[wisb] 9,053 gulls in Milwaukee Harbor? Is this realistic?
- From: "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wisbirdn <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:04:37 -0800 (PST)
9,053 gulls in Milwaukee Harbor? Is this realistic?
OK, I'm getting ready to submit my Great Backyard Bird Count report from
Friday. I've finally found the time to estimate the number of gulls I saw on an
ice shelf that was out by the breakwall in Milwaukee Harbor (the part of the
breakwall that runs from near McKinley Marina to the main entrance of the
harbor). I came up with an estimate of 9,053 gulls. Does this at all seem
realistic? I don't want to enter this number into GBBC if it seems unrealistic.
Here's my math:
1. This section of the breakwall is about 3600 feet long (I looked at a map
online).
2. The gulls were fairly evenly distributed along one-half to two-thirds of
this ice shelf. Let's say 2100 feet.
3. I took a photo of a representative section of the ice. It covers about 45
feet of the ice.
4. I counted 194 gulls in the photo (some birds were on the edge of the ice,
and there were other groups away from the edge).
5. There are 46.67 45-foot-wide sections in 2100 feet.
6. Multiply these 46.67 sections by 194 gulls and you get 9,053 gulls.
Does this sound within the realm of possibility? It seems like an awful lot of
gulls!
Thanks!
Bernie Sloan
Milwaukee
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