July 2024 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Heermann's Gull (adult). Dare County, North Carolina. 02 July 2024.
• Apparent Atlantic Coast bird continuing in NC for the time being. 
• Heermann's Gull (adult type). Fremont County, Idaho. 07 July 2024.
• 1ST STATE RECORD.
• Black-tailed Gull (adult). Mackinac County, Michigan. 08 July 2024.
• 1st County Record. Drifting Lake Michigan individual from May-June. 
• Sabine's Gull (1st cycle type). Worcester County, Maryland. 09 July 2024.
• Apparently, continuing individual from June. 
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Erie County, Pennsylvania. 11 July 2024.
• California Gull (4th cycle type). Pinellas County, Florida. 13 July 2024.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Ashtabula County, Ohio. 15 July 2024.
• Apparently, the same individual from Erie, PA, found ~30 miles west.
• Little Gull (2nd cycle). Kings County, New York. 16 July 2024.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle type). Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. 21 July 2024.
• 1ST STATE RECORD.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. 21 July 2024.
• California Gull (3rd cycle). Kent County, Delaware. 24 July 2024.
• 2nd State Record.
• Heermann's Gull (3rd cycle type). Harrison County, Mississippi. 29 July 2024.
• 1ST STATE RECORD. Appears to be the same individual from Louisiana.

Notes:

1. Although not in North America, a 2nd cycle type Audouin's Gull was found in Barbados on 20 June 2024 -- a first for this small island country, and incidentally, a first for the West Indies proper. Between 2017 and present, anywhere from 5-8 Audouin's Gulls (of all ages) have been found throughout the southern Caribbean and n. South America. Usually, extralimital gulls from Europe and Asia are found in North America, but this species seems to have a particular liking to this region, just north of the equator. Could one reach or have already reached the shores of the United States? Whatever the case, it is noteworthy and North American observers, especially those in the south between Texas and Florida, should give those Ring-billed and Laughing Gull flocks a closer look.