Like clockwork — after a few days with gale force northwest winds in April, a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) appeared in Bodega Harbor today (11 April 2022).
I counted 57 birds in the flock, but here are a couple of close-ups. [You can click on them for larger versions.]
I don't know if these birds will be around tomorrow, but they were resting on the water at the north end of the harbor (near Whaleship Road).
P.S. Here's an older post under similar conditions, "Taiga bound" on 4 May 2015.
This is WONDERFUL to see. And thanks for the link to the flock in 2015, which I had somehow missed. Such handsome birds!
ReplyDeleteHi, Alice!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback! Yes, I especially love their breeding plumage, which we don't get to see in this area that often. But I've learned that these super windy conditions in April/early May are prime times to watch for it.
:) Jackie