RE: St. Mary's County, MD, Kelp Gull (NO) Update 3/31/99

Bill Teetz (bteetz@dc.jones.com)
Wed, 31 Mar 1999 07:18:03 -0500 

My wife and I were some of the lucky birders who saw the Kelp Gull on
Saturday, March 20.
I would like to publicly thank Jane for the many reports that she posted
that encouraged
us to make the trip to the Sea Breeze to see him.  Jane, it is obvious that
you
spent a lot of your time to keep others informed of the situation.  Thank
you very much.
Also, please extend our thanks again to the owners of the Sea Breeze for
putting up with
a bunch of birders who filled the parking lot even when we didn't fill the
resturant.

Bill

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mdosprey@ARI.Net [mailto:owner-mdosprey@ARI.Net]On Behalf Of
Jane Kostenko
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 1999 6:29 AM
To: WV Hotline; Voice of the Naturalist; Paul Baicich; PAbirds; NARBA;
mdosprey; Maryland SMAS; Laurie Larson; Greg Miller; birdchat; bbc;
Armas Hill
Subject: St. Mary's County, MD, Kelp Gull (NO) Update 3/31/99


    A call from the Voice of the Naturalist's Jane Hill prompted me to
compose one last (sad sigh) message about the St. Mary's County, MD, Kelp
Gull, which we've not seen since Sunday, March 21. It spent the morning and
early afternoon delighting some very lucky birders, then quietly snuck off
(as has been its way) in the mid- to late-afternoon, never to return (that
we know of).
    Birders were at the Sea Breeze every day last week, and the staff at the
restaurant are very interested in re-finding it, so they have my work and
home numbers and will surely call if anything remotely suspicious flies in.
    The face of the river at the Sea Breeze is definitely changing with the
new season (far fewer gulls and ducks, some terns flying by), so perhaps
this is truly the last of the sightings here until fall/winter. In that
case--someone needs to find this bird out there! You'll recognize it
instantly by the way it cocks its head when you wave jumbo shrimp in the
air. Oh, and it some times goes by the name, "Shrimpy"...

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.