Herring Gull?
This smallish, light headed Herring Gull (I think) kept me guessing for quite a while when I first saw
it near the compost piles off Stevenson Rd. near Ithaca, NY on the 9th of December, 2006. Note that the
shots on the water are presumed to be the same bird, seen later that day associating with other birds that
had apparently flown in from the compost piles (Lesser Black-Backed Gull and Iceland Gull).
The bird is in the back in the first two photos, with a Herring Gull in the forground. Note the slightly
different scapular/back pattern (juvenile feathers?), slighter build, and lighter head. The bird is on the right
in the third picture. Compare to the herring gulls on on the water with (presumably) the same bird.
