Ring-billed Gulls - More of the usual suspects in terms of gulls.
Purple Sandpipers - the tide was low enough that they were in close range on the low wall leading to the jetty. Usually it is underwater.
At the North End there was a nice grouping of gulls on the island in between Figure 8 island and the North End.
This one standing all alone immediately caught my eye. I didn't have a scope but I could still tell there was something different. The legs were blood red and the bill too.
When it lifted a wing a bit I could see the field mark of dark primaries under wing. Bonaparte's would be mostly white underwing so I knew it was a Black-headed Gull.
Here you can see the red bill in better light.
More of the dark primaries and also check out the lines on the top of the head, all field marks for Black-headed in non-breeding plumage.
Smaller than a Ring-billed but bigger than a breadbasket or Bonaparte's for that matter.
I am on fire! Two self-found rarities in two days!
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