Indiana Bonaparte's Gulls

Today was a relatively good day for BOGUs on the Indiana lakefront. I observed scattered flocks in Michigan City and at Miller Beach, but the real reward came in Whiting at the BP refinery where I found 71 individuals feeding at the discharge.

Adult BOGU. Michigan City, IN. 11 November 2012.

First Cycle BOGU. Michigan City, IN. 11 November 2012.

First Cycle BOGU. Whiting, IN. 11 November 2012.

Adult BOGU. Whiting, IN. 11 November 2012.

2nd Cycle BOGU. Note the faint black marks on the subterminal part of the tail.

Same individual as above. The black tips to the greater primary coverts and black
markings on the outer web of P9 point away from an adult.

Sadly, Bonaparte's declined greatly on lower Lake Michigan after the 1990s. Of the four states surrounding Lake Michigan (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan) it seems Illinois sees the least of this species.