Hi --

Barry and I went up to Back River, Balto. Co, to check on the progress (or lack of same) for the northward movement of Bonaparte's Gulls -- and, hopefully, a few Little Gulls with them. It is close to the best date for LIGU according to our data from several years of surveying the gull passage at Back River.

However, probably due to the unremitting northerly winds, the Bonie numbers were about the same today as on Monday (about 650 scattered from Diamond Pt. downriver, also NW Creek) -- far fewer Ringbills -- there were about 1000 Monday and maybe a few hundred today. Tide was very low, the down-river winds exacerbating this, most of the birds were walking around on the flats. We saw NO Little Gulls, although of course they would be easy to miss if distant. On Monday Barry had a Lesser BBG, didn't see it today.

If we get some southerly winds things should liven up -- also, sometimes high tide is best for spotting LIGU as the dark underwing is obvious as the birds fly about.

No much else of interest, an Osprey, pair of Common Mergansers, and a few Redtails were about it for action.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD