This was on Carolina Birds. I thought it should get wider distribution. Les Subject: Black-tailed Gull - Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 17:14:28 PST From: "Keith Watson" <shaawitya@hotmail.com> To: carolinabirds@acpub.duke.edu Today, December 31, 1998, Pat and Neil Moore, friend Kay (sorry cannot remember her last name), and myself traveled to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in search of the Black-tailed Gull reported earlier in the month. We drove directly to Island Number 4 and began searching the rocks for the gull. On the west side of Island Number 4 (Bay side) about half way down the island Kay and Pat spotted the Black-tailed Gull as it had just flown in to perch with the many Ring-billed Gulls present. At the same time I spotted another gull that resembled a Black-tailed Gull about 70 yards farther north on the same side of the island (Bay side). With me were two Arlington, VA birders, Joe and Barbara (I think) Leopold. We watched this gull closely because it's bill was tucked under it's back feathers and we couldn't see the bill colors, but the tail was black. Eventually the bird pulled it's bill out and showed it's colors, yellow with red and black markings. WIthin 70 yards of each other were two Black-tailed Gulls in adult plumage. BOth were photographed by the Leopolds. Lots of good closeups of Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, Bonaparte's Gulls, and Oldsquaw, Great Cormorants, Brant, Red-breasted Mergansers, and the usual Greater Black-backed, Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls. Keith Watson shaawitya@hotmail.com 252-449-0243 Home 252-473-2111 x132 Work ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com -- ====================== Les Eastman les_eastman@netfox.net Havre de Grace, MD Visit the Harford Bird Club Web Page at http://birdclub.harfordhasit.com