Pinnacles National Park...From Condors to Canyon Wrens

Pinnacles National Park, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

I went to Pinnacles hoping to see a California Condor and of course to experience a unique national park in the middle of California.  The temperature was well into the 90s so a stroll/crawl/climb through a cool cave sounded like a refreshing idea.

We went on the Moses Spring - Rim Trail loop hike.  This hike is a little over 2 miles with a moderate amount of elevation gain and a modest amount of stairs as you travel through the Bear Gulch Caves.  I was there in August, which meant the Bear Gulch Caves were only partially open to protect the bats.

I was truly surprised at the amazing birding at Pinnacles on a hot summer day. 
(* represents first time sightings)

Pinnacles Bird Count:

Acorn woodpecker*            Pacific-slope Flycatcher   
Bewick's wren                     Scrub jay
California quail                   Spotted towhee
California towhee                Stellar's jay
Canyon wren*                     Turkey vulture
Chickadee (vocal only)       Western tanager
Dark-eyed junco                 White-breasted nuthatch*
Hairy woodpecker              White-throated swift*
Nuttall's woodpecker*        Wild turkey
                                                Wrentit

Acorn woodpecker by Kelly Wohlwend

One of the first birds we saw was the acorn woodpecker.  They are described as a "gregarious" bird, which means social, and they were very active around the parking lot at the Bear Gulch Caves trail head area.  I saw the evidence of their hard acorn cache work in a large snag by the restrooms.  Hundreds and hundreds of perfectly drilled out round holes dotted the entire trunk.  Most of the time an acorn woodpecker was hanging out on this snag checking on its precious stash (see photo to the left).  Most of these acorns are from coast live oak trees, native to California.

The males and females look very similar.  The males have a larger red crest on their heads.  They are definitely unusual birds that sport a clownish face and pale eyes.  We spotted more of them at the picnic area that we walked through on our way to the main trailhead for the Moses Spring - Rim Trail loop.  This picnic area was one of the best places for birds on my journey!

You're probably wondering...did I see a California condor?  Unfortunately...I did not.  The condors of Pinnacles are free flying birds, which pretty much means they do what they want, when they want and where they want.  The best place to see them is the High Peaks but the trail to get there is long, very strenuous and I wasn't tempted in 90 degree weather despite my love of birds.  It is a great reason to return to Pinnacles!

After traveling through the coast live oaks, surrounded by flycatchers, juncos and chickadees we entered the Bear Gulch Caves.  Don't expect to find many birds in here...but bats!  We didn't see the bats because they are huddled up in the closed areas but it was definitely fun to navigate the cold, dark caves.

Moses Spring Reservoir, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Canyon wren, photo by Mike Forsman

At the end of the trail you are rewarded with a beautiful reservoir.  There was a great breeze up here and the relative seclusion of this area makes it rather peaceful.  I was elated when I saw a tiny bird climbing on a vertical rock face lined with water marks.  Its long, striped, burnt umber tail was glowing under the sun.  I immediately knew it was a canyon wren, even though I had never seen the bird before in the wild.  The color of the bird and the tail are very distinctive field marks.  I checked my field guide and was ecstatic to have seen such an elusive bird.  Canyon wrens are commonly seen around water and graze for insects on rock faces.   It ducked into a pipe and disappeared out the other end.  From that moment on I was on a mission to get a picture of the bird.  I just barely missed a photo of it at the reservoir.


Before I left I noticed birds flying over my head.  They were larger than swallows and had a white throat and white patches on their back that comes down their sides.  Similar to a tree swallow that has white rumps, the white-throated swift has white hips but the white throat is distinctive.  As soon as they appeared, they were gone.

On the way down the Rim Trail I saw a wrentit and female western tanager but what I was seeking was the canyon wren.  At the base of the trail I heard a very loud bird song.  I had listened to the song of the canyon wren on my birding by ear CD many times but I have never heard it in person.  I was hoping the sweet descending warbler like song I was listening to was the canyon wren.  I took a detour on my way back and went up the same trail I was on before.  I heard the bird sing down in the canyon and then I saw it!  It disappeared before I could grab my camera.  Hoping it would return I got my camera ready and I waited...about five minutes later it appeared.  I fumbled with my camera and before I could get the camera to my eye and the cap off the bird was gone.  I was never able to get a photo...so I plan to draw a picture...stay tuned. 

