98 YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



NORTHERN PHALAROPE 



7-8 



RING-BILLED GULL 



18-20 



CALIFORNIA GULL 



. 20-23 . 



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wing. Male: Resembles female but less 

 reddish-brown and back marked with 

 more black and white. Adult in winter 

 and immature: Uj3per parts streaked 

 with black and white; top of head and 

 behind eye dusky; white line over eye. 



Often seen in flocks. Head is moved 

 back and forth when swimming. As 

 with other phalaropcs, a whirli. g mo- 

 tion of the body is often employed in 

 feeding. This may stir up small aquatic 

 animals that are common in their diet. 



Moot common along the coast but 

 also on sloughs and ponds inland. C. V. 

 to ^'osemite region ; observed in Yo- 

 semite Valley. Large numbers in spring 

 and late summer on Mono Lake. 



GULLS AND TERNS: 

 Family Laridae 



RING-BILLED GULL (Larus dela- 

 warcnsis) : 18-20 in. Resembles Califor- 

 nia gull, but bill yellow encircled by 

 black band near tip, back lighter gray, 

 feet yellow, and iris light yellow. Im- 

 mature; Differs from California gull 

 in having narrower and better defined 

 dark band at tip of tail. 



C. \'. on interior bodies of water. 

 Occasionally seen in Yosemite Valley. 



CALIFORNIA GULL (Larus cali- 

 fornicus): 20-23 in. Head, neck, tail, 

 and under parts white; back gray; pri- 

 maries black, tipped with white; a 

 large white spot inside tip of second 

 primary and sometimes also first; bill 

 pale yelloiv icith red spot preceded by 

 black spot near end of lower mandible ; 

 feet greenish-gray; iris dark brown. In 

 a flock of gulls, many may be seen that 

 are mottled with grayish-brown and 

 whitish, with blackish primaries and 

 black at the tip of the flesh-colored 

 bill; others approach more nearly the 

 plumage of the adults. Such birds are 

 immaturcs, 1 to 3 years old. 



Along the coast and about inland 

 bodies of water. C. V. to the Yosemite 

 region. Observed on Tenava Lake 

 (8.141 feet) and Young Lake (10,000 

 feet) and on other lakes of the high 

 Sierra. Abundant at Mono Lake. 



