Just had visits here from several parties of birders who had been out at the
CBBT; all reported thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls. This is an arrival a tad
earlier than in recent years, at least for such large numbers. These birds
may linger in the mouth of the Bay, foraging around large schools of fish, or
may move on to North Carolina in a week or so. On average, they remain until
just after Christmas, sometimes early January, depending on the movement of
the fish schools (which probably depends on their small prey and on water
temperature). With these flocks can be Little Gulls (irregularly; highest
single-day count is 28 in Virginia but 91 in North Carolina), usually adults,
which
are easily picked out of the flocks by underwing color and wing shape.
Black-headed Gulls are much less often noted, and they may associate with
seaside
flocks of Ring-billed Gulls as often or more often than with Bonaparte's; they
seem more likely to sit on beachs or on the rocks of the CBBT than Bonaparte's.
Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware also have records of single Ross's Gulls,
mostly associating with Bonaparte's Gulls. Virginia still does not have a
photographic record of this sublime species, so keep looking! We sometimes get
the large Bonaparte's flocks returning in late winter, but lately we haven't
seen much of a February/March showing, so the next few weeks may be the best
window of time for seeing small gulls in the state this winter.
P. S. The Black-chinned Hummer continues; all are welcome. The bird is
very cooperative throughout the day, rarely out of sight for more than 10-20
minutes.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles VA
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