Towheeblog

There were two adult gulls at the Carlton Sewer Ponds this evening. They were cooperative and then un-cooperative. They just stood around and watched me as the Shovelers freaked and flew around like starlings. Then the gulls flew up in the air but wouldn’t come near. They were large, flat heads, pale mantle, gave me goo dlooks. It would have been so much more cooperative if they had simply been Ring-billed Gulls…but they insisted on being Herring, so when I entered the sighting eBIrd snorted and made me go through the “rare bird” drill. When was the last time anywhere in North America (except the Mojave) when a Herring Gull was truly rare? so a gull person has suggested that leg color indicates these are California Gulls, fasirly regular around here in most seasons and larger than Ring-billedKilldeer on the levee.

Carlton City Sewer Ponds (restricted access), Yamhill, Oregon, US
Jul 23, 2017 6:05 PM – 6:15 PM. 10 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 15
Mallard (Northern) (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos/conboschas) 20
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 15
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 9
California Gull 2
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) X
Barn Swallow (American) (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) X
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 1