smith lookalikes

[marsmuusse]

Frode's site from Norway shows several dark Herrings:

http://cyberbirding.uib.no/gull/ind_ufo.php (naar midden pagina scrollen)

with some nice candidates, like this one:

http://cyberbirding.uib.no/gull/ufo/1w_01.php



Although upper- and undertail coverts not perfect and rectrices with pale bases...
Mars

[marsmuusse]

Right after returning from Scotland, we discussed a bird from Peterburgh. Repeated here: ...

Chris Gibbins wrote:
Hi gents. Following a couple of dark birds seen during IGM, we have been discussing ‘poor-man’s smithsonianus’ So, here is a bird that I had 3 weeks ago at Peterhead but because of being busy with IGM I have only just got around to downloading images. It is another nice example of how dark some of our birds up here can be; on the ground it was not too impressive (body not particularly dark or smoothly textured), but wow what a rump and tail. Unfortunately these are best pics of it that I got.

Pictures Chris (2x flying):

dark HG3.JPG (851.22KiB)Viewed 9838 times

dark HG1.JPG (608.51KiB)Viewed 9838 times

Hannu wrote:
Hi all,

Also more or less odd dark 2nd winter birds with tendency to have broad tail band. Here a few birds:

http://www.elisanet.fi/hj.koskinen/2ndW ... tland.html

Martin Reid sent a link to Visa about another dark 2nd-winter photographed at Peterhead on Sunday after IGM. Probably more discussion shall follow...

& Ruud wrote:
Hallo all,

here's a different 2cy we saw in Fraserburgh (27-02) that we dismissed on the basis of too pale undertail coverts and obviously barred greater coverts but otherwise... Would be interesting to learn from Martin Reid if such birds would stand out in Texas.

Hannu maybe it's an idea to compile these and Chris's images on your website?

Cheers

IMG_5364.jpg (144.14KiB)Viewed 9838 times

IMG_5370.jpg (129.42KiB)Viewed 9838 times

IMG_5377.jpg (123.41KiB)Viewed 9838 times

IMG_5381.jpg (121.24KiB)Viewed 9838 times

[pim wolf]

http://www.artsobservasjoner.no/artport ... eID=105294

and another one from Norway. Not the best of candidates IMHO. There surely is something wrong with the pigments in the Herring Gull? Apart from a quite dark plumage is see no charaqcters supporting an ID as smithsonianus.

pim wolf

[adriaens]

http://www.artsobservasjoner.no/artport ... eID=105294

and another one from Norway. Not the best of candidates IMHO. There surely is something wrong with the pigments in the Herring Gull? Apart from a quite dark plumage is see no charaqcters supporting an ID as smithsonianus.

pim wolf

The uniformly dark outer webs of the inner primaries are certainly at odds with smithsonianus. Also, the wingcoverts are rarely (if ever) as uniformly dark right up to the top of each feather.
In fact, I even doubt that this is a "herring gull". The white rump, dark inner primaries, small, rounded head and short bill make me think this is a rather dark Lesser Black-backed Gull !

[pim wolf]

Hi all,

Peter's idea that it could be a LBBG crossed my mind as well but the short projection of the wings beyond the tail (although the angle is awkward) suggests Herring. Also, in a gull this dark I don't know if I can trust the pigments on the inner primaries. Looks like a slender bird though so I'm not betting on either. I am betting that it's not a smicker though!

pim

[Theo Muusse]

A 2cy seen here in Holland at the end of September/ early October...

Theo

[Ruud Altenburg]

http://www.birdpix.nl/album_page.php?pi ... ent=0&db=0

This is a Herring but not an American IMO. Upper- and undertail coverts of coure are fine, but the tail is slightly off (a lot of white on the outer web of R6) and especially the underparts seem too blotchy. This in combination with the lack of Glaucous Gull-like structure makes me think it's a bird comparable to these IJmuiden juveniles:

http://forum.waarneming.nl/smf/index.php?topic=91853.0

[adriaens]

A 2cy seen here in Holland at the end of September/ early October...

Theo

Any more pics of this bird ? Flightshots ?
I'm puzzled by birds like this.
Were the new scapulars pale grey or dark grey ?

[pim wolf]

[
Any more pics of this bird ? Flightshots ?
I'm puzzled by birds like this.
Were the new scapulars pale grey or dark grey ?

Hi Peter & all,

I'm puzzled as well and yes, there are shots of the open wings and tail. Both pics taken by me at Westkapelle on 2 October 2009.




Birds like this (dark 2cy) have turned up at Westkapelle for many years now, I've been boring Mars, Ruud and Theo almost to tears with them. General concensus is that this is the darkest variant of argenteus. Mind you, we've never seen or photographed one with a ring. Apart from the dark tail and very dark greater coverts there is one thing that all these birds have in common; the fresh grey scaps are always slightly darker than "standard" argenteus and also much more bluish-grey.

pim