FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Shad die-off = gulls

[Rconnorsphoto@xxxxxxx]

 Percy Priest Lake , Nashville
  Today on an outing along the Volunteer Loop Trail, Long Hunter State Park 
near Nashville, I noticed more gulls than usual on and over the lake.
   In the winter Ring-billed Gulls normally roost on the lake by the 
thosands. Over the years of Christmas counts we have observed and documented 
the late afternoon/evening gathering of gulls, Ring-billed, Bonaparte's and a 
few Herring, as they stream in from wherever- working the mall parking lots, 
dumpsters, and landfills of the area. And they work the dam spillway, more so 
when a turbine is running. But the daytime numbers on the lake are more 
likely to be dozens rather than the two thosand plus that I could see today. 
   This was remarkable, but walking along the lake I started noticing minnows 
washed up on shore, and as far as I walked there were more. Fingerling size 
to 10", all Shad of some type. I made the connection and assumption that the 
gulls were feeding  on this "windfall". Fish along shore and floating in the 
water. Although I watched several as they dove, I never actually saw gull eat 
fish. One Herring, all others close enough to ID with binocs were Ring-billed 
gulls.
   Is this a natural event? Is it "winter kill" because of the recent cold 
weather? Does it happen every year? I have heard that there is a semi-annual 
inversion of the water in temperate-region lakes, but that is spring/ fall as 
far as I know, and why should that kill fish? 
   
    Common Loons were also present on the lake, I didn't notice any for a 
while because of all the boat traftic. At a calm period 25 were seen in one 
pod- saftey in numbers...
     
    Also seen on this outing was my first butterfly of the year ( it must 
have been close to 70.F today) - a very pale Question Mark sunning itself in 
the weeds.
    
              Richard Connors
              Nashville TN


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