Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Lesser Black-backed Gull
Scientific name:	Larus fuscus
Date:	2/22/04
Time:	3:30 p.m.
Length of time observed:	30 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	2nd winter
Sex:
Location:	Farmington Bay WMA
County:	Davis
Latilong:
Elevation:
Distance to bird:	Varied from 20 to 35 yards
Optical equipment:	Pentax 8x42 Binoculars, Pentax 10x42 Binoculars, Bausch & Lomb Discoverer Zoom Scope
Weather:	Overcast
Light Conditions:	Good. Even with the clouds, we saw the bird well especially because it was so close!
Detailed description of bird:	Size--It was slimmer and smaller than the nearby Herring Gulls. Eyes--It had obvious yellow irises. There were also dark smudgy markings completely surrounding the eyes. Face--The rest of the face was white with very sparse dark streaking. The forehead was white without any streaking. Bill--It was smaller than the Herring Gulls'. It was dark in color with a discernible but small bit of pale yellow at the base of the lower mandible. Legs--They were a pale (not very bright)yellow color. Belly and throat--They were both white. Nape--It was white with sparse dark streaking. Mantle--It was slate gray with a few brown markings. The gray was obviously darker than the Herring Gulls' mantles. Wings--The upper wings were dark brown and much darker toward the tips of the wings. The under wings were also dark brown. Tail--The upper tail coverts were white with a few sparse brown markings. There was a black band near the end of the tail. This band widened a bit toward the middle of the tail (so it was narrower on the edges of the tail). The black tail band had a narrow white edging on the outer edges and the tip of the tail. This narrow white edging along the outer edges of the tail had a few dark lines appearing in it which increased and darkened toward the tip of the tail.
Song or call & method of delivery:
Behavior:	Flew low over and then landed in shallow water several times. Standing, feeding, flapping wings without flying, and periodically chasing other nearby birds.
Habitat:	Mudflats covered with very shallow water.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Herring Gulls were larger and bulkier. The 2nd winter Herring Gulls in the vicinity had lighter mantles and pink legs and were lighter under their wings.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	We've seen several Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Ireland. We also saw one in Texas several years ago. We've seen many Herring Gulls over the years.
References consulted:	Sibley
Description from:	Notes taken at time of sighting
Observer:	Kathy and Joel Beyer
Observer's address:	1719 Hillcrest Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
Observer's e-mail address:	twobirders@juno.com
Other observers who independently identified this bird:
Date prepared:	08/12/04 (General Public)
Additional material:
Additional comments: