[birdky] Great black-backed gull in Louisville

Mary and I had a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (juvenile?) at the Falls of the
Ohio from 7:00-8:30 pm tonight.  

The bird stayed on a fossil-bed island just below the Visitor Center most of
the time.  Around 8:20 it flew slightly farther away and settled down (to
roost?) on the opposite side of the main fossil bed, within 50 yards or so
of 14 Caspian terns and an immature herring gull.  

At one point the great black-backed gull flew out over the water just below
the falls and stole a fish from a double-crested cormorant.  The gull took
the fish back to the island, and for the next 30 minutes or so ate its
stolen fish, all the while mostly ignoring the victimized cormorant,
immature herring gull (which it dwarfed), black-crowned night-heron, and 6-8
black vultures -- all of which huddled around or tried to pick at the fish.


The gull had a large black bill, checkered back, whitish head (especially
the face), an overall color much less warm than the herring gull, and (in
flight) white rump and tail with narrow dark band on the tip.

I have to admit that Mary got to the Falls a few minutes before I did, and
when I walked up we had this exchange:

Me:  Well, what have you found?
Mary:  There's this gull.
Me:  That's the best you can do?  A gull?

I took a few minutes of videotape.

Ben Yandell
Louisville

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