Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia (1, 5, 14). (Breeds across northern North America from west and central Alaska through Canada to James Bay. Winters locally on ice free rivers and lakes in northern USA and south along both coasts of USA to Mexico and Caribbean).

1848 One: Shot. River Lagan, between Ormeau and King's Bridges, , County Down/Antrim, 1st February. Thompson 1851. 1979 One: Adult, Bangor Harbour, Bangor, County Down; 26th July - 2nd September (S.H. Craig, Tom Ennis et al.) and presumed same 31st December into 1980 (S.H. Craig, Tom Ennis, Gerard McGeehan, Anthony McGeehan). Irish Birds Vol 1:4 Preston 1980. 1980 One: Adult. Bangor Harbour, Bangor, County Down, from 1979 stayed to 3rd February (Dave Allen, P. Quinn et al.). NIBRC 1982. 1981 One: First-year. Ramore Head, , , 13th March (Dave Allen, Ian Irvine). Preston 1982. 1992 One: Adult winter. Forest, Lough Neagh, County Antrim, 2nd October (D. Morrow). Smiddy & O'Sullivan 1993. 1995 One: Quoile Pondage NNR, Downpatrick, County Down, 10th - 14th May (Fulton Summerville, Terry Jones, Ian Jackson, David Nixon et al.). Charles and Crory 2019. 1996 One: Adult. Roe Estuary, Lough Foyle, County Londonderry, 10th October - 17th November (Davy Hunter, D.I.M. Wallace et al.). Milne & O'Sullivan 1998. One: Adult. Groomsport, County Down, 12th November (Anthony McGeehan et al.). NIBA 1998. One: Adult. Briggs Rocks, Groomsport, County Down, 23rd November, same as above (Anthony McGeehan et al.). NIBA 1998. 2002 One: Adult summer, starting moult into winter plumage. Emerson’s Sandpits, Ardmore, Lough Neagh, County Armagh, 3rd August, 31st August and 22nd September (Ivan Quail, Walter Veale et al.). NIBA 2004. Note changes to NIBA 2004. One: Adult-winter. NNR, County Londonderry, 10th to 11th November (Laurence Morgan, David Steele et al.). NIBA 2004. Note additional observer from NIBA 2004. 2003 One: First-year. Bann Estuary, Coleraine, County Londonderry, 2nd to 13th May (Laurence Morgan et al.) NIBA 2006. 2005 One: Adult summer. Closet Bay, Oxford Island NNR, Lurgan, County Armagh, 2nd May (Garry Armstrong). Milne & McAdams 2009. One: Adult summer. Reedy Flats, Lough Neagh, Derrytrasna, County Armagh, 8th May (Garry Armstrong et al.). Milne & McAdams 2009. 2006 One: First-winter. RSPB, Belfast, Belfast Harbour Estate, County Down, 25th April (David Knight et al.). Milne & McAdams 2008b. Note change of observer. One: First-winter. Kinnegar, Belfast Lough, Holywood, County Down, 25th April (Derek Charles et al.). Milne & McAdams 2008b. Record not published by NIBA/NIBRC. One: First-winter. Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast, County Antrim, 26th April - 5th May (Derek Charles et al.). Milne & McAdams 2008b.

Bonaparte’s Gull © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of ’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com

First-winter. Kinnegar, Belfast Lough, Holywood, County Down, 25th April 2006. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

First-winter. Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast, County Antrim, 5th May, 2006. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

2007 One: First-winter. Whitehead, County Antrim, 9th to 21st January (Cameron Moore et al.). Milne & McAdams 2009. One: Adult. Maltings, Strangford Lough, Newtownards, County Down, 29th September (Keith Bennett). Milne & McAdams 2009.

Bonaparte’s Gull © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com

First-winter. Whitehead, County Antrim, 9th January. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

2008 One: Adult in summer plumage. Kinnegar, Holywood, County Down, 28th April (Derek Charles). Fahy 2010. One: Adult in summer plumage. Belfast Lough RSPB, Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast, County Down, 28th April (Keith Bennett et al.). NIBA 2008b. Not published in Irish Bird Report.

Adult in summer plumage. Kinnegar Beach, Holywood, County Down, 28th April 2008. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

Bonaparte’s Gull © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com

Adult in summer plumage. Kinnegar Pool, Holywood, County Down, 28th April 2008. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

2011 One: Adult-winter. and nearby coastal areas, County Antrim, 10th October into 2012 (Neal Warnock et al.). Charles and Crory 2019. First observed at Sandy Bay, Larne on 10th October it was seen here off and on to 25th October. It was recorded at Whitehead, Belfast Lough on 13th October and was not seen again to it was refound at , 24th - 25th December. It was also observed at Black Arch, Drains Bay, 25th - 28th and 30th December and at Princess Victoria Memorial, Larne on 29th December.

Black Arch, Drains Bay, 30th December 2011. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

Bonaparte’s Gull © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com

2012 One: Adult-winter. Larne and nearby coastal areas, County Antrim from 2011 remained to 11th April. In the later part of the year it was recorded from 14th September into 2012 (Derek Charles, Walter Veale, Majella Callaghan et al.). Charles and Crory 2019. First recorded at Ballygally on 1st January 2012 it remained here to 3rd January and was recorded at this location on the following dates; 6th - 8th January, 11th - 31st January, 8th February - 3rd March, 9th - 25th March. It was observed at nearby Black Arch, Drains Bay, 4th and 7th January and at Sandy Bay, Larne, 5th January, 7th March, 11th April and was recorded just once at Drains Bay on 5th February. It returned to Sandy Bay on 14th September and was observed here on the following dates; 21st September - 2nd October, 24th - 25th November, 26th and 29th December. It was seen on two dates at Tweeds Port, Carnfunnuck Bay, Carnfunnuck, 16th September and 5th October and finally at Ballygally on 28th December.

Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Larne Harbour, Antrim, 25th September 2012. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

2013 One: Adult-winter. Larne and nearby coastal areas, County Antrim, 6th January - 18th March (Gavin Ferguson et al.). Charles and Crory 2019. In the early part of the winter it was just observed at Larne Harbour, Larne from 6th - 30th January and the final sighting was at Ballygally on 18th March (Richard Hunter).

One: Adult-winter. RSPB Reserve, , County Antrim, 3rd September (Derek Charles). Charles and Crory 2019.

Bonaparte’s Gull © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com

Adult-winter. Larne Harbour, County Antrim, 6th January 2013. Photo courtesy of Gavin Ferguson.

2017 One: Adult. Ballymacormick Point, Groomsport, County Down, 11th June (Billy Miskelly). Charles and Crory 2019. One: First summer. Bann Estuary, Coleraine, County Londonderry, 16th - 20th June, photographed (Theo Campbell et al.). Charles and Crory 2019. One: Adult, in almost full summer plumage. Whitehead, County Antrim, 20th July, photographed (Cameron Moore). Charles and Crory 2019. One: Adult winter. Dargan Bay, Belfast, County Antrim, 10th December (Daniel Newtown). Charles and Crory 2019.

First summer. Bann Estuary, Coleraine, County Londonderry, 20th June 2017. Photo courtesy of Derek Charles.

Bonaparte’s Gull © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com