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These are certainly not particularly good photos but the bird is of some interest -- great black-backed gulls are the biggest gulls in the world, and this individual is the very first one to be seen in California. It was found by my friend Chet McGaugh, and I was lucky enough to re-find it with him a few days after it was discovered. The pictures were taken at the north end of the Salton Sea from a long way off; for some reason gulls on the Salton Sea are often very shy. Nevertheless, the bird's large size, very dark upperparts, white spot at the tip of the primaries, and dirty-pink legs are diagnostic. |
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