White-breasted nuthatch, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Slightly defeated I decided to return to the picnic area to do some more birding before heading home.  I was overwhelmed with acorn woodpeckers, flycatchers, bewick's wrens and stellar's jays.  I saw two new bird sightings here...a white-breasted nuthatch and a female nuttall's woodpecker.  Trying to walk as quietly as I could on crunchy leaves I followed birds all over the picnic area trying to get their picture.  The nuthatch was particularly difficult because of its size and enthusiastic movements.  Nuthatches are very unique for being the only bird that can walk down a tree face first.

Nuttall's woodpecker, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

As it turned out acorn woodpeckers weren't the only woodpeckers enjoying the area...a couple nuttall's woodpeckers were making their way up a nearby tree.  I couldn't get a good picture of its face but the large black patch on the back of the neck between the white of the head and above the white bars is a good field mark for nuttall's woodpecker. 

As I made my way to the car I spent a few last moments watching the comical acorn woodpeckers as they rotated their acorns, chattered to each other and gracefully glided from tree to tree.

I kept my eyes on the sky for a condor but one never made an appearance.  For such a large bird it's amazing they can be so elusive.  But don't worry...one day I will add the California condor to my list!

Pinnacles National Park photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Birds of the Sierras - Part 3 South Lake Tahoe

Baldwin Beach, South Lake Tahoe, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

It was hard to leave the Sierras.  I wanted to spend as much time there as I possibly could, so after my class was over I decided to stop by Lake Tahoe and just relax.  I figured I'd end up birding and journaling...

Taylor Creek Visitor Center, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Mount Tallac, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

I wanted to get away from the crowds, which can be tough around Lake Tahoe, especially if you stay in the immediate vicinity of the Lake.  But I found an amazing visitor center called the Taylor Creek Visitor Center.  I had never been here before so I was eager to explore.  If you get there early enough (before 10am) there aren't too many people. 

Forster's Tern, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

I walked down the short trail, "Lake of the Sky Trail" and wound up on the beach.  On my short, solitary journey I saw white birds flying in the sky to my left over the marsh.  I took a look at the information sign and got really excited when I found out they were Forster's Terns.  Terns are beautiful birds and it was a species I had never seen before.  I was eager to get closer.  Another beautiful sight along the way is Mount Tallac, which was still covered in fingers of white snow.

I got to the beach and was pleased to see it was rather empty, as beaches go.  That didn't last but an hour so I took advantage of the peace and quiet and did some journaling.  The entire time the terns were chirping and vocalizing their loud, sharp tern sounds so I couldn't ignore them any longer.  I grabbed my camera, found a shaded spot by a bush, sat and waited for one to come by, which didn't take long.  They were fishing over the stagnant marsh below, which as I learned from a young girl and her grandparents as they walked by, was teaming with tadpoles.

The terns had amazing behavior.  They flocked but individuals would break from the flock and kite, which is a hovering in flight technique.  As they hovered, they pointed their head downward searching for a snack.  I really enjoyed watching them.  I got lost in their acrobats, so much so, I didn't notice the beach filling up with people and off leash barking dogs.  I knew I had to go soon but first I got some pictures. 

Just before I left something amazing happened.  I noticed out of the corner of my eye one of the most amazing birds in the sky fly in front of Mount Tallac...a bald eagle.  It soared high at first, headed toward the marsh where the terns were and then it turned and dove.  The terns erupted in a frenzy.  I caught glimpses, my mouth wide open in awe, as the eagle glided only feet above the ground, meandering around large shrubs.  Terns were chasing it and screaming loud, ear shattering sounds to ward off the eagle.  The bald eagle turned and disappeared into the trees.  Moments later it left the trees, flew over the marsh, a blackbird hot on its tail, and perched in a pine along the trail I just walked down.  (Bald eagle photos by Kelly Wohlwend).  I quickly picked up my things and walked back up the trail, hoping to get a better view.  As I approached the eagle I noticed I was really close.  I could touch the tree it was perched in.  Unfortunately, the pine obstructed my view too much for a decent photo.

Even though it was getting later in the day and more people were piling into the Taylor Creek area, I decided to go on the other short hike through the marsh.  The trail is called "Rainbow Trail" and it is a relatively flat, paved trail that is easy to walk.  The birds were great, too, given the time of day and number of people.  There is a neat underwater viewing area where you can see the fish underwater (left).  I  felt like I was in a zoo or aquarium. 

(Common merganser photos by Kelly Wohlwend and sketch by Kelly Wohlwend)
After leaving the underwater world, I continued
down the looped trail.  I came to a bridge and saw the beaver dams I heard about but no beaver.  Instead I saw a common merganser female with some babies off in the distance.  It was adorable!  Baby ducks are always a welcome sight.  I kept walking, hoping to get a closer look.  A small, dirt path was available to the left that gave you a closer look at the river so I walked through and onto the cobbles.  I walked with anticipation along the river's edge and kept looking for the merganser.  Then I spotted her, hiding on the bank, her babies cuddled up at her side in the shade of the willows (left).  I sat down, not wanting to disturb her (I was also a good distance away as not to scare her away).  After getting some pictures I did a quick sketch (right).  Eventually, she ventured out from her protected hovel and started casually swimming on the water at the edge of the opposite bank.  I put down my sketch and started taking pictures.  She took a moment's refuge in a bundle of sticks, accessed the situation and then waded back onto the water, her babies hot on her tail.  She passed in front of me, keeping me at a safe distance from her small, vulnerable and incredibly puffy and cute six ducklings and swam on.  After she had moved on to a larger swimming area in the stream and away from people, I watched her babies plunk into the water from mom's back, dive under and then reappear a short distance away.  Mom flapped her wings and hopped up onto a log, her babies quickly followed.  Safe and sound, mom and babies rested in the sun, their eyes slowly closing.

Photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Photo by Kelly Wohlwend

This concludes our journey through the Sierras!  It was an amazing experience that I will never forget and the birds were incredible.  I highly recommend a trip through this beautiful place and remember to keep your eyes on the sky!

Birds of the Sierras - Part 2: Sierra Valley

Sierra Valley early in the morning, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Yellow-headed blackbird, photo by Kelly W

The Sierra Valley was one of the most amazing places for birds that we visited during our nature journaling course with Jack Laws.  Sierra Valley is at 4,850 feet in elevation and can be reached by traveling east along Hwy 49, north along 89 or east on 70.  It's a huge valley...you can't miss it!  If you travel into the heart of the valley most of the roads are compact dirt and be careful where you park because farm equipment use these roads often.

We got to the Valley really early to catch the morning birds, around 7:00am.  Some of the first birds we saw were yellow-headed (left) and red-winged blackbirds (mostly the bicolored form, which means the red patch on the wing is only red and not red and yellow/orange.)  I wasn't seeing many tri-colored blackbirds or my vision is just that bad...but other people were saying they were out there (these blackbirds have red and white covert feathers on the wings).

The loud, croaky, scratchy call of yellow-headed blackbirds were the lead singers in the Valley that morning mixed with the "concureee" of the red-winged blackbirds.  Some other birds were able to get their say, such as a noisy marsh wren, irritated we were near the nest, American coots and their featherless, red-faced, weird but cute babies and sandhill cranes in the distance. 

American coots, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Being in a nature journaling class, I naturally picked up my pencils and began sketching...after I got the bird shots I wanted, of course!  Species, after species, I was adding birds to my life list.  Seeing the white-faced ibis flying in the sky with its shallow wing beats and vocalizing its strange squawk/quack as I call it, was a life first for me!  Later, I watched them quarrel in the tall grass, hopping up into the air, flapping their wings lightly and landing pretty much in the same spot.  It was definitely humorous watching the birds appear and then disappear as they hopped into the air.

