Portuguese Joe’s is usually good for gulls any time of the year – there’s a regular group that waits for scraps from the fish market here on Comox Road (also known locally as the Dyke Road). I’ve stopped in a couple of times over the winter hoping to see a Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) that makes the occasional appearance with the regular mix of mostly Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens). The two species look similar but can be separated by a close look at the wingtips. Glaucous Gulls will show a light gray back and white wingtips, while Glaucous-winged Gulls have a silvery gray back with gray wingtips.

I had no luck with the Glaucous Gull but I did get some portraits of a very handsome Glaucous-winged Gull.

Getting There:

Park at Portuguese Joe’s and check out the area behind the store. Bald Eagles can sometimes be seen here and there is/was and active nest across the road. Hard to say if the nest will remain active since a gas station was built right next to the next tree. By all means get crabs from Joe (you can even buy a T-shirt that reads “I got crabs from Portuguese Joe’s”), but take a pass on the gas at Gas ‘n’ Go. This is area is definitely the wrong place for a gas station and the local Sierra Club is encouraging people to boycott it.

Comox Road, Comox, BC