Wrong place, wrong time – Purple Gallinule downtown San Diego

A rather exciting text message popped up on my cell phone late yesterday evening November 02, 2018 from visiting seabird biologist Michael Force. “Hi Gary. I was wondering about Purple Gallinule and their status here?”. This got my attention for sure! I quickly responded that this species has only a single record in San Diego County and asked if he had seen one! Michael’s answer “No. Not exactly…”. Earlier in the day Michael had walked back from the Embarcadero, downtown San Diego, to his research vessel docked at Crosby Street pier, when he came across a partial bird carcass laying at the side of the road on Harbor Drive. Noting the coloration of what plumage remained on one wing, and tidbits of body, he snapped some cell phone images. Some late night text messaging and it certainly looked as if it could be a Purple Gallinule.

So early morning November 03, 2018 I was out searching for roadkill along Harbor Drive and quickly found the bird remains which Michael had photographed. It did indeed appear to be a Purple Gallinule with a few remaining purple feathers as well as green plus azure coloration to the wing feathers. The leg color was darker than I thought it might be but I am not sure of post mortem changes to bare part coloration and it was likely baked in the sun roadkill. At least some parts of the leg and foot, under sides of the toes for example, looked bright yellow still but with a reddish-horn color showing through most of the thickest parts.

One can only speculate how part of a dead Purple Gallinule came to be laying on the side of a busy road just south of downtown San Diego. I think with the nearby towering downtown buildings, many covered in glass and glittering with lights, numerous overhead cables for power, a street lined both sides with tall cross-linked animal-proof fencing, and the speeding straight-line traffic along Harbor Drive, it all seems to point to an unfortunate bird dropping in to the wrong place at the wrong time. The possibility of a Purple Gallinule setting down in downtown San Diego is not as crazy as it sounds because just two months ago a live individual was discovered perched on a mail box, no kidding, in downtown Ensenada, Mexico just 60 miles south of here on the coast. That luckier specimen, captured and moved to a more suitable habitat, can be seen in eBird checklists here and here.

Marking a 57 year interval this appears to be San Diego County’s second record of Purple Gallinule after a first record from October 01, 1961. That bird alive only for a short time after striking a wire and being found in residential Point Loma but died shortly thereafter and is now in the collection of the San Diego Natural History Museum (Unitt, 2004. San Diego County Bird Atlas).

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) partial remains – San Diego, San Diego County, California, November 03, 2018

Nemesis slayed – White Wagtail at the San Diego River

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2017] – I was just getting into my car at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery about 8:30am this morning, to head downhill to the San Diego River flood control channel, when I heard an email ping on my phone. Quickly seeing it was an eBird alert I scanned down the alert and could hardly believe my eyes! White Wagtail on the San Diego River! The report came from JoAnn Hackos a visiting birder from Colorado. The map marker put it right on the sandbar in the river channel. How was this possible? When I drove by there an hour-and-a-half ago the tide was pretty high and hardly a sandbar visible. The description of the wagtail in the eBird alert sounded perfect so I raced down there as fast as I dare go. Running up on the bike path I looked at the small exposed sandbar which was no bigger than a tennis court and crowded with gulls and terns. I quickly started scanning and was shocked to find the wagtail, darting about in a gap among the seabirds, feeding on small flies. Wow! Wow! Wow!

Fortunately the wagtail made a short flight to the rip-rap along the bank of the river channel, much closer, where I obtained the photographs below. This appears to be a White Wagtail Motacilla alba of the northeast Siberian form ocularis with a fine dark eyestripe extending from the lores to the rear crown, solid gray back, absence of white on the flight feathers, and visible dark centers “shining” through on the greater coverts (also visible in my horrible blurry flight photograph below). A second form, Motacilla alba lugens, known as the “Black-backed” Wagtail, has also been found in California and in fact San Diego County’s first White Wagtail, discovered and photographed by Matt Sadowski in February 2012, was this second form. Matt quickly arrived today and can now boast of seeing both ocularis and lugens White Wagtails in the county!

