North Coast Diaries

Heermann's Gull --- Monday, August 31, 2009

I'd have to say that my favorite gull species is the Heermann's Gull.  It's not only one of the more straight forward ID'd among the larids, it's also a pretty thing. Every summer, thousands of Heermann's Gulls follow the Brown Pelicans north and congregate on the beaches of the North Coast.  The best place to get close to them is on the rocky cobble beach of the Seaside Cove. Like all gulls, they come in several plumage types that correspond to their age classes. Today at the Necanicum Estuary, something spooked the flock loafing on the sandy island in the middle of the river.  Those with sharp eyes will note that the flock is not made up of only Heermann's Gulls.  There are also Caspian Terns and California Gulls in the mix, but the about 80% of what you can see in the air is Heermann's Gulls.

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