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Black-headed Gull and strange gull at Oregon Inlet



Thanks to all who made the CSC winter meeting successful!  This was our
first one and we enjoyed the trip.

On the way to Nags Head Friday we stopped at Mattamuskeet to see the
Black-headed Gull.  The water was flowing to the west through the culverts,
so we checked this side instead of the previously reported east side.  A
bird sitting on the little sand bar to the west of the northernmost culvert
closely matched the description of the bird, red-orange legs, pale mantle,
"small-hooded gull" head and shape.  The bill appeared a bit straighter and
larger than Bonaparte's.  The light was not good enough to verify bill
color so we moved along with plans to come back when, hopefully, the bird
would be feeding.  2-3 culverts south we stopped to watch some Bonapartes
feeding.  Among this group was a Black-headed Gull.  We got good pics, let
me know if you want me to e-mail one to you, but be warned the file is
large as the pic was taken at 3.1 megapixel.  Anyway, this leads me to
wonder if there are in fact two of these visitors at Mattamuskeet, assuming
the one on the bar was also Black-headed.  Interestingly other birders
reported the Black-headed on the bar within a few hours of our sighting.

The other interesting gull this weekend was one on the flat south of Oregon
Inlet.  Same size as the Herring Gulls with which it was sitting, pink
legs, not much streaking on the head, mantle a little lighter than GBBG,
bill yellow with a red lower gony spot and black tip.  The tail was white
with an incomplete black band on the lower third.  The bird does not match
any of the birds in my guides.  Best guess is a diminutive GBBG.

We stopped by Alligator River NWR on the way home and were rewarded with
good looks at the Western Kingbird previously re-located by other birders.
Nice find!

Best,
Steve Shultz