I am posting this as a recipient of the forward from Les Willis; I am not sure that Phil Davis is around right now. Best, Rob Hilton robert@csa.com >-----Original Message----- >From: David Abbott [SMTP:DFAbbott@compuserve.com] >Sent: Monday, September 14, 1998 5:06 PM >To: Bill Williams; C. Willis; Valley Birds; Phil Davis; Brian Taber >Subject: IVORY GULL > >Phil > >Please feel free to pass this on to MD Osprey as I am not a subscriber but >read it often via internet. >Thanks-hope all is well. > >In regards to the Ivory Gull report from CBBT on Sat. 9/12/98, I am not >sure how it came to be an Ivory Gull report. I spoke with both observers >the morning of 9/12 and they did not mention anything of the kind but did >highlight an unidentified gull on isl. 4. This is the only report of note >they mentioned in an otherwise very slow morning. As usual, I had >questions about the unidentified gull (which they clearly favored leaving >it as) and the description would seem to rule out Ivory. It was on the >rocks of isl. 4 with terns. It was judged to be small, "about Bonaparte's >size", with a "gray head", "white mantle and white tail with black spots on >the middle tips. The tail was square." >Further, the mantle was described as being white, including the inner >wings, with a black wedge along the outer hand forming a slim triangle, the >broad part being the tips of the outermost p's. Intreguing yes, Ivory Gull >no (unless unequivocal photos prove otherwise). It would seem ludicrous to >claim an Ivory on this lattitude in Sept. The observers at the time made >no claim. > >While on the CBBT later that day, four of us studied an odd tern that >matched this description (although we didn't see it as well). The bird was >only seen perched and indeed was white on the mantle with a gray head. Its >breast was facing us and it did alot of preening. The pecular aspect was >that the bird had some sort of dye or oil or something spotting its face, >neck and upper breast. Where it was densest, the shade was dark (head), >but on the breast it was more spotted and clearly had a emerald-green >sheen! Often looking dark gray, the green was obvious to all when the sun >hit it full. >Its bill was fairly long and stout with a blunt tip. It was reddish orange >distally and black from about mid way to tip. I suspect that this bird was >a juv. Common tern but again I didn't stay with it long enough (time was >short as we were a team on the Kiptopeake Challenge). > >Any further thoughts are welcome. >I'd like to hear if there were any additional sightings! > >David F Abbott >Ashburn VA >dfabbott@compuserve.com > > >