The warm weather late last week and the several inches of rain that followed have left the farm fields of the lower Susquehanna valley a soggy muddy mess…waterlogged. Runoff has made its way down the tributaries to raise the waters of the river and fill up its banks.
Migrating gulls find it difficult to locate food when the Susquehanna becomes a silty turbid torrent. It’s not at all unusual to find hundreds of them enjoying a feast of earthworms in the agricultural uplands when conditions such as these exist. As you may have guessed, the birds alluded to are the familiar Ring-billed Gulls, the same species seen mooching french fries and other snacks in fast-food restaurant parking lots. They are by far the most common inland gull in eastern North America.
A flock of gulls feeding in farmland in the Gettysburg Basin northeast of Conewago Falls. Gulls frequently feed in wet farm fields where earthworms are the prized meal.
Ring-billed Gulls are notorious for loafing and feeding in flocks which seldom include other species of gulls. They are frequently the smallest gull found in their inland habitats, so it is understandable that they may avoid the company of the larger and often more aggressive species.
However, today I was reminded that one must be ever vigilant and check for other species among those flocks presumed to consist solely of Ring-billed Gulls, particularly during times when the river is so inhospitable to passing migrants.
A few Ring-billed Gulls can be seen in this flock consisting almost entirely of noticeably smaller Bonaparte’s Gulls.Bonaparte’s Gulls are easily recognized by their small size, black heads, and flashy white primary feathers in the wings. They are the only small gull commonly found in the Mid-Atlantic states.Two Ring-billed Gulls (upper left and upper center) are outflanked by Bonaparte’s Gulls. Bonaparte’s Gulls spend the winter feeding in the surf along the Atlantic coast. As spring migrants they peak in April, closely following the Susquehanna River as they journey through the area. The adults will continue to the northwest, passing through the Great Lakes region to nesting areas in Canada.Adult Bonaparte’s Gulls in breeding (alternate) plumage have conspicuous black heads.Several first-year Bonaparte’s Gulls in basic plumage can found among the adults in this image. Most notable is the one to the right of center (flying left). Note its lack of flashy white in the primary feathers of the wings, a black tail bar, and the dark spot behind the eye instead of a black hood. The black spot behind the eye is characteristic of all Bonaparte’s Gulls in basic (non-breeding) plumage, including adults. Bonaparte’s Gulls mature in two years.Bonaparte’s Gulls invade the farmlands of the Gettysburg Basin. Despite their common name, they seem uninterested in french fries and similar cuisine.
