This morning highlights: (7:30 am - 12:30 pm) very low tide, W/SW winds Bridgeport, Seaside Park far west end (near Fairwether Island)-57 BONAPARTES GULLS along the edge of the sandbar 300 yards in front of the parking lot. Many of the gulls are now sporting their full black hoods. Fairwether Island- the SW reef on the far point below and outside the Lighthouse- 2,500 gulls surface feeding in the rip off the point and standing on the reef which included 2 first cycle ICELAND GULLS (1 light plumage standing in the rocks and 1 darker plumage in the surface feeding flock), and 1 first cycle GLAUCOUS GULL standing on the outermost boulders of the exposed reef. Fairfield, St. Marys by-the-sea at the mouth of Ash Creek-13 BONAPARTES GULLS Fairfield, Penfield Reef- 1 third cycle LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, 2 AM. OYSTERCATCHERS, 3 Gannets outside by the lighthouse. Southport, Southport Beach- 22 BONAPARTES GULLS, again many with complete black hoods. Stratford, Long Beach Park- over 2000 gulls began surface feeding fenzy 300-500 yards of the beach. The outside of the flocks you could see 100s + 100s of BONAPARTES GULLS joining the feeding activity. 13 Gannets heading east outside the feeding gulls. Guilford, Great Harbor Marshes- 6 Snowy Egrets, 1 hen Blue winged Teal. Was up til 3:00 am this morning painting, and I had to bring Jen to work (car in shop)....since the paint needed to dry for a few hours, and since I was going to be in Stratford......great opportunity to look for that elusive Little Gull! Started the morning at Seaside Park, I drove the the extreme west end by the cove at Fairwether Island. There were approx 250 Gulls present, and I noticed two clumps of small gulls on the extreme outer edge of the sandbar (about 300 yards out). I walked out and was able to get very close to the 57 Bonapartes Gulls. In the gulls about half had nearly black hoods, while a third of those had full black hoods. There were three flocks of shorebirds totaling 300 (half Sanderling/half Dunlin/ 3 Black Bellied Plover) flying around the sandbars and mingling with the gulls. Watching the Ring Billed Gulls trying to pirate the little morsel of slipper shell flesh from the fleeing shorebirds made me think of Jaegers with terns and Frigatebirds chasing Brown Boobies. Of course the gulls weren't very successful, but very entertaining! I think the gulls should re-read the chapter on Kleptoparasitism; they weren't too good at it! :^) While I was standing on the outer sandbar, I noticed a good concentration of gulls and birds outside the reef at the SW corner below the lighthouse. I walked to the end of the breakwater near the lighthouse and I could see a huge concentration of gulls and brant on and outside the reef. Since the tide was very low, I was able to walk a long distance from the lighthouse. There were over 750 Brant along the reef and flock after flock were joining them from the west and south. There was also 2500 Gulls (conservative estimate) surface feeding outside the reef and standing on the reef. In the rocks closet to me (still about 75 yards away) I noticed a single 1st cycle nearly all white quite large Iceland Gull squatting on one of the reef boulders among the other gulls. I took a few long distance photos and tried to get closer. Some of the closer gulls on shore soon flew out to join the surface feeding birds now mixed with all the Brant and 500+ Scaup. I found the Iceland Gull in the flying mix and took a few more distant pictures. I looked through the birds on the water and located another 1st cycle Iceland Gull although a darker plumage and much smaller. The remaining gulls on the reef extended for a long distance. I looked through as many as I could and near the end of the flock was a huge almost pure white gull which turned out to be a 1st cycle Glaucous Gull. THe remaining gulls including the Glaucous Gull lifted off the rocks and flew into the mass of gulls brant and scaup on the water. I relocated all three gulls in the flock which were now 200 yards off the point. As I was walking back, a few hundred Brant joined the large raft of birds. When I returned to my truck, I could see many birds sitting along the shore at St. Marys by-the-sea. When I drove over to the area, I first noticed 13 Bonapartes Gulls standing on the shore with Ring Billed Gulls at the mouth of Ash Creek. Along the entire shore at St. Marys were Brant (500 - 600) and Ring Billed Gulls (400). I headed back to Stratford first to Long Beach Park and found only 500 gulls roosting on the beach from the eastern point to the western point. There wasn't too much activity. Short Beach, only a few gulls and not much else. Maybe 100 gulls on the outer sandbars....too far for my binoculars to ID anything. Southport, Southport Beach- There were only 150 gulls standing on the outer sandbar along the waters edge. Of the 22 Bonapartes Gulls present, 7 had complete black hoods. Fairfield, Penfield Reef- The reef was nearly coverd by tide, but still about 400 yards remained exposed. On the uncovered reef were 450+ roosting gulls and 100 Brant. I started walking out onto the reef and found 2 Am. Oystercatchers standing in front of the gulls on the crown of the reef. I also found a single 3rd cycle Lesser black-Backed Gull among the gulls (possibly one of the two birds I photographed there last week). 3 adult Gannets were heading east outside by the lighthouse. Back to Stratford. The best part of my day, I met Jen for lunch at Long Beach Park. While Jen and I were having lunch, we watched over 2000 gulls begin to gather about 300-500 hundred yards out from the beach. The steady procession of gulls coming from the west would join the flocks on the water and then move again heading SE. On the outside edge of the flocks we could see 100s and 100s of Bonapartes gulls wheeling around and joining the flocks only to lift up again and fly out farther. The birds were too far for my binoculars to ID anything other than Bonapartes Gulls. We also counted 13 Gannets heading east while we were there. After lunch I headed home and stopped by a few other places to look. Short Beach- not many gulls present West Haven/Woodmont Circle at Oyster River/ Bradley Rock/West Haven Beaches/West Haven Boat Ramp/Sandy Point/Long Wharf, not many gulls!!! There were 300 Brant on Sandy Point. Guilford, Great Harbor marshes- Leetes Island farm marsh-29 Green winged Teal, 1 Snowy Egret Lost Lake- took a chance to see if the Black-headed Gull was there, but no luck....one can hope!! Westwoods Trail Creek- 5 Snowy Egrets, 1 Kildeer, 16 Greater Yellowlegs (did not find the Lesser), 37 Green winged and 1 hen Blue winged Teal. Time for a brief nap, and back to work! Happy Birding!! ps......I know that Little Gull is out there somewhere!! Keith Mueller Killingworth http://pelagic2011.blogspot.com/