laughing gull, Berrien, May 29

[Matt Hysell]

for probably 4 of the last 5 days at some time during the day there has been one or two adult laughing gulls on Tiscornia Beach (the beach just to the north of the St Joseph River outlet) in St. Joseph MI.  This morning one of the adult birds was sleeping on the beach with the other gulls though it flew off while I was looking farther north.  While not as highly visited as Silver beach to the south of the river, chances are best very early in the morning before beach walkers have started to flush/wake the birds.

The best way to scope the beach is from the top of the bluff under some cottonwoods easily accessed via a short path that goes north from the plastic walkway leading to the beach from the bathroom and pay station.

As an FYI, there has also been a younger bird seen on one occasion whose identity has not been fully resolved between laughing vs Franklins.

Matt Hysell