Grand Central Landfill and Forks of the Delaware ~ December 27, 2025

I decided to give it one last try for a Glaucous Gull in 2024. I knew it was a long shot as the weather up north wasn't favorable for pushing the white-winged gulls down into our area. As it turned out, there were very few gulls at all there, probably because I didn't get there until the afternoon. There were at least 2 Bald Eagles soaring over the landfill, as there usually are.

Bald Eagle

I also took a few photos of the Turkey Vultures as they banked in the nice lighting.

Turkey Vulture

I headed down to the Forks of the Delaware to see what gulls might be down there. I counted 42 Lesser Black-backed and 10 American Herring Gulls among the roughly 400 Ring-billed Gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

A Lesser Black-backed Gull (left rear, with its darker back and yellow legs) and an American Herring Gull (right, with its lighter gray back and pink legs).

A Ring-billed Gull (front, with its smaller size, light gray back, and dark ring on the yellow bill), an American Herring Gull (middle, with its light gray back and pink legs), and a Lesser Black-backed Gull (rear, with its dark gray back and yellow legs).

There were also 6 Buffleheads and 2 Common Mergansers present, plus a 'fly-by' Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Buffleheads

An adult Sharp-shinned Hawk.