Perry
04-14-2007, 09:17 AM
I'm sitting in my office working on a Saturday morning. A flock of Franklin's Gulls just flew by. I thought I should post a note for the newer birders.
If you see a flock of gulls flying overhead, stop to check them out. All winter long you are used to seeing Ring-billed Gulls. For about 3-4 weeks, the Franklin's Gulls will be here. They are just passing through.
There is just something different about them when they fly by. However, if you do not have binoculars, take note of the head. In the spring, it's jet black like a Laughing Gull. This will instantly tell you that you are not looking at a Ring-billed Gull. The fact that we are in NCTX pretty much rules out Laughing Gull, so you can assume it is a Franklin's Gull. However, if you do have binoculars or they are flying low, take a look at the underside of the tips of the wings. You will see a white-black-white pattern. In other words, the very tip is white. There is a black patch just before the tip. Then there is another stripe of white. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
Good luck!
If you see a flock of gulls flying overhead, stop to check them out. All winter long you are used to seeing Ring-billed Gulls. For about 3-4 weeks, the Franklin's Gulls will be here. They are just passing through.
There is just something different about them when they fly by. However, if you do not have binoculars, take note of the head. In the spring, it's jet black like a Laughing Gull. This will instantly tell you that you are not looking at a Ring-billed Gull. The fact that we are in NCTX pretty much rules out Laughing Gull, so you can assume it is a Franklin's Gull. However, if you do have binoculars or they are flying low, take a look at the underside of the tips of the wings. You will see a white-black-white pattern. In other words, the very tip is white. There is a black patch just before the tip. Then there is another stripe of white. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
Good luck!