Old news from October 2009

A rare feathered visitor was recently discovered by sharp-eyed birders in Auckland, and has been causing quite a bit of excitement in bird watching circles since. To many people it might look like just another gull—the sort that gathers at coastal carparks looking for handouts of potato chips and bread. Some might notice a bit of a black smudge on its head. To those interested in these things though, it is a Franklin’s Gull (Larus pipixcan), and when the Rare Birds Committee inevitably accept the identification it will be only the second of its kind recorded in New Zealand. (read more…)