"Fri-D" - Shades of Gray: Lesser Black-backed Gull

[Second year Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stone Harbor Point, NJ, September 19 2012. Click to enlarge.]

Reasons this bird is a Lesser Black-backed Gull:

1. The gray adult-like feathers on the upperparts are too dark for Herring, too light for Great Black-backed.
2. The heavy streaking on the head and neck rule out Great Black-backed, which is white-headed in all plumages.
3. The bill pattern, with extra black on the bill, is typical for LBBG.
4. It's foraging in the swash line, which LBBG's love to do, at least in southern NJ.
5. It's shaped right, with a lot of bird sticking out to the rear of the legs - long rear end, long wings.

There was a more adult like, third year LBBG at Stone Harbor the same day.