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LBB Gulls - Folly Beach, SC



David Abbott and I saw two Lesser Black-backed Gulls at the north end of Folly Beach today.  I presume the adult is the same bird that Dennis Forsythe saw at the end of last week.  We also saw a first-year bird.

They were on the sandbar beside the Morris Island Lighthouse (off the extreme northern end of Folly Beach).  This sandbar is only exposed around low tide (1.5 hours before until 1.5 hours after), so timing matters.

There were also a few hundred Herring Gulls, 15-18 Great Black-backed Gulls and a few dozen Ring-billed and a handful of Laughing Gulls.  There were a few dozen Black Skimmers and several dozen Terns (mostly Royal, Sandwich, Forster's). 

A lot of shrimp boats are working the area and the gulls' M.O. seems to be feeding in huge flocks behind the boats and taking breaks on the sandbars around low tide.  I think the LBB Gulls should be around for a while with plentiful food and resting areas like the sandbar complex and Morris Island beaches.

Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC