A field along Lafayette-Hopewell road south of McMinnville was full’o gulls. Mostly Glaucous-winged with a lone adult Western looking outstanding in his dark, formal attire.
Here are the choices for a collection of gulls according to one website: “Gulls: Colony, squabble, flotilla, scavenging.” These gulls were not on water, mostly standing around on the muddy soil. There was no feeding going on so squabble or scavenging was being postponed until the right cause will arise. Colony seems to imply breeding, so not that. I would call this in modern vernacular a “flash crowd.” No purpose other than socializing.
Lafayette-Hopewell Road, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Dec 1, 2015 1:45 PM – 2:05 PM. 15 species
Mallard 20
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 3
Mew Gull (Larus canus) 30
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) 1
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) 200 in partially flooded field opposite entrance to Methven Winery
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) X
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) X
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 4
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) X
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X
Both Mew and Western Gulls are new county birds for me, bringing my year and life list up to an even 120 about where I hoped I’d get by year’s end, maybe a couple more goodies during Christmas Count season? Still missing Say’s Phoebe, Wild Turkey and Merlin. Also, among the ducks on the water-filled quarry along Fox Ridge Road were four Common Mergansers, #121 for the county list.
Fox Ridge Rd., Yamhill, Oregon, US
Dec 1, 2015 11:30 AM – 11:40 AM. 10 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 22
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 4
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 3
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 1
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 15
Towheeblog 
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