A beautiful and rare visitor paid a visit to the Buffalo waterfront the other day. Bruce Hoover, a hero now to many, noticed this darker-backed gull at the Union Ship Canal. Bruce's sharp eyes picked out the juvenile Sabine's Gull from some Ring-billed Gulls and nearly a hundred Bonaparte's Gulls that it was mixed in with. Many of the gulls were actively feeding - many were on the wing and diving for small fish, and some were at rest floating in the canal. It was a very busy scene. The gull was a needle in a haystack - and it was no small feat to find it; kudos to Bruce!
The Sabine's Gull is an arctic breeder that usually spends its time out on the ocean during the non-breeding season. Perhaps this gull is on its way to the Atlantic and needed a rest stop. How fortunate for us that it picked a place where it is so visible! So far, the celebrity has spent two days in the Buffalo area and many birders have been both delighted to see it at close range and thrilled to add it to their life lists!
I've seen one a few times before this but this bird has given, by far, the best looks I've ever gotten. The bold pattern on its wings certainly stands out in flight and makes this beauty very photogenic. I hope it stays around awhile longer!