Dutch Birding volume 34 (2012) no 4

Bonaparte's Gull on and near Texel in May-June 2012

On 3 May 2012, a first-summer Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia was seen and photographed by three birders on Razende Bol, a permanent sand bank south-west of Texel, Noord-Holland, the Netherlands. The next day, it was briefly reported on the southern tip of Texel but could not be documented. In the evening of 4 June, it was relocated on the northern tip of Texel. It was then seen there (almost) daily but irregularly and often for just short periods until 18 June. It apparently roosted and foraged on sand banks offshore during low tide and came to shore to bath, drink and rest during high tide. This was the fifth record for the Netherlands, the first since 1994 and first twitchable since 1990. Previous records were on 4 August 1985 (adult summer); from 16 June 1988 to 28 January 1989 (first-summer moulting to adult winter); on 11-19 February 1990 (first-winter); and on 6 April 1994 (first-winter).

Enno B Ebels. Joseph Haydnlaan 4, 3533 AE Utrecht, Nederland
(ebelswxs.nl)
Roelf Hovinga, Buys Ballotstraat 21, 1782 HJ Den Helder, Nederland
(roelf_hovingahotmail.com)