Sunny, calm, glass-like lake. Cool. Good viewing with spotting scope.
Optical Equipment Used for Observation
Viewed via 42 X 122 scope,
then photographed (not digiscoped).
Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species
Per eBird: July-December LIGU sightings by this observer at this same location.
1996-97, 2003-18: 149 observations of 178 Little Gulls. Maximum of 4 on one day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
My previous Spring-migrant Little Gulls observed off the west shore, Grand Isle:
May 03, 2009 8:00 AM https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S4934225 (two LIGU)
May 17, 2010 ---- AM https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S6448074
May 05, 2014 6:15 AM https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S18232254
May 06, 2014 6:30 AM https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S18248138
May 27, 2017 6:55 AM https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S37176406
I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event.
Description of Habitat
36 Bonaparte's Gulls on Lake Champlain
Behaviors Observed
Gulls on water.
Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation
Tiny gull ID'd as Little Gull by size as compared with
accompanying Bonaparte's Gulls including First-summer and Adult plumaged birds
[ NEW CORRECTION of 2021 ] changed to SECOND-summer and Adult plumaged birds.]
Head
see photo at: https://ebird.org/vt/view/checklist/S45502486
IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different?
Tiny gull ID'd as Little Gull by size as compared with
accompanying Bonaparte's Gulls including Second-summer and Adult.
2021 ADDITION — see new attachment image.
2021 REVISION: CORRECTION:
Error corrected: to ADULT breeding-plumaged Little Gull.
I had mis-read or mis-typed the age into the checklist and/or the RSD form.
A matching Olsen/Larsson photo is captioned as an Adult summer Little Gull.
The photo number 255 is lower in the Olsen/Larsson caption's text — "Adult Summer Little Gull".
2021 ADDITIONAL SPECIES COMPARISON NOTES:
Time constraints prevented taking more than 3 quick photos in as many seconds.
Only 1 photo had the 2 species in full profile for the best comparison.
Extreme distance, long lens, atmospheric distortion, limited pixels, and Jpeg format prevented creating a sharper image. [Views through the spotting scope are always bigger and better.]
However the striking size difference between the 1 small gull and the many larger Bonaparte's gulls leave no alternative to any identification but Little Gull.
Note the size comparison of the Little Gull in the foreground as compared to the other gulls — a difference that I have observed many times before.
Bonaparte's Gull: 189-234g.
Little Gull: 99-125g.
Other Notes & Comments
As are Bonaparte's Gulls, Little Gulls are a common migrant through
the Hudson/Champlain/Richelieu valley in Autumn; thus are undoubtedly regular Spring migrants, though less likely to be caught in the act.
They are not necessarily an "out-of-season" species.
See NY Spring 2018 sighting: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45071222 as well as the VT sighting by G. C. this Spring.
And my other 5 sightings:
