[ORyoungbirder] probable ICELAND GULL or Iceland Gull Hybrid at Seaside

[m_scatt at yahoo.com]

Yesterday morning there was a good variety of gulls at the Cove in Seaside. In addition to numerous Western, Glaucous-winged, California, and Heerman's gulls, we noticed a couple of Ring-billed Gulls and Western x Glaucous-winged gull hybrids. There were no Herring Gulls, though. With a Thayer's Gull was a similar but paler adult Gull. We got very close, detailed looks and suspect that it may have been an ICELAND (Kumlien's) GULL. We were easily able to compare it with the Thayer's Gull, they were right next to each other. It was slightly smaller than the Thayer's Gull. It had a slightly and noticeably shorter bill with a reddish gonydeal spot.  The orbital ring was reddish-purple like a Thayer's/Iceland; the iris was clear yellow with no hint of dark flecks. There was a dark smudge in front of the eye. It had a fairly paler mantle than most Thayer's Gulls (including the one next to it). The wing tips were a slaty gray, not black, with more extensive white, making it appear
 almost striped white and grayish. It was much paler mantled, smaller, and had more white on the wingtips than other large gulls. It had short pink legs. Also, iris and orbital ring color distinguished it from some gulls. Would any hybrids (like Iceland x Thayer's or something else) fit the description? 
   
  If anyone is in the Seaside area and plans to look for, it was hanging out with a Thayer's Gull and other large gulls on the rocky shore across from Seltzer park. Also in Seaside were two Western Scrub-jays. Opinions are welcome.
   
  Adrian and Christopher Hinkle,
  Em Scattaregia

       
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