#299

Let’s play a little game. Let’s look through the above photo and see what’s there. Starting in the foreground we see a group of peeps. They’re all Semipalmated Sandpipers. Going up we see the big orange carrot that makes up a Caspian Tern’s bill. Behind that we see a group of 4 Forster’s Terns with their masks. The one in the middle is a juvenile with its cinnamon-y mantle. Then we see a Laughing Gull who already made his molt to non-breeding. I think it’s an adult due to the white spots in the primary projections. But what’s that last bird? Bright white and rounded head. Ear spot. Orange bill with a black tip… That’s my #299 since restarting my life list and what is probably among my top most wanted birds. It’s a non-breeding (or basic plumage as fancy pants birders would call it) Black-headed Gull. This gull does breed on the Northeastern Canadian coast and winters along the eastern seaboard but is really one of the common gulls of Europe. Here it’s a rarity. This bird I saw on a bike ride around Bombay Hook, Delaware with Jim Hoyson. The cool thing about this bird was that it was a lifer for both of us: my #299 but his #581. Impressive!

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Countdown to 300

After re-entering birding in June 2007 and subsequently throwing away my life list, I am finally approaching 300 species on my new life list. So I’m going to countdown the last ten.

#290 Arctic Tern
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Oct. 24, 2009
After a crazy storm pushed down lots of seabirds. Not accepted by PORC but I didn’t get a photo. But I’m positive of ID.

#291 Common Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#292 Lapland Longspur
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#293 King Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#294 Ivory Gull
Cape May, NJ Dec. 6, 2009
Seen on my first true “chase” of a single bird.

#295 Cackling Goose
Harvey’s Lake, PA Dec. 9, 2009
Weird to see this on my list after a mega like Ivory Gull, but I wasn’t very aware of this species since it wasn’t it’s own species when I originally birded. Then I haven’t crossed paths with it since studying up on the ID until now.

#296 Brown-headed Nuthatch
Lewes, DE Apr. 2, 2010

#297 Little Gull
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Apr. 10, 2010
This was on my most wanted list for a while. Now on to Black-headed Gull.

#298 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
PPL Riverlands, PA June 14, 2010
In county lifer. Nice.

#299 Black-headed Gull
Bombay Hook, DE August, 21 2010
One of my most wanted birds. Check.

#300 Clay-colored Sparrow
Forty Fort, PA September, 16 2010
The fight is over! And it ends in what is my most birded locales!!