While searching for a Black-headed Gull that Cameron Johnson had found along the seacoast, I was searching through a flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls hanging out on the shore at Sawyer’s Beach. I didn’t find the Black-headed Gull, but I started watching the “Bonies” waddling around and feeding in the surf. I noticed that some of them were paddling with their feet in the water as I have seen Piping Plovers do down at Hampton Beach State Park and I took a short video of the Bonaparte’s doing this:
This is common feeding behavior in many birds, but I had not seen a gull using this method before. It is thought to stir up small marine life and bring it to the surface for feeding. These birds were returning from the breeding season, when they nest in trees near the Arctic. They are noted to have some of the most diverse feeding strategies, including plucking insects from the air, shallow plunge-diving, grabbing items at the surface of the water, and picking up items from the ground in addition to the foot-paddling I observed. This encounter was another reminder to myself to notice what’s there when I am out birding and pay attention, rather than being preoccupied with a bird that isn’t there!
Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Summer 2025!
- Bridled Tern Goes A-Courting by Kathryn Frieden
- Cliff Swallow Nest Site in Dover by Cameron Johnson
- Condiment for an Oriole by Kathleen Cerutti
- Killdeer Display by Bruce Conti
Want even more? Visit our “From the Field” page.