Marsh wren nest, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

After we got our fill of blackbirds, cute (maybe?) baby coots, a screaming marsh wren and barn swallows, we moved deeper into the valley...

Cliff swallow nest, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Cliff swallow, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

We moved to a bridge where we had breakfast and an earful of chirping cliff swallows, which had claimed the bridge as their home base.  Fortunately, we were not disturbing the birds at all, they merely kept close to the bridge as they fed.  Swallows are incredibly frustrating to photograph.  They rarely land and when they're in the air they swoop and turn rapidly and it's nearly impossible to follow them with a zoomed in camera lens.  And when they do land, they stay perched for only moments before they return to the wing.  I did manage to get a few swallow shots.  Maybe the heat of the day was forcing them to land more often.

American bittern, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Sample from my nature journal

One of the most memorable experiences in the Valley was my interaction with an American bittern.  It was the first time I had ever seen one and it is a delightfully strange bird.  It blended in so well with the reeds that were as tall as the bird that it was really hard to spot and even when I had my sights on it, it disappeared really easy, back into the grass.

Sandhill cranes, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Then its hunger brought it out to the slough that ran along the edge of the road, teaming with vegetation and I guess bullfrog tadpoles, after watching the bittern hunt for a while.  I learned a lot from watching the bittern for almost an hour.  It has some strange, almost eerie, hunting techniques.  Like a heron it stalks its prey, moving its feet so slowly and with such care in water that it doesn't even create a ripple.  When it has its sights on a prey item, it extends its neck to almost grotesque lengths, lowers its head close to the surface of the water, wobbles its neck while keeping its head perfectly still and then it strikes.  I watched it swallow a slimy, wiggly tadpole, the large lump moving quickly down its throat.  The bittern gorged itself on multiple tadpoles and even a small fish or two paying little attention to the 15 or so people watching it, mesmerized by it.

Sample from my nature journal at the ranch

As we left the Sierra Valley a few of us were treated to sandhill cranes only feet from the road.  Over the last few hours we had listed to their extremely loud and beautiful "whooping" call.  They travel in pairs throughout the valley and spotting them is always a treat.  Their dark, red heads are very distinctive and their movements are fluid and very heron like.





 

Our next spot in the Sierra Valley was Maddalena Ranch, which is normally a lush, freshwater marsh in early summer.  However, the Sierras were experiencing one of their driest seasons on record...so very little water was there.  The communal red canoe sat dry docked and unused.  No ducks or waterfowl were using the area, lacking precious water to wade, drink and feed from so the area was rather desolate.  Only the wind kept us company at first...until I saw the elusive sage thrasher!  (More to come on this bird in a bit).  We were also greeted by a savannah sparrow, which serenaded us for a short time and a female northern harrier kiting for prey over the valley.  Without the typical bird distraction I took the time to sketch (right).  I have recently been experimenting with using ink pens during my sketching (after first using my non-photo blue pencil as a baseline).  I love the way the pen brings out the colored pencil.

Sage thrasher, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Photo by Kelly Wohlwend

After some sketching we were ready to head out.  The sage thrasher had been making multiple appearances along the fence posts so a fellow birder and I hunkered down in the sage brush.  My nostrils were immediately overpowered by the potent smell of sage.  I had to take a second to breathe before I could even focus on using my camera.  After settling down in the sand and among the sage, quickly getting used to the smell, we waited.  We watched the thrasher tease us by hopping up on a post very far away, waiting, looking and then flying back down into the sage only to reappear one post closer (literally).  It moved post by post, closer and closer to our hiding spot.  I'm sure it saw us and knew we were there.  This sage thrasher had an inquisitive nature to it.  Once it got nearly close enough for photos it would fly back into the sage only to appear to our right just at a distance a photo wasn't going to turn out to our liking.  I couldn't help but smile and wait with baited anticipation for the thrasher to land on the perfect fence post right in front of us.  Sure enough, after about 15 minutes of waiting the thrasher took center stage.

It was definitely a thrilling stake out!  The thrasher was beautiful, I got some great shots and to top it off I smelled really good afterwards!

