hi all ... eBird had a listing for 3 Bonaparte's Gulls hanging out at
Vancouver Lake, so yesterday I went over to see if they were still
there ... they were ... I'm now curious as to what age these three
are ... all were in about equal plumage patterns ...

http://columbiariverimages.com/Birds/Images13June/vancouver_lake_bonapartes_gull_06-27-13.jpg

and just the head ...

http://columbiariverimages.com/Birds/Images13June/vancouver_lake_bonapartes_gull_head_06-27-13.jpg

looking at Sibley's they seem to be inbetween the "first summer" and
the adult non-breeding (none of them had the brownish neck Sibley
shows in the juvenile) ...

I've never seen a breeding plumage Bonaparte and have no idea how
they molt (or when they molt) into non-breeding ...

if anyone is interested in seeing them I would suggest checking today
as this beach will be very popular during the upcoming heat wave ...
entrance fees BTW are no longer in effect which should double the
JQPublic people trying to cool off ...

thanks,
Lyn







Lyn Topinka
http://EnglishRiverWebsite.com
http://ColumbiaRiverImages.com
http://RidgefieldBirds.com