SCOTT SHALAWAY Birding at the beach opens a new list of species

A summer trip to the beach brings a well earned opportunity to rest and relax. It also brings a chance to see a variety of birds that rarely venture inland. If you get to the beach this summer, take a few minutes between naps and novels to appreciate some of the common birds that frequent the east coast.
From the Carolinas north to Maine, a predictable set of gulls, terns, and other shore birds can be seen along sandy beaches. Here's a brief introduction to the species you're likely to see without even trying. Some may actually approach your blanket and steal snacks from a beach bag.
The most common east coast gull is the laughing gull, named for its unmistakable call. Recognize adults by the black head, red bill, white chest and belly, gray back, and gray wings with black wing tips. About 16 inches from bill to tail, laughing gulls are relatively small gulls.
Ring-billed gulls are about two inches longer than laughing gulls and easily recognized by a black ring on a yellow bill. The head and body are white, the legs and feet are yellow, back and wings are pale gray, and the wing tips are black.
A bit larger
At 25 inches, herring gulls are a good bit larger than laughers and ring-bills. At a glance, herring gulls resemble large ring-bills, but the herring gull's yellow bill is marked by a red spot, and its legs and feet are pink.
The final gull coastal travelers might see, though it's less common than the first three species, is the great black-backed gull. At 30 inches in length, black-backs are huge. The head and body are white, and the back and wings are dark gray, almost black. The legs and feet are pale pink. I've most often seen black-backs perched on pilings at marinas.
These four species will account for at least 90 percent of the gulls casual birders might spot at the shore. The adults I've described are easy to distinguish, but gulls' natural history complicates identification. Gulls take two to four years to attain the breeding plumage I've described, so many, if not most, of the birds you see will be in various immature plumages.
Laughing and ring-billed gulls are three year species, for example, while the larger herring and great black-backs are four year gulls. This is one of the complications that makes gull identification challenging to even experienced birders. If you're just beginning to learn to identify gulls, stick to birds in breeding plumage.
Terns are sleeker than gulls and can be recognized by their long, pointed wings and a long, sharp bill. They are most often seen diving into the water after fish. Terns fold their wings like a kingfisher and plunge into the water after small fish they see from above. Look for large flocks of terns resting on sand bars.
The common tern can be seen along the coast, along bay shores, in salt marshes, and it often ventures inland along rivers and lakes. It's about 12 inches long with a 30-inch wingspan. Adults are gray with a black cap and nape and a black-tipped, red bill. The feet are also red.
Resembles common tern
A less common species, but one than can be seen on conservation areas, is the least tern. Only nine inches long, the least tern resembles the common tern, but its bill is yellow, and it has a prominent white forehead.
The final easy coastal bird for beginning birders to look for this summer is related to terns, but assigned to its own family. The black skimmer is about 18 inches long. Distinguishing features include a dark back and body, white chest and face, black cap and nape, and a huge red, black-tipped bill. The lower bill is noticeably longer than the upper, an adaptation for feeding. Skimmers feed by dropping their lower bill into the water as they "skim" along the surface.
If you get to the beach this year, look for these seven distinctive birds. If you're lucky, you might not even need binocular.
sshalaway@aol.com