Participant Photo: Possible Little Gull

I was walking on the beach May 28, 2017 when I saw a group of small birds in the shallow water catching small shrimp. At a distance I thought they were plovers due to their size. When I got closer, I realized they did not have any plover type markings. They were much smaller than a near-by Western Gull, about 11 inches over-all. I only had my cell phone camera with me, so I must apologize for the quality of this photo. When I returned to the house, I had to look up what bird this might be, and it seemed most like a Little Gull, although the Sibley Guide indicates they are very rare in this area. There were a few hooded gulls in a large group beyond the breakers that were probably Bonaparte Gulls as the other possibility.

I would appreciate someone with more expertise telling me the identity of these little guys.

Richard A. Hodgson, MD