Bonaparte's Gull, PIPL, Milford

Bonaparte's Gulls in with large, surface-feeding gulls the past 10 days (on 4/16/15, in the Gulf, up to 2500 gulls and 250 Brant, with Long-tailed Ducks, Gr Scaup, Bufflehead, RB Mergs, RT and Common Loons)

Bonaparte's Gull with Ring-billed Gull, 4/16/15 Trumbull Ave

3 Bonaparte's Gulls 4/16/15 Trumbull Ave

PIPLs performing parallel walking Milford Pt 4/16/15

PIPL pair beginning of Francis St spit, 4/16/15 outside stringing

Fish Crow SSSP 4/16/15

Little Gull, Southport 4/11/15

A Little Gull was with a flock of about 400 Bonaparte's Gulls today (4/11/15) at Southport Beach.  The Little Gulls have been around for about a week and around 10 were found at Southport a few days ago.  
In this record photo the Little Gull's size next to the Bonaparte's identifies it; on the beach it was picked out by its distinctive primary tips: white with dark gray above that.

Little Gull with Bonaparte's, Southport Beach, 4/11/15

Meanwhile, 45 Bonaparte's were back at Oyster River, the border between Milford and West Haven on the Sound:

3 Bonaparte's Gulls at Oyster River 4/11/15  Note progression of head molt from basic to  alternate

Alternate Plumage Bonaparte's, Oyster River 4/11/15

Red-necked Grebe, Iceland Gull, Forster's Tern 4/10/15; RNGR, 4/8/15

Iceland Gull, Oyster River 4/10/15

AMOY Milford Pt 4/9/15

Red-necked Grebe Milford Harbor 4/10/15

Adult Forster's Tern, Oyster River, 4/10/15

The Red-necked Grebe discovered by Frank Gallo a few days ago was still in Milford Harbor today, 4/8/15:

Red-necked Grebe in alternate plumage in Milford Harbor 4/8/15 

close view of above

Red-necked Grebe 4/8/15 from behind

side view showing "horn" of Red-necked Grebe 4/8/15 Milford harbor

view of distinctive grebe foot during preening

Red-necked Grebe & other early April 2015 birds Milford

Red-necked Grebe in Milford harbor 4/7/15 and other recent Milford birds

a few of 46 Bonaparte's Gulls Oyster River 4/4/15

last Wood Duck, Mondo Ponds Grinnell St pond

Mondo Ponds deer 

Cedar Waxwing Elm St 3/31/15

Cedar Waxwing Elm St 3/31/15

Pine Siskin Mondo Ponds 3/31/15 Grinnell St house feeder

Pine Siskin 3/3/15/ Grinnell St feeder

E Bluebird, Eisenhower Park 4/3/15

Rough-winged Swallow Eisenhower 4/3/15 FOY

Eisenhower Osprey 4/3/15 fish pond

juv Great Cormorant with DC Corms 4/4/15 Merwin Point

Red-necked Grebe Milford Harbor 4/7/15

Bonaparte's Gulls 4/4/15 

4/2/15, PIPL mating Milford Point

Piping Plover mating on the main sand bar at Milford Point.  Most PIPL have paired off, and there seem to be 6 or 7 pairs from Sand St at Cedar Beach to the western part of the main sandbar.  Below, a photo of the male at the end of his goose-stepping before he mounts the female.  This photo seems to capture the male actually kicking the female's flank just before he mounts--a behavior we have seen often while videoing mating PIPL over the past 5 years.

Male PIPL's final kick/goosestep before mounting, 4/2/15 Milford Pt