This bird appears from comparison of photographs to be possibly the same individual seen and photographed by a Camp Pendleton survey biologist in a restricted area a few days ago on 19 April 2017 in North San Diego County.

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

White Wagtail – San Diego River flood control channel, Ocean Beach, San Diego County, California 23 April 2017 (© Gary Nunn)

Elm tree scores again – Philadelphia Vireo in Point Loma

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – Wow! Some magic trees just live up to their reputation! I found this Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus clambering around in my favorite “hot” Chinese Elm at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery this morning at 7:55am on Oct 02, 2016. I’d already checked the tree several times since about 6:30am, when it was just light enough to see birds, and was at least on the third circuit around the southeast section of the cemetery when I detected the vireo. I will confess to being mad about vireos and this species was about top of the top list of birds I’ve been looking for here in Point Loma. A colorful very cute vireo with rich yellow wash on the throat and chest, spreading to the underparts, and a bit stronger on the undertail coverts. The dark loral line and bright supercilium, along with a darker cap, give it a splendid aggressive little demeanor. Best photographed in the shade to bring out the real character! After the first sighting it returned about hourly to the “hot” Chinese Elm where many people got to see and photograph it at very close quarters. Now just a nemesis Red-eyed Vireo to complete my self-found county vireo collection!

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

The images below are the first set I obtained within a matter of seconds of detecting the vireo in the elm tree. It was moving around sluggishly and for a minute or two just sat stationary and looked at me! The thick marine layer clouds and rather dull lighting actually helped with bringing out some of the underpart coloration once I got the camera exposure adjusted. After this first sighting it disappeared for a while. Then every hour or so it reappeared in the first large Chinese Elm where I found it. Seen by many observers all day until after 5pm!

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Philadelphia Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Oct 02, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Fog bound – Blue-headed Vireo in Point Loma

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – Thick fog smothered Point Loma this morning and after two hours of, literally, birding by ear, I decided I had had enough and went to sit in my car for a few minutes. Glancing through the fog at my favorite Chinese Elm, in the southeast section, I noticed the silhouette of a large vireo clambering around in the lower hanging branches. I made a quick exit and ran over to the elm tree camera in hand! In spite of the thick white fog a strikingly colorful Solitary type vireo literally jumped off the branch it was so bright. I’ve seen a lot of Cassin’s Vireos around Point Loma and this bird looked far and away more colorful than that species. Most noticeable was the solid dark blue-gray crown and cheeks, gleaming white cleanly demarcated throat, green back, and bright yellow chest sides and flanks extending generously onto the undertail coverts. In addition the very bright bold edges to the tertials jumped out. The tapered and slightly abraded tail feathers, and tapered primary coverts, indicates this is an immature. So far as I can determine this appears to be a hatch year Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius. Close examination of photographs of the underside of the tail also show a white edge extending all the way around the outer tail feathers characteristic of this species.

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Blue-headed Vireo – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 18, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Moving shadow – Broad-winged Hawk in Point Loma

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – Today Sep 17, 2016 Matt Sadowski and I had just finished walking down to the southeast section of Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery when a moving shadow on the ground caught our attention. Sure enough, from behind the Norfolk Island Pine we were standing under, came a low-flying juvenile Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus moving north along the Point Loma peninsula. This made all the tramping around in search of non-existent passerine migrants feel a little better! We had just watched a handful of migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks going south, so a nice addition to the raptors! It veered leeward and flew north up the east side of the peninsula disappearing from view. Then, less than an hour later, I was in the northeast section of the cemetery when a small flock of close Bushtits exploded in their harsh purring alarm calls. Back came the Broad-winged Hawk flying east-to-west across the cemetery affording some nice views of the upperside.

Broad-winged Hawks are about annual in San Diego and fall migration is the best time to try and see this species in the county. The Point Loma peninsula is a favored spot but sightings are somewhat random and fast moving birds can be easily missed. Broad-winged Hawks here tend to rocket south down the peninsula on the west side of the cemetery, presumably circle the far point, and then cut back north, against the crosswind, usually following the east or leeward side of the peninsula. Chances are also good that on this return northward up the peninsula they will cross the cemetery in low flight, and sometimes openly perch in a large tree, near to the administration buildings. If you see one going south wait around to see if it returns. The best time period for sightings seems to be around noon, 11am-1pm is a good window if you are waiting and watching.

