Some typical stops at beaches along the Milwaukee lakefront this morning gave nice looks at a 1st summer Great Black-backed Gull. It is the largest gull in North America with a wing span of 65″ and you can see that when you scope the beaches, this gull stands out. It was hanging out with some Ring-billed and Herring gulls which are normally seen along the lake this time of year. This gull is special today as we get this species typically in winter months and only a few here as their range is the East Coast well into Canada too. But this date of the year at this location it is considered rare to be here. It was a cloudy day with nice temps along the lake of 76 degrees with some nice winds too. Images were taken on July 20, 2026.
The 1st summer Great Black-backed Gull…
Hanging with Ring-billed Gulls…
It takes to the air but it returned after a short fly around…
