If you're a birder, you'll know what a life list is. It's basically a list of all the bird species one has observed and positively ID'd in one's lifetime. This blog is a record of my "critter" life list (mostly of birds), including photos I've taken over the years, some of the actual lifer if I was lucky enough to get the shot. Don't expect National Geographic quality stuff here, just the work of an amateur photog who loves to trudge out into nature.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)


1/15/05 Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, CA (Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival event with docent Rosemary Olszewski)
11/16/02 Abalone Cove Shoreline Park and Ecological Reserve, Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, CA
8/4/02 Border Field State Beach, Imperial Beach, San Diego County, CA 
8/19/04 Morro Rock, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County, CA

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Western Gull

SPECIES: Larus occidentalus

LIFE LIST DATE: 8/4/2002

LOCATION: Border Field State Beach, Imperial Beach, San Diego County, CA

From Stokes Field Guide to Birds-Western Region & Kaufman Focus Guide-Birds of North America:

HABITAT/BEHAVIOR: Abundant in coastal California and Oregon; the standard big gull on beaches and in open areas near the shore. Almost never goes more than a few miles inland. Nests in colonies, mostly on offshore islands. 

 IDENTIFYING MARKS: 26"; Summer: the only common dark-backed white-bodied gull in the West. Massive bill yellow with red spot near tip; legs pink. Winter: like summer, but head lightly streaked with brown. 

VOICE: Low-pitched cuk cuk cuk.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)