Mew Gull in Salem
Another shocking find near Rockingham Park came in the form of a European MEW GULL (Common Gull) this morning! The bird was seen with about 60 Ring-billed Gulls roosting in the parking lot at Sears.
Sometimes I’ll take this “scenic” route into work for gulls, but never did I expect this bird. As I drove by Sears on Rt. 38 I noticed a large mass of gulls resting in the parking lot and noticed a bright first-cycle Iceland Gull in the middle which prompted me to pull in and take some photos.
As I photographed the Iceland and looked around for the other adult that hangs there I randomly decided to pick through the Ring-billed Gulls — something I literally never do. Perhaps it was the recent report of a Mew in Mass that sparked my brain to look through them…but this is in Salem in a parking lot so never did I expect this. As I started looking, the 3rd bird I looked at and one closest to me among a much larger group, caught my attention…
It is a difficult ID, and a bird I have not seen before, but I felt relatively confident that this truly was a Mew Gull. I texted a few photos to local experts and the conclusion was indeed a Mew Gull, specifically a Common Gull – the european subspecies of Mew. Sweet! It was another amazing bird for my ‘drive into work’ list.
This bird marks the 2nd State Record for Mew Gull in New Hampshire! The first record being a young bird that was seen around the Exeter area back in 2010.
You can see in the group photo some of the subtle differences between Ring-billed and Mew Gulls. For example: the eye is dark and shows a red orbital ring; the bill is thinner and more pointed at the tip; the tertials show more white than a Ring-billed shows and overall shows smaller body proportions. Another key mark are the wingtips in the open-wing shot — the P9 feather shows a large white window which is consistent with Mew.
