Yesterday, we saw what appeared to be a Bonaparte?s Gull at Nisqually, feeding near a bunch of Caspian Terns about 1/3 of the way down the new boardwalk.

Here?s the thread with pictures:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=284158

There are people there confirming the ID, but I?m looking for a little local wisdom :)



On the one hand, it does look like a winter Bonaparte?s. On the other, what?s it doing here so late and why doesn?t it have its black cap by now? Is it normal to have some stragglers out of breeding plumage like this?



Teresa Michelsen

Olympia WA