This is a big bird, obviously larger than the nearby Herring Gulls. The mantle color was paler gray than the mantle color of a Herring Gull. Visible in this photo is the largely pale underside of the outer primary on the left wing, rather like a Thayer's Gull, and the blackish outer primaries on the right wing. Photographed on January 9, 2005

The outstreched wing of this first year bird shows darker outer webs to the outer primaries and grayish subterminal marks. A first year Glaucous Gull should have unmarked whitish primaries. The folded primaries were grayish with a narrow pale fringe, like a first year Thayer's Gull. The bicolored bill is typical for first year Nelson's Gull. Photographed on February 19, 2005.