(LONG) History/Summary of Sightings, MD KELP GULL

Jane Kostenko (jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us)
Fri, 19 Feb 1999 05:43:28 -0500 

    PLEASE NOTE: This report will contain errors! It is only intended
as a brief, informational summary of sightings of the St. Mary's
County, MD, KELP GULL, and is a compilation of personal sightings,
sightings posted on various lists, and conversations with birders
who have been down to see the bird. I welcome corrections and
additions. Most importantly, I look forward to the return from Florida
of Patty Craig, Dameron, MD, who originally found this bird and
will set me straight on older dates and observations. All mistakes
are mine and are honestly made. Pardon begged in advance.
    That said, here's what I've gathered about the bird in the past
week:
    2/14/99 (Sunday)--Ottavio Janni and Rob Hilton view the bird
in good light for several hours. They aren't comfortable with the
_intermedius_ Lesser Black-back Gull label and decide the
best match is Kelp Gull.
    2/15--Paul and Michael O'Brien arrive in the early morning and
agree that the characteristics and field marks are closest to
those of a Kelp Gull.
    2/15--Many birders, local and MD, watch the bird, which is
present from early morning through until dusk, when it flew across
the river (to Calvert County?)
    2/16--Bird is seen from first light and throughout the day, until
before dusk. (Chums in for french fries on the sidewalk just outside
the Sea Breeze restaurant)
    2/17--Bird is seen from first light. First known (to me) heard
vocalization, characterized as a 20-second call of staccato bursts
of 3,4, and 5 sounds, both "bup, bup, bup" and "buh, buh, buh." I'm
told that's a good match for the Kelp Gull.
    2/17--Per a post to MDosprey, the bird flew off at 10:25. Here's a
gap of time, since I don't know when it returned, but it was there
when I arrived around 4:30 p.m.
    2/18--In heavy rain and some wind, bird is seen at first light and
again at 11 a.m. Per others, the bird was there until around 3 p.m.,
when it left and DID NOT RETURN by 5:30 p.m. One of the birders
who saw it some time between 11 and 3 said it called, describing
it as a deep, chopped sound.

    Now for the old history (replete with lots of errors, I'm sure):

    Winter '97-'98--Patty Craig finds a suspiciously dark Lesser
Black-back Gull (same bird as now? we assume so)
    December, 1998--Patty sees the bird again.
    1/3/99--Kyle Rambo counts the bird in a Patuxent River Naval
Air Station winter bird count.
    1/18/99--Patty Craig and Marty Cribb again see the bird, are
start thinking along the lines of _intermedius_ Lesser Black-
backed Gull
    1/23/99--Tyler Bell and I go to see the bird and look at the
wrong one (we now know).
    2/11/99--Marshall Iliff comes to see the bird (after unsuccessful
attempts at 10 a.m., and 2 and 3 p.m. (3 different days?) at 8:30
a.m. He generally concurs with the _intermedius_ description, and
gets the word out for other birders to come and study the bird. His
post went out on 2/12/99.
    And the rest you know.

Jane Kostenko
jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us
California, Maryland

Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift. That's why they call it the PRESENT.