[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2013] – First spotted by Dean DiTommaso, flying almost straight towards us, this first winter Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla ventured towards us over the kelp beds but then veered south and did not approach the point closely. The best photographs I could obtain were very distant as it flew just above the horizon and turned. This species has a buoyant almost tern like flight and appears very “white” or ghostly looking to my eye. The black smudgy marking on the nape, black markings outlining the letter M on the upperwing, and black tail tip can be seen as it turned and flew south away from us.

Black-legged Kittiwake – first winter individual Pt. La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California 08 Dec 2013

Black-legged Kittiwake – first winter individual Pt. La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California 08 Dec 2013

Black-legged Kittiwake – first winter individual Pt. La Jolla, La Jolla, San Diego County, California 08 Dec 2013