[TN-Bird] Gull Glut in Tunica Co. SIX Species!

From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, missbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 20:19:20 EST
Jan. 15, 2005
Tunica Co. MS
 
I went down this morning to search for the Ferruginous and the Rough-legged  
Hawks. I believe the Ferruginous has, at the least, left the area but I found  
the Rough-legged right off the bat, feeding just south of the Bowdre and  
Hambrick Road T. I checked the Ferruginous area 4 times today with no luck but  
there are still 2 adult Krider's in the area. I later met Robert Briscoe and he 
 said the Rough-legged would be a lifer so we again looked around and after a 
 half hour, I picked up the bird feeding in a distant field.
 
There are TONS of gulls everywhere and before I met Robert, I decided to  
scan a few thousand and came up the 1st year Lesser Black-backed Gull and  
shortly thereafter an ADULT California Gull showed up in the bright morning  
light. 
I called Gene Knight to tell him of the find and he and Shannon soon  turned 
up near the Rough-legged haunt and after some searching, I found the bird  in a 
REALLY and distant high thermal with 2 Red-tailed Hawks. While we watched  
and chased, this bird covered a huge chuck of real estate. Now I know why this  
bird can be so hard to locate. We finally got great scope looks at this bird 
as  it kited over a wide area.
 
Gene and Shannon went to search for the California and on my way to join  
them after a short trip down Buck Island Road, I stopped to scan another flock  
of gulls off Kirby Road. Almost immediately I found a big surprise, a 2nd 
winter  Thayer's Gull, a plumage I've never seen down here. I was soon joined 
by 
Gene,  Shannon and Robert and while I was going over the details in the scope 
on 
the  Thayer's with Shannon, Gene said "look at this bird". Low over our heads 
circled  a first winter Thayer's showing off all its fine colors and details 
both top and  bottom. Both of these Thayer's headed over to the dump and so 
did we. 
 
Once there we not only relocated both Thayer's, we found 2 - 1st year  Lesser 
Black-backed Gulls. Unfortunately the lighting and heat waves prevented  us 
from finding the California Gull in the 4-5000 that were spread out before  our 
happy little group. I think Robert went home with THREE  LIFERS...........
 
I can't wait till tomorrow!  
Good  Birding!!!

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



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[TN-Bird] Gull Glut in Tunica Co. SIX Species!

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