Gulls, Terns and Skimmers

Ring-billed Gull - Blackie Spit, BC I really love split rail fences and when you add a little lichen and bird, they are a piece of art. This is a Ring-billed gull on Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach, a quaint little community that reminds me of a beach side town in California like S.L.O. Ringbills are one of the most common here in the winter only being beaten out by Glaucous-winged gulls. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Ring-billed Gull - Blackie Spit, BC
Franklin's Gull - White Rock Pier, BC A gull that we don't see often here is this Franklin's gull. There might be 1 or two sightings a year for this black-headed bloke as they typically use the central flyway to head to South America for the winter months. The winter has this gull with a bit of a black and white head, but one of the heavy white broken eye-ring this birds sports. This was on an anchovy spawn just off the White Rock Pier. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Franklin's Gull - White Rock Pier, BC
Bonaparte's Gull - White Rock Pier, BC A dramatic difference between breeding and winter plumage makes this gull a little harder to identify in the winter. This small gull has a black and white transformation turning its head fully black in the warmer weather months and will move inland and north from Vancouver waters to breed. There was a flock of these birds feeding on large shoals of small bait fish off the White Rock pier. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Bonaparte's Gull - White Rock Pier, BC
Glaucous-winged Gull - Richardson Port Terminal, BC Ill bet your thinking
Glaucous-winged Gull - Richardson Port Terminal, BC
Sabine's Gull - Pincher Crossing, AB During a business trip with my partner, I told him I was going to drag him along on a couple of birding walks while we were in Alberta. Turns out a Sabine's Gull was seen at the ponds just outside of Pincher Crossing so that is where we headed. We got to the ponds and there were 10,000 birds there in various stages of migration including a good amount of gulls. Adam walks up to the edge and says,
Sabine's Gull - Pincher Station, AB
Bonaparte's Gull - Spanish Banks, BC In the late spring, the Bonaparte's gulls start there transformation into breeding colors which is the black head and the broken white eye-ring. This pair were calling to each other confirming their bond before heading to the interior to breed on a fresh water lake. I find the red inside their mouth interesting as its very similar to another bird in a different family but close to the same waters, the Pigeon Guillemot. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Boneparte's Gulls - Spanish Banks, BC
Caspian Tern - Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, BC Our resident summer tern is a noisy bird that is usually heard and then seen. They are usually found around the areas that have calm waters to fish from the air. This particular bird was hunting the south edge of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal diving down occasionally to come up empty-handed on several tries. They have much thinner wings that the larger gulls which allow them to be much more acrobatic in their dives. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Caspian Tern - Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, BC
Heermann's gull - Point Wells, WA During an excursion to see a Swallow-tailed gull, one of the rarest birds to make it to the Washington Coast, I was able to capture a couple of birds I dont usually see. This Heermann's gull is in fall molt but in full breeding plumage they are a striking bird. The red beak and the white head set it apart from any other gull in North America. There were over thirty of these birds resting on the pier at Point Wells. These bird breed in Mexico and make their way north along the coast. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Heermann's Gull - Point Wells, WA
Laughing Gull - Goose Island, TX The breeding plumage of the black-headed gulls is so much more interesting when you throw in the red bill and the broken white eye-ring. This birds were hanging around pier at goose island. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Laughing Gull - Goose Island, TX
Bonaparte's Gull - English Bay, BC I have always loved black-headed gulls including our winter resident, the Bonaparte's Gull. This is one of the smaller gulls we have here with only the Mew Gull as competition as the smallest gull. This photo was taken off Kits Beach in Vancouver, BC where several of these gulls will congregate in loose flocks to search the water surface for floating goodies. During the summer months, these birds fly north to the prairies and boreal forests to the pothole lakes of Alaska all the way east to Hudson's Bay. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Bonaparte's Gull - English Bay, BC