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THE BONEY’S ARE HERE! THE BONEY’S ARE HERE!

The smallest and most agile of the gulls we are privileged to see in our part of the world, the arrival of Bonaparte’s gulls in early November every year announces the beginning of fall migration of the waterbirds that call Jocassee home for the winter. As predictable as night and day, the Loons arrive with them, as do the Horned grebes. Bald eagles precede them by a few weeks, so now all the winterbirds of Jocassee have begun to arrive. The Boney’s move on by the end of December, having served their function as harbingers of winter wonder on Jocassee, but they’ll be back in spring, to announce the beginning of spring waterbird migration here. When we look up in March, waiting to see our first migratory Loons from farther south, it will be the Bonaparte’s that will announce their pending arrival. Do you know the word phenology? There is no better, more clearly stated fact of phenology than the arrival of Boney’s and Loons every year. ~B