Broad-winged Hawk juvenile – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 17, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-winged Hawk juvenile – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 17, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-winged Hawk juvenile – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 17, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-winged Hawk juvenile – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 17, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-winged Hawk juvenile – Point Loma, San Diego County, California Sep 17, 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Magnificent Frigatebirds at the Salton Sea

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – Today Sep 11, 2016 I guided out-of-town birders Howard Einspahr and Temple Douglas around the south end of the Salton Sea. At 7:45am the first stop, at north terminus of Garst Road, started with a bang when I spotted nine distant frigatebirds sitting together on a derelict wooden structure! I could hardly believe my eyes and even one adult male among them shaking its baggy red gular sac! I quickly assembled the 1000mm lens rig on the Canon 1Dx and tried as best I could to get some shots across the distance and through the weird temperature distortions. A few acceptable documentation images show all the birds. After sending out some email and text messages we waited around, I hoped the frigatebirds might lift off, but they stayed firmly planted on the poles. Then about 8:25am they started to sun outstretched inverted wings and flap around a bit, but no lift off. We decided to leave and head south hoping they might come by later. So far as I could see, and photographs later showed, eight juvenile or white-headed immatures and a single adult male. Through the field scope at high magnification the perched adult male appeared to have no pale alar bar visible on the upper wing. The plumages and equal sized birds seem to indicate a wandering band of nine Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens.

Magnificent Frigatebirds – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Tom Benson made good time to Garst Road but unfortunately found no frigatebirds there about 9:30am. Evidently they had lifted off shortly after we left. I had moved my position to south of Obsidian Butte by this time finding some Yellow-footed Gulls. Tom skipped around my position even further south along the shore presumably to cover more ground. Then right at 10:15am I scoped north and spotted four frigatebirds flapping like crazy very low around Obsidian Butte as if they had just lifted off together. Two adult males and two juveniles! I alerted Tom by text and raced back north along the sea wall and intercepted the birds coming south. They then moved remarkably fast southeast across land about half a mile and shot up in elevation quickly around Severe and Lindsey Road where Tom intercepted them too. It was then only a couple of minutes before they disappeared southeast lost in the sun glare and increasing elevation.

The two adult males in this group, and I believe the lift off from a position near Obsidian Butte, seems to indicate perhaps a different group from the first nine perched at Garst Road which contained only a single adult male. So together a minimum of ten birds involved and possibly as many as thirteen in total.

Magnificent Frigatebird – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebird – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebird – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebird – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebirds – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebird – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebirds – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Magnificent Frigatebirds – Salton Sea, Imperial County, California Sep 11, 2016 © Gary Nunn

Broad-tailed Hummingbird in San Diego County

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – News broke mid afternoon 17 August 2016 of a reported Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus coming to feeders at a private residence near Lake Henshaw in northeast San Diego County. Calendar schedule and location seemed good for a wandering migrant and the observer noted the characteristic wing whistle of the male of this species. After discussions with the resident, Debbie Dobson, a plan was made to check out the feeders at dawn the next day. Sure enough, within minutes of our arrival at 6am on 18 August 2016, the wing whistle of a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird could be heard. It soon flew in very close to us and perched on the feeder not more than a few feet away. We watched the hummingbird for a few minutes as it made a couple of visits to a favored nectar feeder. A huge thank you to Debbie Dobson for her kind invitation to check out the hummingbird feeders at her home and observe her very rare discovery! It has been almost ten years since the last report of this species in San Diego County when one was seen in Ramona, September 2006.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird adult male – near Lake Henshaw, San Diego County, California 18 Aug 2016 (© Gary Nunn)

Magnificent Frigatebird – downtown La Jolla!

