Need Help - ID Gull and Duck

[EdV]

Going through the images from the past weekend and these two have stumped us. Anyone out there who can identify these two. Thank you.

The gull was in an area with many other gulls but this guy was much bigger than all of them. I know he is a juvenile but juvenile what?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/092_1.jpg

The duck is probably a female but again a female what?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/093_2.jpg

[jorj7]

EdV,
Don't know much about the gull, could be a immature Black-backed Gull. The duck
is a male Gadwall.

[canonshooter4life]

Pretty sure the duck is a male Gadwall, and the gull is a 1st winter Great Black-Backed Gull...

Edit: looks like George beat me to it... I left the computer and forgot to hit post :p

[EdV]

Thanks George. Thanks Brandon.

I should have thought of the Black-Backed Gull. There were a lot of mature Black-Backs along the jettys. This guy was with a flock of Herring Gulls on an small pond just slightly inland from the beach. His size should have given it away. My bad. :D

The Gadwall is a new one for me. I guess I was thrown off by thinking it was a female of something.

Thanks a lot. I appreciate the help.

[Accentor]

Duck definitely a male Gadwall, the gull is a juvenile (1st winter from the all-dark bill) Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus).

[cfcRebel]

Nice shots but i really like the gadwall. Nice catchlight in the eye too.

[EdV]

Fee and Accentor, thanks for confirming the Gadwall. And I'm pleased to hear that you liked the image, Fee. I got lucky this weekend. I photographed two new birds that I didn't even know I did until I got home and checked the images. One is the Gadwall. I just saw a duck that looked different from the rest and assumed it was a female of some sort. The second was a Pie-billed Grebe that was cruising with a Greater Scaup. When I shot the photos, I assumed in the distance that it was a female Scaup. It wasn't until I looked closely at the beak/bill on the photo that it was clear to me that it was not a Scaup but a Grebe.

I guess the moral is that sometimes being lucky can be enough! ;) :D

[Accentor]

Fee and Accentor, thanks for confirming the Gadwall. And I'm pleased to hear that you liked the image, Fee. I got lucky this weekend. I photographed two new birds that I didn't even know I did until I got home and checked the images. One is the Gadwall. I just saw a duck that looked different from the rest and assumed it was a female of some sort. The second was a Pie-billed Grebe that was cruising with a Greater Scaup. When I shot the photos, I assumed in the distance that it was a female Scaup. It wasn't until I looked closely at the beak/bill on the photo that it was clear to me that it was not a Scaup but a Grebe.

I guess the moral is that sometimes being lucky can be enough! ;) :D

Pied-billed Grebe is a very rare vagrant to Europe. Only ever seen one, about 12 years ago, which turned up at an ornamental lake in a public park in south-east London and caused a huge "twitch". It gave a lot of birders the run-around because of its curious ability to swim almost completely submerged with just its bill and eyes out of the water, like an avian submarine.

[EdV]

Pied-billed Grebe is a very rare vagrant to Europe. Only ever seen one, about 12 years ago, which turned up at an ornamental lake in a public park in south-east London and caused a huge "twitch". It gave a lot of birders the run-around because of its curious ability to swim almost completely submerged with just its bill and eyes out of the water, like an avian submarine.

I really don't know how common Pie-Billed Grebes are around here. My wife and I have been "casual" bird-watchers for many years and this is the first we've seen. I may post a photo or two of the Grebe this evening.

[iterrier]

Beautiful shot of the Gadwall. I've never seen the Grebe before but it is a nice capture.

[Accentor]

Beautiful shot of the Gadwall. I've never seen the Grebe before but it is a nice capture.

Which grebe?

[Accentor]

I really don't know how common Pie-Billed Grebes are around here. My wife and I have been "casual" bird-watchers for many years and this is the first we've seen. I may post a photo or two of the Grebe this evening.

Ed,

The name is Pied-billed Grebe, not Pie-billed (I know it doesn't sound quite right and is little difficult to get your mouth around, but that is the correct name); I reckon that a grebe with a bill that resembled a "pie" would look a little odd!! :)

[superdiver]

I have a similar gull..I took this here in S.E. Alaska. Do you know what kind of gull this is?

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/136925881-L.jpg

[Accentor]

My initial "gut reaction" is that this is a 1st winter Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus), but the bill is the wrong colour.

Anyone else care to have a shot?

[EdV]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I am really pleased with how the Gadwall image came out. I only took two so I feel lucky that one came out as well as it did.

There is a shot of the PIED-billed Grebe in the background of one of my Scaup images. I may post an image of the Grebe alone later tonight.

Again thanks all for the kind words and encouragement. I keep reminding others and myself that I've only been at this a couple of months.

[ngannet]

First off, good shots Ed. The water in the first shot looks totally amazing and metallic. Nice. Great Gadwall shot too. A really underappreciated beauty! Superdiver: very nice shot of a bird I'd love to see. I'd venture to say it's a hybrid of Glaucous-winged and Western Gull or maybe 1st cycle GW Gull. The bill definitely looks like a 1st cycle Western Gull from what I can tell, but I'm no expert! Gulls are tough! Nice looking 'white winged' gulls are regular in Alaska and other northern parts.

[EdV]

First off, good shots Ed. The water in the first shot looks totally amazing and metallic. Nice. Great Gadwall shot too. A really underappreciated beauty!

I have to agree, the Gadwall is mighty handsome for a "plain" brown duck.

With the gull, I had to do some serious zooming out with my feet. I kept backing up farther and farther into the street until I got all of him in the frame with the 400mm lens. Usually I am trying to zoom in. Zooming out was a new experience. :D