[mou] late Franklin's Gull, Minneapolis

[Stephen Greenfield]

Chet Meyers and I identified a Franklin's Gull on the west side of Lake
Calhoun just before 5pm on Wednesday evening, 12/10.  Some notes below*.
I've never seen one in the Twin Cities, and the latest date for the state
in Janssen (1987) is November 27.

The lake was inexplicably almost entirely open, after mostly glazing over
last week.There were possibly 100 American Mergansers, and quite a few
Goldeneye, and apparently only a few Herring Gulls and no other gull
species among the many Ring-bills.

Stephen Greenfield
Minneapolis
tapaculo@halcyon.ws

*It appeared to be second winter or older, with a gray mantle darker than
the nearby Ring-bills, remnant black hood with white eye-ring and forehead.
 There was considerable white before the wing tips, which had white spots..