Black-tailed Gull in VA, and OC sightings

Steve Sanford (tanager@bcpl.net)
Sun, 07 Mar 1999 19:35:48 -0500


I finally decided to take the plunge, despite the rainy forecast
Saturday  and look for the Black-tailed Gull on the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge-Tunnel. The weather was very obliging (Saturday only!) with
almost no rain on the way down from Baltimore and partial sun at the
bridge-tunnel.

I saw the Black-tailed Gull on 3/6/99 on Island # 4. It flew in from the
south about 2:30 showing its distinctive black-banded tail, and settled
in for a nap on the rocks with the only group of other gulls on the NW
corner of the island, less than halfway between the southbound entrance
to the island and the south end of the island. It was still there when I
returned at 4:30. It was only about 20 feet from the edge of the island,
so it was very easy to see and appreciate.

Some other species around Island # 3 & 4 were 100+ N Gannets, ~200 Surf
Scoters, a few Purple Sandpipers, and Ruddy Turnstones, lots of
Ring-billed Gulls, with relatively few Herrings and Great Black-backs. I
didn't see any Harlequin Ducks or Eiders.

On 3/7/99 around 11 AM at Ocean City Inlet I saw 4 Harlequin Ducks, 22
Common Eiders (4 adult males), 3 Red-Thrt Loons, about 20 Bonapartes
Gulls, 2+ Black Scoters, 3 Gannets. The fierce cold wind made
observation VERY difficult. At the 4th St Flats there were about 150
Brant. At West OC Pond there were about 200 Canvasbacks and 8 Am Wigeon.
There were 100+ Tundra Swans in various Eastern Shore field locations as
I was driving.

Steve Sanford
tanager@bcpl.net
Randallstown MD