Thank you for continuing on with me on this journey as we explore the birds of the Sierras.  Next time we will be looking at some of the amazing birds of South Lake Tahoe!  Including...cute baby common mergansers!  Stay tuned!

Birds of the Sierras - Part 1: Upland Meadows

Hint #11:  Incorporate drawing and journaling in with your

Sample from my nature journal

birding!  It's a great way to allow you to explore other media than photography and you'll notice greater details and interesting behaviors by close observation.  You'll be surprised what you find when you start sketching!

I just got back from a fantastic six day camping trip in the Sierras along Highway 49.  I was taking a
nature journaling course and birding at the same time.  In this post I'll show you some of the different habitats I visited, what birds I found there and birding hotspots around Hwy 49.  I'll also share some of my bird sketches to hopefully inspire you to record what you see in a new, exciting way :)

I was shocked at how many different bird species I saw in the Sierras.  So here it is, the list of all species seen and or heard in the Sierras.  (?) = a questionable sighting.  I am fairly confident on my ID but not enough to be certain.  (*) = a species I have never seen before (a life species for me).  I did not put (*) next to questionable sightings for my life list.  (v) = the species was identified by vocalization only.

Grand Total Sierra Bird Count
((Total species: 61 (does not include questionable sightings).  Total new personal life species: 19))   Alphabetized by common name

American avocet (v)                         Olive-sided flycatcher (v)
American bittern*                            Osprey
American coot                                   Pied-billed grebe
American robin                                 Pileated woodpecker (v)

Mountain Chickadee, photo by author

Anna's hummingbird                        Pine sisken
Bald eagle                                            Purple finch
Barn swallow                                    Pygmy nuthatch
Black-headed grosbeak (v)               Red-breasted nuthatch (v)
Brewer's blackbird                            Red-winged blackbird
Brown creeper                                  Red-tailed hawk
Calliope hummingbird*                    Rufous or allen's hummingbird (female) (?)
Cassin's finch*                                  Sandhill crane*
Chipping sparrow (v)                       Sage thrasher*
Clark's nutcracker*                           Savannah sparrow*
Cliff swallow*                                  Steller's jay
Common raven                                 Tennessee warbler (?)
Dark-eyed junco                               Turkey vulture

Downy woodpecker (v)                    Warbling vireo* (v)
Evening grosbeak                             Western tanager
Forster's tern*                                   Western wood-pewee*
Fox sparrow - thick-billed                White-faced ibis*
Gadwall                                             White-headed woodpecker*
Great blue heron                                Willow flycatcher*
Green-tailed towhee*                        Wilson's warbler
Golden-crowned kinglet (v)              Wood duck
Hermit thrush (v)                              Yellow-headed blackbird*
Hermit warbler*                                Yellow-rumped warbler
Lincoln's sparrow (?)                         Yellow warbler (v)
MacGillavry's warbler                       Common merganser (forgot to add)
Mallard
Marsh wren
Mountain bluebird
Mountain chickadee*
Nashville warbler (v)*
Northern harrier


 Alpine Meadows and Wetlands - Elevation ~6,000ft.

Yuba Pass

A striking meadow of wildflowers next to the Yuba Pass campground is our first birding hotspot!  This place is home to a lot of small, mid-canopy and shrub dwelling birds such as mountain chickadees, red-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler and a variety of sparrows. 

However, one bird in particular nests here and observing it was an experience I won't soon forget!  In a short, stump in the trees on the edge of the meadow lives a white-headed woodpecker.  It was a life bird for me (meaning I've never seen or heard it before) and I couldn't look away.  During this sighting I didn't journal, too enthralled by the bird and wanting to get a good picture or two.  (I was with a fellow birder on this excursion).  We first noticed the female woodpecker, clinging to a tree, motionless (below middle).  She looks identical to the male (below right) except she lacks the red patch on the back of her head.  Next we saw the male with a gourmet snack.  He scoped the area, prepared for landing and then went into the nest to a mouthful of hungry young.

