Date: 1/9/26 9:59 pm From: Chris Conard via groups.io <conardc...> Subject: [centralvalleybirds] Merced Yellow-footed Gull
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Date: Fri, Jan 9, 2026, 2:47 PM
Subject: [countybirders] Merced Yellow-footed Gull
To: <countybirders...>
Yesterday Dale Swanberg photographed a Yellow-footed Gull along the
California Aqueduct where it flows into O'neil Forebay at the San Luis
Creek campground. It was still there at 7:30 this morning and I got some
photos of it along with 5 others, some who came all the way from San Luis
Obispo for it. This is a first county record, but it might be the same bird
I photographed two weeks ago at the same spot while it was flying around
with its legs and feet tucked in. I just assumed it was a Western Gull
although it seemed to be rather large and dark backed for one. I didn't
even consider what else it could have been as I hadn't heard about Jim
Gain's Yellow-footed Gull last April at the Modesto WTP. Could this be the
same bird wandering about? It appears to hang out around fishermen up by
the control gates upstream from the campground and is fairly calm. Gary
Woods-Fresno
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