FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Gulls in Lake Co.

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

Feb. 26-27-2005
Van Works Road
Lake Co. TN
 
The gulls keep showing up as you have been reading about them for a couple  
of weeks now. It seems the Patagonian Picnic Table effect works in Texas and  
Tennessee at the same time. The more people look the more they see. The numbers 
 of gulls can be frustrating but if you go to see the Iceland and various 
other  species that have presented themselves, you must allow enough time 
because 
the  birds trade in and out almost continually and when they are all grouped 
up  and sleeping, some are almost impossible to see.
 
The Thayer's Gulls go from very light to very dark and once in the air  stand 
out. All the gulls including the Iceland seem to be more likely to be  found 
in the morning (7-10) and late in the day (2-5) as they seem to feed and  stay 
at the prison in between. The immature Herring Gulls present many confusing  
plumages with some still having all dark bills. Although I've seen the rarer  
birds at mid-day sleeping in the masses, if the sun is out it makes viewing  
from the road almost impossible. Gray overcast days are by far the best,  
especially if the wind is not blowing to beat the band.
 
The pale Thayer's can be mistaken for an Iceland until you see the  
primaries. Both the light and dark Thayer's were seen on Sunday afternoon. A 
lot  of 
people have been up to see these birds but report they did not find them, so  
again, allow enough time to just sit and scan as you don't know what you will  
find.
 
On Saturday the Nashville Group got there just in time to see one of the  
Iceland Gulls before it left to feed but others got there too late or left too  
early to see the 2 that were there in the afternoon. On Sunday the Iceland did  
not appear till late in the day but the two Thayer's showed well most of the  
time. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was only seen Saturday early.
 
One of the best birds was a hybrid "Nelson's Gull" a cross between a  
Glaucous and a Herring seen as it preened very near a dark Thayer's on 
Saturday.  
This big bird had the defined two toned bill and coloration of a Glaucous but  
had muddy colored primaries that were widely edged in creamy white. A first for 
 
this mix for me in TN.
 
So far the numbers and species seen have been spectacular: Many thousands  of 
Ring-billed in all plumages, a few dozen Herring and a sprinkling of  
Bonaparte's Gulls. Add to the regulars 5 Iceland, up to 3 Thayer's (light  to 
dark), 
adult and 2nd yr California, up to 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls plus  the 
"Nelson's Gull". Not too shabby for a soybean field in northwest TN.
 
Also seen over the weekend, 1 Tree Swallow off of Proctor City Road, 1  
Purple Martin north of Wynnburg, Golden Eagle just west of Nancy Moore's B&B  
near 
Gray's Camp Road. Western Meadowlarks, 6+ around the gulls at Van Works  Road 
singing off and on as the younger birds practice and the older birds  teach, 
5+ Short-eared Owls off 78 on the Obion/Dyer Co. line, with  Blue-winged Teal 
everywhere.   
Good  Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett,  TN



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