Female white-headed woodpecker

After a few comings and goings by both parents, the male decided he wanted to take a rest and where would be the best place for a quick (or in this case long) breather?  Well, with his head plugging up the nest hole of course!   You can just barely see the red patch on his head (left).  The male white-headed woodpecker literally chilled out in this position, only moving his head ever so often for about 10 minutes.  I wanted to get a great in flight shot, so I waited and waited and waited for him to depart the nest.  Cramped and stiff I waited.  When he left it was quick and way to fast for me to even press the button on my camera.  I had to laugh at his sense of humor. 

White-headed woodpeckers are somewhat common in this part of the Sierras and prefer to be in areas near open meadows or water.  Some woodpeckers in the Sierras prefer burned tree stands, such as the black-backed woodpecker, a woodpecker we searched for and didn't find, except for a potential fleeting glimpse in flight and some drumming (not enough to make a definitive ID).

Sand Pond Interpretative Trail 

 Basics:  6,000ft in elevation, 0.8 mile loop, mostly flat with some boardwalk and tons of mosquitoes!  Don't forget your repelent! 

Sand Pond, Photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

This was a great trail for birding.  It begins at the clear, warm Sand Pond, which is just downstream of Lower and Upper Sardine Lakes along Sardine Lake Road.  From Hwy 49 near Bassetts turn onto Gold Lake Hwy, onto Packer Lake Road, and then onto Sardine Lake Road. 

Willow flycatcher, photo by Kelly Azar

Before we talk about Sand Pond, I want to throw in a snippet about the willow flycatcher (which I heard and saw briefly but couldn't photograph).  There is a willow thicket and wetland off of Packer Lake Road with great birds, including the elusive and hard to find willow flycatcher (right).  It is rather rare locally and is considered an indicator species because it is relatively sensitive to habitat change. 

Western wood-pewee, photo by author

Now for Sand Pond.  I spent half my time swatting at mosquitoes but the trail is great and easy to walk.  Along the way I saw orange-crowned warblers, western wood-peewee (another flycatcher).  Notice on both flycatchers the thin bill, straight body generally perched upright or at a slight angle and the tell tale crest of feathers on the head.  Most flycatchers are rather drab looking with rather prominent wing bars.  Another bird I saw and had an amazing close interaction with was the wilson's warbler.

Wilson's warbler, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

Wilson's warblers are cute, little yellow warblers with a black cap.  They have an olive colored back, wings and tail.  Like all warblers their main food of choice is insects.  They prefer habitats near water and frequent willow thickets.  Wilson's warblers also have a large vocal vocabulary and their signature song generally changes between individuals and locations.


Let's travel up Sardine Creek to Lower and Upper Sardine Lakes.

Green-tailed towhee, photo from wikimedia.org

Upper Sardine Lake, photo by Kelly Wohlwend

This is a relatively short trail but steep.  It's also covered in large cobbles so wear hiking shoes!  The views are incredible and the birding is decent.  This is where you can see and hear the green-tailed towhee!  I have also read that this trail is frequented by off road vehicles (however, I didn't see any when I took the trail).  The relative seclusion offered by Upper Sardine Lake makes the trek worth it. 

Lower Sardine Lake from the beginning of the trail, photos by Kelly W
Hiking the trail to Upper Sardine Lake (Lower Sardine on Left)

When I hiked this trail the sun was overhead and the weather was heating up fast.  Generally birds take shelter at this point but a few were out, mostly the towhees.  I had a great moment with a green-tailed towhee when it perched in a pine tree only feet behind me.  I was so mesmerized by it in my binoculars I didn't stop to take a picture.

Another bird I saw along the trail was an osprey hunting over Lower Sardine Lake.  It was awesome to watch such a large bird of prey hunt over open water from a vantage point that allowed a full, unobstructed view.

  

That's it for this part of "Birds of the Sierras."  Stay tuned for Part 2 where we explore the stunning Sierra Valley where I saw the most new species, saw the most amazing birds and got the best photos!

How To Identify Gulls...A Conundrum

Hint #10:  Don't get discouraged when birding!  Take it from me, I know it can be frustrating when you can't figure out what species of bird you're looking at.  Birding is meant to be fun, enjoyable and exciting, so when you can't figure out the species in that moment, take notes on its color, shape, size, etc and look it up later.