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – An urgent telephone call from Tom Blackman this morning with news of a Magnificent Frigatebird sailing over his head while photographing birds at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve! He said it moved south down towards Scripps Pier in La Jolla Shores. In a bit of a scramble I quickly took off to La Jolla in the hope of crossing paths with this difficult to see species in San Diego County!

Parking was a disaster at La Jolla Cove and I ended up some ways south. This was not so bad as it turned out the frigatebird had gone about a mile offshore, over a fishing boat, and was in fact now located due west of my position. A text message from Jim Pawlicki alerted me from where he was searching at Scripps Pier that he could see it far offshore. As luck would have it the bird then came on a beeline obliquely towards me and eventually circled low over La Valencia Hotel in downtown La Jolla getting a ripping by the local Western Gulls.

This individual appears to be a juvenile with a white head and chest joined to a small white diamond-shaped belly patch. The paler bars on the upperwings are also noticeable. Other than the unique flock which came through La Jolla in 2012, hustled up here by a hurricane off Baja, seeing a Magnificent Frigatebird in San Diego County is a rather lucky affair. Odd singles seem to turn up a couple of times a year but are remarkably difficult to chase due to the mobility of this species.

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Magnificent Frigatebird juvenile – La Jolla, San Diego County, California May 31, 2016

Second-cycle gull – pale Thayer’s or a Kumlien’s?

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2016] – I made a late morning venture down to Point La Jolla to do some seawatching today 09 January 2016 but found it very quiet with offshore winds. I was about to leave when an interesting looking second-cycle “white-winged” gull caught my eye flying out of the cove towards a small fishing vessel. Looking at surrounding gulls it was smaller than a Western Gull, maybe about the same size as a California Gull with a gentle looking relatively small rounded head. Photographs show a bicolored pink-black bill and overall pallid looking upperparts without strong contrasting markings. The mantle is a nice frosty gray color. In particular the primaries and secondaries seem to be quite pale and without strong contrasting markings. I don’t see any sign of a dark secondary bar or very dark edging pattern to the primaries which would be expected in second-cycle Thayer’s Gull. In fact I think this bird might show characters better aligned with Kumlien’s Gull L. glaucoides kumlieni looking at the only slight dark outer webs to the primaries and more even looking paler secondaries. It certainly looked much whiter overall than a first-cycle Thayer’s Gull also hanging around the fishing vessel. Perhaps closer more definitive photographs could be obtained if it is seen again. I waited around for some time hoping it would come closer but it took off further offshore following fishing boats. Comments welcome!

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s Gull (left) with Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle (right) – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Thayer’s or Kumlien’s Gull (?) second cycle – Point La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California (© Gary Nunn)

Refound – Lesser Black-backed Gull in Chula Vista

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2015] – This first cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus was discovered by Jim Pawlicki at the J Street mudflats viewed from Bayfront Park, Chula Vista this morning 06 December 2015. By coincidence I had just arrived there and was busy scanning the assembled gulls from the west side. Jim had spotted the gull scanning from the east side of the mudflats! It was sitting out in the glare and eventually I relocated back to the west viewpoint and took some very distant photographs with the 1000mm lens setup on the Canon 1Dx. The lighting at least allowed the long black bill and plumage coloration to be seen better.

This appears to be the same bird first discovered by Matt Sadowski at the Tijuana River mouth, Imperial Beach back on November 24, 2015. On several occasions we watched it limping and unable to walk on its left leg matching Matt’s observations of the bird seen at the river mouth.

A slim profiled gull in between Ring-billed Gull and California Gull in size. The dusky blackish brown remiges project a long way accentuating the long slim looking profile. The sloped whitish head and prominent black quite long bill are characteristic. Viewed through a field scope the pale upper tail coverts were dark peppered and the tail and upperwings darkly colored.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, San Diego County, California 06 December 2015 (© Gary Nunn)

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, San Diego County, California 06 December 2015 (© Gary Nunn)

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, San Diego County, California 06 December 2015 (© Gary Nunn)

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, San Diego County, California 06 December 2015 (© Gary Nunn)