31 July 2018

Monthly Notables July 2018

Sightings:

  • Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). San Mateo County, California. 02 July 2018.
  • Laughing Gull (1st summer). Clay County, Iowa. 03 July 2018.
    • 1st County Record.
  • Bonaparte's Gull (1st summer). Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. 09 July 2018.
  • Slaty-backed Gull (4th cycle type). Inuvik County, NW Territories. 09 July 2018.
  • Mew Gull (1st summer). San Luis Obispo County, California. 10 July 2018.
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (1st summer). San Mateo County, California. 12 July 2018.
    • Possible first local summer record.
  • Franklin's Gull (1st summer). Newport County, Rhode Island. 16 July 2018.
    • 13th State Record.
  • Glaucous Gull (1st summer). Suffolk County, New York. 17 July 2018.
  • Mew Gull (2nd summer type). Humboldt County, California. 19 July 2018.
  • Sabine's Gull (2 first summer individuals). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 19 July 2018.
  • Laughing Gull (adult). Lambton County, Ontario. 21 July 2018.
  • Iceland Gull (1st summer). Chatham-Kent County, Ontario. 22 July 2018.
  • Glaucous Gull (adult). Monroe County, New York. 23 July 2018.
  • Glaucous-winged Gull (1st summer). Kiholo Bay, Hawaii. 23 July 2018.
    •  Continuing from June. 
  • Iceland Gull (3rd summer). Yukon County, Yukon Territory. 26 July 2018.
    • Putative Kumlien's Iceland Gull. 
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd summer). Portage la Prairie County, Manitoba. 27 July 2018.
  • Glaucous Gull (adult). Niagara County, New York. 27 July 2018.
    • Apparently the same out-of-season adult seen in Monroe County on 23 July 2018.
  • Franklin's Gull (adult type). St. John's County, Newfoundland. 28 July 2018.
  • Glaucous-winged Gull (4th cycle type). San Diego County, California. 28 July 2018.
  • Great Black-backed Gull (2nd summer). Oliver County, South Dakota. 29 July 2018.
  • Laughing Gull (adult). Ventura County, California. 31 July 2018.

Notes: 
  • Some promising news with respect to Heermann's Gulls in the state of California. Local birders and conservationists Joanna & Byron Chin documented two separate nesting sites with perhaps up to 11 young successfully fledged in Seaside. Efforts are underway to build and maintain a small man-made island on Roberts Lake. This island will replace the old sunken island that the colony used in the past. Check out this inspiring video by Byron where a drone is used to survey the lake: https://www.facebook.com/SeasideHEEGs/videos/500183813749205/
  • A small Iceland Gull colony of approximately 150 birds was discovered on 17 July 2018 in northern Quebec along the Hudson Strait. The observer who reported the birds, Alexandre Anctil, made the sighting overhead from a helicopter. The adults - rearing young - are described as pale and gray-winged, not dark-winged. Alexandre explained to me that from a distance, he thought the gulls would be the more expected Glaucous Gull. This colony is one of the largest of its kind to be found at such a southern latitude (61.682593N 71.767582O). The age breakdown is estimated to be 100 adults and approximately 50 chicks. 
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