White Wednesday

Last Wednesday afternoon was a spectacular one along the West Haven shoreline. I celebrated taking (and let's just assume *passing*) my board re-certification that morning by enjoying a couple lunchtime margaritas with a friend followed by some time in the sand with my gear. Bright sun and temps well into the 60s had quite a few people doing the same...most minus cameras and scopes though...

Other than the killer "Kamchatka" MEW GULL at Oyster River, which obviously would have made the day (week? month?) in itself, the afternoon was dominated by a few quality white birds.

This "Kumlien's" ICELAND GULL at Bradley Point showed well and was quite aggressive towards the nearby similarly-sized Herring Gulls.

first cycle "Kumlien's" Iceland Gull

Julian Hough joined me later in the afternoon as we unsuccessfully tried to relocate the Kam Gull. We did, however, have a late SNOWY OWL appear out of nowhere on one of the rocky islets just offshore.

Snowy Owl

This is what that same outcropping looked like a few hours earlier when it was accessible at low tide. At the time I took this photo I didn't think I would be seeing a Snowy Owl there later that evening, right about where that dog is standing...

White bird #3 was an adult FORSTER'S TERN that made a few foraging passes as the tide finally pushed us off the sandbar at Bradley Point.

heavily cropped photo of the Forster's Tern

This summer-like evening called for celebratory fish tacos and beer at Dive Bar. Great day!

 - NB