American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) adult F01 May 2009 & September 2010, New Hampshire. Picture: Kathy Abbott & Bill Clark.

See website: The Gulls Of Appledore

Female Herring Gull, partner of Lesser Black-backed Gull male in 2009. See hybrid offspring F02 here.

below: F01 September 01 2010, Rye - Jenness beach, NH. Picture: Kathy Abbott.

In light of this unexpected turn of events, there are many burning questions: did F01 breed this year, and if so, where and with whom?? Did she call it quits with LBBG or did he? Will she try again with the LBBG next year or has she found another? Why would a Herring Gull pick a LBBG in the first place? Just too few male HERGs?

Early September, bird in active complete moult: P8-P10 old, tip of P5 just visible underneath the tertials.

below: F01 May 2009, Appledore Island, NH. Picture: Bill Clark.

The LBBG started nesting on the island in 2007 and has returned every year since. Both the LBBG and his Herring Gull mate were banded in 2008; they both returned in 2009 and raised two chicks. June 2010, F05 is with a new lady friend. We know that he and his former mate F01 were together in 2008 and 2009 (possibly 2007 as well, but she wasn’t banded that year). We have no idea what happened; they just may have “separated.”

Interestingly, this year’s efforts at nesting have been quite delayed compared to the previous years. Copulation was observed during the week of May 24th, but no egg was observed until June 04. In contrast, there were two eggs in the nest by May 29 2007 when obsrevers originally found the LBBG. There were also two eggs in the nest by May 21 2008 and three eggs by May 25 2009. Moreover, only one egg was laid this year.