VA Birders,
A Bonaparte's Gull, seen from the Observation Tower in the marsh with 100
or more Ring-billed Gulls, was the highlight of our NVBC bird walk at Huntley
Meadows Park, Fairfax Co., this Saturday morning, March 26. In checking a
copy of the park bird list, which was updated in 1998, I found that Bonaparte's
Gull was not listed, either as a regular or accidental species! However, it
was high tide on the Potomac River this morning, and the water levels seemed
even higher than usual--no doubt as a result of recent rains, and no flats were
likely to be available at Belle Haven or Hunting Creek for gulls to stop and
rest. Special thanks to Lori Keeler, who had gone ahead and was shown the gull
by a Maryland birder, and then came back and told the rest of us, and to
leader Steve Williams, who found the bird with his scope so that we all got
good
looks at it. Reportedly, at least 4 Bonaparte's Gulls had been present a
little earlier, but the others apparently had flown off with some of the
Ring-bills
before we got back to the tower.
Other highlights of the walk were 2 Great Egrets, a male Wood Duck and 4
Hooded Mergansers, and 2 Wilson's Snipe.
Perhaps I should also note that many Bonaparte's Gulls were reported to
be migrating up the Potomac River this morning, and late March thru early April
is usually the peak time for these gulls to migrate thru Northern Virginia in
spring.
Val Kitchens
Arlington, VA
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