Finally, A Gull That Stands Out In The Crowd!

We had our first snow storm of the year this weekend so I decided that Hammonasset would be a convenient place to see if I could add some species to my January list. They do a good job clearing the roads at Hammonasset after it snows and new birds can show up there at any time. I started the day with a walk along the Moraine trail and found a flock of gulls that were actively feeding near the shoreline.

I don't have the patience to spend a lot of time studying gulls like  but I have tried I've to make a habit of searching through larger flocks hoping to find something different. On this particular morning, I noticed one particular gull that was mostly white and had an all dark bill. That fits the description of an Iceland Gull but I'm not sure of the age. (1st winter-2nd winter-anyone?). It's so nice to see a gull that looks different from all the other around it. I've seen a couple before but this is the first one that I found on my own.  

There was a good number of shorebirds along with the gulls. I was able to add a few new species to the list including Fox Sparrow but the Iceland Gull  was my most rewarding find of the morning.

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Here's a video of the Iceland Gull swimming with the other gulls

Note: My species count is currently at 83 for the month. I'm hoping to reach 90 but time is running out.