Happy Sunday and welcome to April!
The sun is getting warmer, the snow is beginning to melt and soon we’ll start seeing the first waves of migrating birds returning to the Boreal forest. This week’s story is a tribute to one of the first signs that summer is on its way: gulls.
Yellowknife is home to at least five species of gull: Bonaparte’s gulls, the California gull, the Herring gull, the Mew gull, and the Ring-billed Gull. My first experience of spring in Yellowknife was the sound of hundreds of gulls arriving in the late evening. It was almost eerie to see a giant formation of white birds emerge from the darkened sky and descend on the city in the orange glow of the streetlights. It’s a sight I won’t soon forget.
The gulls arrive before the lake thaws so for two weeks or more they sit on the ice near overflows and meltwater waiting patiently for someone to toss out some french fries.
Gulls are interesting subjects to photograph as they are animated and quite tame compared to a lot of birds. This means you can get quite close to them without the need for a super long lens. I also really enjoy watching the juveniles learn to fish. There are subtle variations between species which can make learning to ID gulls a bit challenging but after a while, they become easier to identify.
Last year I caught sight of a Bonaparte’s gull in non-breeding plumage. It took a moment to figure out it wasn’t a rare anomaly. Most of the birds we see are in their bright breeding feathers. I’d have a hard time recognizing many birds in their non-breeding phase and trying to determine which breed a hatchling gull is can be almost impossible.
For fun, next time you are at a beach or the parking lot of a fast food place, see if there is more than one species of gull hanging about. Look for variations in eye colour, leg colour, size and if there are any identifying marks on their beaks. You might be surprised at how many different ones you can spot!
Feel free to share my post then challenge your friends to a seagull spotting contest!