31 December 2023

December 2023 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

  • Yellow-footed Gull (3rd cycle/ad type). Clark County, Nevada. 01 December 2023.
    • Continuing. Presumably a returning bird, from March 2022.
  • Sabine's Gull (2 ad; 1st cycle). Lincoln County, Oregon. 02 December 2023.
  • Gray Gull (3rd cycle). Walton County, Florida. 05 December 2023.
    • 1st ABA-record individual back after a 20-day absence.
  • Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Okanagan-Similkameen District, British Columbia. 06 December 2023.
    • 3rd Province Record. 
  • Great Black-backed Gull (adult). Pueblo County, Colorado. 08 December 2023.
    • Presumably the same individual, now back for the 30th winter! Yes, "thirty".
  • Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Durham County, Ontario. 09 December
  • Little Gull (adult). Los Angeles County, California. 10 December 2023.
    • Last county sighting ~20 years ago. 
  • Black-headed Gull (adult). Montgomery County, Maryland. 10 December 2023.
    • 1st County Record.
  • Yellow-footed Gull (1st cycle). Randall County, Texas. 11 December 2023.
    • 1ST STATE RECORD*.
  • Heermann's Gull (5th cycle). Volusia County, Florida. 12 December 2023.
    • Continuing Atlantic Coast bird.
  • Great Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle type). Ellsworth County, Kansas. 12 December 2023.
  • Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Elkhart County, Indiana. 14 December 2023.
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Sunshine Coast District, British Columbia. 17 December 2023.
  • Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Washoe County, Nevada. 21 December 2023.
  • California Gull (adult). Lee County, Iowa. 21 December 2023.
  • Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Contra Costa County, California. 21 December 2023.
  • Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Middlesex County, Ontario. 22 December 2023.
  • Laughing Gull (1st cycle). Santa Cruz County, California. 25 December 2023.
  • Kamchatka Gull (adult). Fairfield County, Connecticut. 27 December 2023.
    • Presumably a returning bird since at least 2019.
  • Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Benton County, Washington. 26 December 2023.
    • Continuing.
  • Black-headed Gull (adult). Santa Cruz County, California. 27 December 2023.
    • 1st County Record.

Notes:

1. Janice Tidwell Allen reported a Yellow-footed Gull (1st cycle) in Amarillo, Texas on 11 December 2023. This 1st state record was apparently present as early as 05 November 2023, but was overlooked and reported as a Herring Gull by some. This now constitutes the easternmost record for the species.

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