Secret birds + a new species!
So yesterday afternoon we went to a bar-type place called Seacrets for lunch and by the carpark there was a little hidden pool/marsh area that was full of birds. A female Red-winged Blackbird, a Willet (what a surprise), a Green Heron, some Mallards with ducklings and a large flock of Laughing Gulls were all hiding out. We tried tossing some bread to the gulls but I don't think they are that used to people feeding them. They just scattered briefly and then looked angry when they returned to the water.
Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) - female
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) - female with ducklings
Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla)
The bar place itself was right on the water and there on the water's edge were a pair of Mallards (which were chased off my some bachelor ducks a little later), a Herring Gull and a Laughing Gull. I have dubbed the Laughing Gull "Awkward Gull" as it had a very odd moult pattern, and was possibly leucistic, meaning it had reduced pigmentation of some of its feathers.
Awkward Gull (Larus awkwardius)