Little Gull, Massive Find

What's been up with the weather recently? It seems like it's always cold on the weekends. Outside of birding a little bit in January at San Jacinto, the weather has sucked to the point where I'm not down to go birding. I thought this weekend would be pleasant with the weather we were experiencing on Friday but boy was I wrong.

It was a week of anticipation. I spent the long weekend in Dallas with my family, and birding wise it could not have come at a better time. A Little Gull was spotted at White Rock Lake a few weeks ago, and it stuck around. I checked eBird every day excitedly, and it looked like it was going to stay. The Iceland Gull that had been reported disappeared, but it's not as rare as Little Gulls.

The Little Gull is an uncommon winter visitor to the US. It is listed as a Code 3 by the ABA, meaning that it is rare to the United States. For comparison, a Northern Mockingbird is a Code 1 and a Mexican Jay is a Code 2. These are birds that are common and widespread in the ABA area, although a Code 2 will have a smaller range. Code 3 and up is considered rare or have very few numbers in the ABA area. Clay-colored Thrush and Colima Warbler are 2 examples of birds that are Code 3s but can be found in the right places. I'm getting off track.

Anyways, Little Gull can be found in small numbers on the East Coast, but they are generally found in Eurasia and the north coast of Africa. A few turn up in Texas occasionally. Luckily for me White Rock Lake is just a few miles from my house and it is a magnet for rare gulls. But finding this bird was a wild ride. Strap in for the adventure.

I showed up on Sunday morning ready to go. It was windy and in the 30s. As I was walking up a jogger stopped and told me I needed to call 911. There was a dead body floating in the water right above the spillway where the gulls congregate in the mornings. I stayed to answer a few questions from police officers and the operation to actually get the body out of the water commenced with police and fire boats in the water. Due to high winds it took almost an hour to get the body, and in the process a boat even capsized. The gulls were way out in the middle of the lake with all the activity on the spillway so I gave up looking on the day. I did find a Field Sparrow on my way out, a good county bird for me. I'd have to come back the next day.

I got up early Monday morning, because according to reports from other birders you have to get there before about 7:30, otherwise the gulls begin to feed on the water itself and you can kiss the sighting goodbye. The Little Gull looks similar to a Bonaparte's Gull except it is smaller and has a dark cap. I arrived a little after 7 AM and began scoping. Let me tell you, it was miserable. It was freezing and windy, just how I hate it. I looked all over the flock, and those Bonaparte's Gulls were really frustrating me. I thought I saw Little Gull multiple times, only to be fooled. The gulls were beginning their mass exodus to the lake, and I was getting nervous. Bonaparte's are much smaller than other gulls and Ring-billed Gulls are more abundant on the lake, so it's easy to mistake them for Little Gulls.

Then I saw it. A tiny, tiny gull was in a flock of Bonaparte's, but it was smaller than the rest. It could only be one thing: Little Gull! I snapped a few pics, enjoyed about 30 seconds worth of looks, and then I was done freezing. Wingo! I also got Herring and Franklin's Gulls as well as a FOY Purple Martin, making for a very successful weekend. I'm up to 51 species on the year, not bad.

Little Gull with a Ring-billed (L) and 3 Bonaparte's (R). Notice the size difference between all 3 and the black cap.

But wait, there's more! Birding with Christian has an exciting announcement, we're going to Alaska! In June I'll be heading up to Denali and Kenai Fjords National Park with a friend to do some mountain man adventuring, which of course means I'll have my camera and binoculars on me. I'm already giddy with the potential for Grizzly Bear, Caribou, and of course birds likeArctic Warbler, Northern Wheatear, and Tufted and Horned Puffins!