Wood Sands and Bonaparte's Gull still

I had a stroll at Crossness this evening. Rude not to really with nice weather and good birds. There were a couple of NTGG ringed gulls off the golf centre as I arrived, amongst a load of large gulls that included 4 Yellow-legged Gulls. Couldn't see the Bonaparte's on this side of the river, so headed east to the paddocks where Kev J had found a Wood Sandpiper earlier in the day.

Wood Sandpiper on West Paddock, Crossness

It was still there, and showing nicely from the screen in the gloom. All of a sudden, it disappeared into the grass and seconds later there was a Wood Sandpiper on the far flood. It hadn't flown there, but what John A and I now know is that our suspicions of two birds were confirmed soon after by Tony W. So, 2 Wood Sands - the first at Crossness this spring.

John A got a call from Dom M as we headed back towards the incinerator, and it was good news - he'd got the Bonaparte's Gull on the other side of the river (as it seems to be most of the time) in Barking Bay. In the last rays of light, viewing across the river, the Bonaparte's Gull was present alongside 5 Black-headed Gulls though the views were slightly underwhelming to say the least.

Have a load of Bonaparte's Gulls - Ontario December 2011