Sabine's Gull at Antelope Island State Park: 10/8/11
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Sabine’s Gull is "An unusual and distinctive arctic gull that breeds at high latitudes but winters near the tropics."
Today at Antelope Island State Park, Tim Avery and I located one. One of the first thoughts I had when I saw this amazing bird was it must’ve gone on one hell of a journey to get here. Just take a look at where they breed.
This bird likely came from somewhere off the northern coast of Alaska or Canada. The Gull showed the characteristic look of a juvenile bird, meaning it hatched just a few months ago. What an incredible journey to make. A flight of presumably 3,000 or so miles just to get to Utah with likely at least that left to go in order to reach it’s wintering grounds in the tropics. Stunning. Remarkable. I am in awe of the Sabine’s Gull. More of Tim's photos of the bird can be seen here.
Labels: Antelope Island, gulls
3 Comments:
I looked for it on my way out, but didn't see it. Now that I've seen Tim's photos, I'll know better what to look for. Good seeing you guys at Garr Ranch. That was my first time meeting Tim. Happy Birding!
Thanks to your tip, I was able to find it on my way off the causeway. (Although I think it was a bit further off the shore than when you photographed it, Tim.) Still, the best looks I've had at this species in quite a while!
Awesome.
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