In this post I'm going to identify five common gull species found in San Francisco, California and teach you how to identify them.  I'll also provide tips on what to look for when you are first learning how to identify gull species.  We'll also try to solve a mystery gull species at the end of this post!

Hundreds of gulls (mostly mew gulls) at Crissy Field.  Photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

Gulls are incredibly misunderstood birds, in my opinion.  They have a reputation for being lunch snatchers, poop machines, landfill guests and an overall pest.  But in natural settings where people haven't altered their behavior, gulls actually shy away from people and don't accept hand-outs (which is the way it should be).  They are also smart, having learned to get their food out of tough to reach spaces.  I'll tell a story about this in a bit.  I would recommend referring back to my previous post called "Identifying Birds in the Field: The Basics."  This will help with your overall skills in bird identification and is handy to read before continuing on in this post.  It will teach you about field marks, identifiable features on a bird and the basics of bird identification.
 

Gull external anatomy from ibird.com

Anyway, back to the gulls.  The term "seagull(s)" is a generic term applied to all gull species.  The proper way to refer to a gull is merely "gull(s)" or by its species name.  When identifying gulls, there are a few key places on its body you want to look first.  These are the beak, legs and wings.  If you can see them clearly, the eye color and presence or absence of an eye ring are also great features to note.

The reason these body parts are so important when identifying gulls is knowing their shape, color and markings will quickly narrow down the field when you're trying to pinpoint the gull species you're identifying.  

So let's look at our first gull.  Easily one of the most common gull species on the west coast, a frequent picnic crasher and scavenger is the western gull.  In a natural setting, these gulls eat fish and shellfish.  One fantastic adaptation these birds have (like some other gulls, including glaucous-winged gulls) is breaking open shellfish.  On the shores of the San Jaun Islands in Washington state, I have seen these gulls dig clams up on the beach, fly up high, hover in the air for a moment and then drop their clam.  Gravity cracks open the clam on the rocky beach and the gull gets to enjoy a salty, slimy treat.  

Western gull, photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

These gulls are easily identified by the key body parts we listed above.  The first thing you want to look at are the feet.  In western gulls they are pink.  Knowing this eliminates half of the gull species found in western North America.  Next, the beak.  It's very large and yellow (minus the red dot on the bottom part of the beak).  The absence of black on the bill further narrows down the candidates.  Thirdly, the wings.  The wings include the gray on the back and the black and white feathers near the tail.  These black and white feathers are called primary feathers and the color of these and the dark gray on the wings is another good indicator of a western gull.  Lastly, the eyes.  This can be tricky but what you're looking at is the eye color.  The iris of the western gull is yellow or considered "pale" in field guides.  A few other things you may notice about this bird is the large, blocky white head and white chest.  The bird overall is rather large, as well, 25 inches long.

California gull, photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

The next gull we're going to look at is very similar, which is why I want to do it next.  Take a moment and consider some differences and similarities that you notice before I reveal the species.  

This is a California gull.  A beautiful gull, in my opinion, and very similar to the western gull above.  Let's look at those key body parts.  The feet are yellow!  That feature is the most obvious difference and will allow you to eliminate this as a western gull straight away.  The California gull has a smaller beak and it has different colors than the western gull, it has black markings near the tip and a red mark on the lower half, like the western gull.  The wing color is nearly the same, gray, with black and white primary feathers.   The eyes are different, however, noticeably even.  The California gull has a dark, nearly black iris.  A few more features about this species are the size and head color.  This gull is a bit smaller than the western gull and has a smaller, rounder head.  In breeding season (when this photo was taken) the California gull has an entirely white head, while in nonbreeding season it is streaked brown.

I hope you're doing okay still and encouraged to learn about three more gull species and solve a mystery species at the end!

Ring-billed gull, photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

This gull is a bit tricky to identify in the photo.  This is a ring-billed gull.  I hope the reason it was named this is obvious when you look at the photo.  This gull is rather small, nearly 4 inches shorter than the California gull.  It has a small beak with a distinct black ring and NO red.  The legs are yellow (not visible in the water).  When you can't see the legs, the ring on the bill alone would allow you to identify this species.  The wings are a lighter gray than the California gull and the primary feathers (wing tips) are black (not really visible).  The white spots on the wing are smaller than the California or western gull's.  The eyes are pale in color with a red eye ring.  This photo was taken in nonbreeding season, which is why the head has light, brown streaking.  In breeding season it is entirely white.  

Mew gull, photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

Our next gull is small, cute and quint and one of my favorites.  It is the mew gull.  It is smaller yet than the ring-billed gull by a little over an inch and has a tiny, yellow beak with a faint ring around it (visible in the photo).  The legs are yellow and the wings are a slightly darker gray than the ring-billed gull with black and white primary feathers (wing tips).  The white spots on the wings are a bit bigger than the ring-billed.  The iris of the eyes are clearly dark with no visible eye ring, similar to the California gull.  The head is small and round and in nonbreeding season (when this photo was taken) is covered in a gray streaking.  In breeding season it is white.  I really like the small size of this gull and it is generally rather shy and lights to congregate in huge flocks, as seen in the picture of Crissy Field above.  

Adult Heermann's gull, photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

Juvenile Heermann's, photo by Kelly W.

Our next gull looks completely different than the ones we have just identified.  When I first saw it as a juvenile I had no clue what it was.  For a moment I thought it was a jaeger (type of gull species) but it is a rather common gull, perched on roof tops at Fisherman's Wharf, watching for a french fry or piece of deep-fried fish to fall from someone's plate.   It didn't help that the juvenile (left) looks completely different than the adult (right).  I thought they were different species!  Having never encountered this gull back in Washington state (since their range doesn't extend much north of the bay area) I had to take photos and check my field guide later.  This is a Heermann's gull.  A striking gull with a blood red, beak tipped in black and jet, black legs (which are also seen in jaegers, hence my initial confusion).  The iris of eyes is also dark and in this photo it appears to have a red eye ring, however, this isn't too obvious in my field guide.  The wings are dark gray with nearly all black wing tips.  The white spots in the wing primaries (apparent in the nonbreeding season) disappear and leave them completely black for breeding season.  The adult was photographed in this species breeding season so it has an entirely white head.  The gray prevalent on the rest of the body would spread and cover the head in nonbreeding season.  This gull is also relatively small compared to the western gull we looked at first, measuring 6 inches smaller.  

It's time to use our new gull identification skills to figure out our mystery gull! 

Our mystery gull, photo by Kelly Wohlwend (author)

This gull, to this day, makes me second guess myself.  It was absolutely monstrous looking in person.  Let's start at the beginning.  The beak is large and very thick and yellow with a red spot on the bottom.  The legs are clearly pink.  Okay...starting to look like our first gull, a western gull.  The wings are dark gray and the wing tips are black with obvious white spots.  Hmm...still resembling a western gull.  The eyes are a bit off...they appear dark in the photo and when I saw this bird in person (mind you it was only about 10 feet away) the eyes were not obviously pale like in the photo of the western gull above.  It could just be the evening lighting shading the eye.  Now the head and neck coloring.  There is more gray streaking on this bird than is normally seen in western gulls sporting their nonbreeding season plumage.  It is generally far more subtle and less prominent on the face.  The outstretched, long neck is also strange.  I realize a bird can merely stretch it's neck but it just seemed unusually long and the head doesn't seem as blocky as a western gull's.  Going back to the size of the bird.  It was huge.  It made me go, woah, that's a big bird!  It didn't appear to look like your average western gull.  So what gull species is this?  Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. 

Gulls are tricky.  They hybridize, which means, different species interbreed where their ranges overlap, making gull identification even more difficult.  This could be a glaucous-winged gull x western gull hybrid, which may explain the heavier streaking on the head and perhaps larger body size.  The wings are a big too dark, however.  But it's possible.  It is most likely a western gull that threw me off.   

This is a perfect example as to why gull identification can be frustrating but an exciting challenge, nonetheless.  Remember don't get discouraged, have fun, enjoy yourself and remember to...

Keep Your Eyes On The Sky!