N ormal period of occu rrence . --Mid -September to mid-May. 



Earliest fall record . --19 November 1972. 



Latest spring record . --27 April 1975. 



Maximum counts . --FALL: feeding flock of 300, 44 km E Ocean City (38°19'N, 

 74°53'W), 4 December 1976. WINTER: 45 within 2 km of Ocean City Inlet, 12 

 January 1975. SPRING: 65 within 2 km of Ocean City Inlet 20 March 1976; 41 

 in 1.5 h, 35-60 km ESE Ocean City, 23 April 1977. 



Remarks . --Bonaparte's gulls usually forage in flocks and seldom venture 

 seaward of the 20 fathom contour (ca 54 km offshore). They generally show 

 little interest in chum. Although precise age ratios were not determined, 

 most birds seen were adults. 



E 

 o 



^-* 



1000 



500 



100 



40 



30 



20 



10 







X 

 X 

 X 



X X X X 



X 

 X 

 X 



X 

 X 



1 1 — I 1 — 



JFMAMJJA 



T 



^ 



month 



137 



118 



111 



95 



- 77 



- 54 



-♦-» 



E 

 o 



h 19 12 



S O N D 



1=0.1-1.0 1=1.1-10 H=ii-^o 



MEAN NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS OBSERVED PER HOUR 



X = ZONE NOT SAMPLED IN THIS MONTH 



Figure 27. Seasonal abundance and seaward distribution patterns of the 

 Bonaparte's gulls in the northern Chesapeake Bight, 1971-1977. 



LITTLE GULL (Larus minutus ) 



Status . --Rare fall and spring transient, and winter visitant. 



Records . --5 ad, 44 km E Ocean City (38°18'N, 74°53'W), 6 December 1976; 1 

 ad, 37 km E Ocean City (38°19'N, 74°49'W), 16 January 1977; 3 ad, 2 km E Ocean 

 City (38°19'N, 75°04W), ad, 43 km E Ocean City (38°17'N, 74°53'W), 23 April 

 1977. 



Remarks . --Little gulls were seen over nearshore waters where they often 

 associated with flocks of Bonaparte's gulls. 



37 



