First Rare Bird For 2014

Having not had time for any birding over the past few weeks, I decided that on late Friday afternoon, I would briefly pass by the Frigate Bay Pond, on the way to my Kid’s football game. This was on February 1st, 2014.

It was full of Common Gallinules, Caribbean Coots, a few Blue-winged Teals, and one very conspicuous white bird! It looked like a Gull of some sort. After a careful study, and taking some time to shoot a few pictures, it soon became clear that it was a juvenile Black-headed Gull! This was my first sighting of one, and in all of my research on birds in St.Kitts & Nevis, the only other observation was an unconfirmed sighting in 2001 by a cruise ship passenger when a vessel was docking in the Basseterre Harbour.

This is certainly a rare bird for us and a great way to start 2014! The Black “ear” spot and the red beak tipped with black were major indicators.

Regretfully, it stayed in the middle of the Pond making it difficult to get a clear shot or close-up picture, but in the end, for an amateur like me, any picture is better than no picture!