The Oare Marshes Bonaparte's Gull

5th July 2026

But the Oare Marshes Bonaparte's Gull is not just any old Bonaparte's Gull. Hailing from North America it first appeared at Oare Marshes in early July 2013 in its full summer plumage. It then stayed until it had moulted into its winter plumage a few months later and then disappeared, never to be seen again, that is until the next year when it repeated the process. This is the 14th year it has returned and nobody knows where it goes for the rest of the year, but probably not back to the states. It returned on the 3rd July this year so let's go and find it.

I haven't been to Oare Marshes for a year and it was great to walk around the sea wall by Faversham Creek and see the large swathes of Sea Lavender.

Also Linnets flying around the bushes on the marsh.

Now round to the River Swale where the tide was out revealing acres of mud where the gull likes to feed east of the slipway. Being summer there were very few waders out on the mud, just a single Curlew and a few non-breeding Black-tailed Godwits but still in their summer plumage.

Also a couple of Shelduck.

The gulls present were mainly Black-headed Gulls with a few Herring Gulls thrown in and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, one of which is shown here.Just look at that stonking crimson bill and pure white wings!!!

But what I was looking for was a rather small gull with a black cap stretching to the back of its head and a small black bill. I eventually found it a few hundred yards east of the slipway and about half way from the sea wall to the water's edge. Not as close as I would like but close enough for some shots.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!