A while back I started using the term "ugly gull" to describe any gull that presented to me an identification challenge. Hardcore lariphiles took umbrage. Gulls are not ugly. Hardcore lariphiles have no sense of metaphor. A gull can be physically beautiful and still be ugly to parse.

While I would not describe myself as a passionate gull person, I am a realist. The gulls are out there. They represent an important component of many ecosystems. And sometimes, on a cold and rainy winter's day, they're the only game in town. Gulls, as a taxonomic group, sit in that evolutionary gray area where genuine physical and behavioral differences are often clearly discernible, but the genetic differences are muddy and contradictory. Speciation baby! It ain't nearly as pretty as we might think.

So, sit back and enjoy the ugly gulls. Some may get named. Some may not. But the game is addictive and it will keep you off the streets.