as individual variation; the bird above is relatively plain headed whilst the bird below has a very obvious finely marked hood.
This juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull was photographed at Goat Rock Beach near Jenner on 28th November 2009. I think the birds expression says it all, 'I really didn't think this through'.
