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Help with ID needed



All, 

This past week, I encountered a sea gull at the end of Beachwalker Park on 
Kiawah Island near Charleston.  It was an unusual gull.  The  
characteristic that made me initially notice it was its size.  It was at  
least 3 inches smaller than the nearby laughing gulls, so I took a   
closer look.  The bird was in its seasonal molt, or possibly an   
immature.  I would figure that most adults would have breeding plumage   
by this time, so I assume that this bird was probably a first or second   
year immature.  

The head was largely blotchy with black and white, the   black being more 
toward the front of the head.  I got no good looks at   the primaries, but 
when standing on the beach, there was much white   mixed in with the black 
in the wings pressed against the body.  The bird   also flew around, and I 
had an excellent view of a gray median tail   patch on the dorsal side. 
The bill and legs were black, or even   possibly a very dark red (the sun 
shone directly on it, and made it hard   to tell).  What are the 
possibilities of gulls other than Laughing   gulls, such as Bonaparte's or 
other species in this general category of   hooded gulls.  I ran back 
after viewing this bird to get a camera, but   the bird acted very 
solitary, and when I got back, it was gone.  I had   searched for it since 
with no luck.  

Thanks for your help with this   bird.

Chris Welch, 18
dmw@viperlink.net
Campobello, SC