Re: Submission for Yellowthroat and Osprey
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Wed, 7 Apr 1999 18:25:34 -0500
Thank you, Jane, your timing is perfect...grin...I'm putting together
the May issue now.
Norm
From: "Jane Kostenko" <jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us>
To: <mdosprey@ARI.Net>, <tjharten@chesapeake.net>
Subject: Submission for Yellowthroat and Osprey
Date sent: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 07:58:45 -0400
Send reply to: mdosprey@ARI.Net
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> Norm and Tom--
>
> Would you consider this for inclusion in an up-coming issue of both =
> the Osprey and the MD Yellowthroat? My brain was slowly freezing inside =
> my skull one cold Sunday as I awaited birders, and I started writing =
> this, tongue-in-cheek. Before long, I was really sitting down to get it =
> just right (a goal I may not have achieved even yet!), and would like to =
> offer it for the SMAS newsletter and the MOS newsletter. If you don't =
> think it's appropriate, just let me know. If you can't read it, let me =
> know that, too! Tyler gets really annoyed at newbies, but that's what I =
> am and may not have sent this right. Jane
>
>
>
> A Visit from Larus dominicanus
>
> by Jane Kostenko
>
>
>
> =91Twas the day of St. Valentine=92s all through the land
>
> When Rob and Ottavio set foot on our sand.
>
> Their bins and their scopes studied gulls with great care
>
> With hopes intermedius soon would be there.
>
> Ring-bills and herrings nestled tight to the pier
>
> But soon the men noticed, "Good grief! It=92s right here!"
>
>
>
> The guys, loaded down, with fat reference books
>
> Had figured they=92d need to take long, thorough looks.
>
> (Some birders hear "sub-sp" and raise such a clatter;
>
> List countable or not, it doesn=92t much matter.)
>
> But away to the pay phone they flew in a flash,
>
> Calling well-known birders. Could they quickly dash?
>
>
>
> The O=92Briens then learned of those wind-blown piers
>
> Hearing both the men=92s story with incredulous ears:
>
> "When what to our wondering eyes should appear
>
> Kelp Gull, not Lesser! (We made that disappear.)"
>
> A south-of-the-equator gull that=92s so rare
>
> They knew birders everywhere surely would care.
>
>
>
> More rapid than eagles like coursers birders came.
>
> They whistled. They shouted. Clifton called it by name:
>
> "Here, Shrimpy! C=92mon boy!"
>
> >From the deck of the Sea Breeze, to the pier by the wall,
>
> "Look at it! Check it out! Study it all!"
>
>
>
> As shearwaters at the wave tops do fly
>
> So, too, does the Kelp Gull, just skimming by.
>
> Here to St. Mary=92s, the birders for miles,
>
> All came for the Kelp Gull, Patty=92s and Kyle=92s.
>
> About then the Kelp Gull made national news
>
> After giving the Post some mighty fine views.
>
>
>
> CNN and Fox News both sent some folk
>
> Who treated the story as a really good joke.
>
> But hundreds of birders, who before hadn=92t known,
>
> Arrived on the weekend (having driven and flown).
>
> When then in a twinkling I heard the big scoop:
>
> The Sea Breeze was out of cream of crab soup!
>
>
>
> Donnie Ray and Nioma, and all Sea Breeze staff
>
> Looked out at the full house and gave tired laughs.
>
> With oysters and raw jumbo shrimp as its fare
>
> We all thought, "This Kelp Gull ain=92t goin=92 nowhere!"=20
>
> People who saw it were impressed by the bird
>
> And very unlikely gull praises were heard.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Its eye ring, how orange! Its gonys, how red!
>
> And look at the shape of that smooth dove-like head.
>
> Its legs are the yellowish-green of a piling.
>
> And see how its gape makes it look like it=92s smiling?
>
> The black of its mantle is darker than jet
>
> (Well, maybe not quite, but the darkest gull yet.)"
>
>
>
> But the bird left for two days (it gave not a sound)
>
> Leaving many sad birders still hanging around.
>
> The Kelp Gull came back, though its schedule was dicey;
>
> We looked for a pattern=97Was its favorite pier icy?
>
> It left yet again without giving us warning
>
> It just wasn=92t there at sunrise one morning.
>
>
>
> I spring from bed daily to update the matter
>
> While local gulls eat up the shrimp and get fatter.
>
> Where is the Kelp Gull when it leaves our piers?
>
> Has it flown on north or is it still here?
>
> I had heard the gull, ere last it flew out of sight:
>
> "Sheesh! I came for vacation. Can=92t a bird have a little privacy ?!"
>
>
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> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>
> <P>Norm and Tom--</P>
> <P> Would you consider this for inclusion in an =
> up-coming=20
> issue of both the Osprey and the MD Yellowthroat? My brain was slowly =
> freezing=20 inside my skull one cold Sunday as I awaited birders, and I
> started = writing=20 this, tongue-in-cheek. Before long, I was really
> sitting down to get it = just=20 right (a goal I may not have achieved
> even yet!), and would like to = offer it for=20 the SMAS newsletter and
> the MOS newsletter. If you don't think it's = appropriate,=20 just let me
> know. If you can't read it, let me know that, too! Tyler = gets really=20
> annoyed at newbies, but that's what I am and may not have sent this =
> right.=20 Jane</P> <P align=3Dcenter> </P> <P align=3Dcenter>A Visit
> from <I>Larus</I> <I>dominicanus</P></I> <P align=3Dcenter>by Jane
> Kostenko</P> <P> </P> <P>‘Twas the day of St. Valentine’s
> all through the land</P> <P>When Rob and Ottavio set foot on our sand.</P>
> <P>Their bins and their scopes studied gulls with great care</P> <P>With
> hopes <I>intermedius</I> soon would be there.</P> <P>Ring-bills and
> herrings nestled tight to the pier</P> <P>But soon the men noticed,
> "Good grief! It’s right = here!"</P> <P> </P> <P>The
> guys, loaded down, with fat reference books</P> <P>Had figured
> they’d need to take long, thorough looks.</P> <P>(Some birders hear
> "sub-sp" and raise such a clatter;</P> <P>List countable or not,
> it doesn’t much matter.)</P> <P>But away to the pay phone they flew
> in a flash,</P> <P>Calling well-known birders. Could they quickly
> dash?</P> <P> </P> <P>The O’Briens then learned of those
> wind-blown piers</P> <P>Hearing both the men’s story with
> incredulous ears:</P> <P>"When what to our wondering eyes should
> appear</P> <P>Kelp Gull, not Lesser! (We made <B>that</B>
> disappear.)"</P> <P>A south-of-the-equator gull that’s so
> rare</P> <P>They knew birders everywhere surely would care.</P>
> <P> </P> <P>More rapid than eagles like coursers birders came.</P>
> <P>They whistled. They shouted. Clifton called it by name:</P>
> <P>"Here, Shrimpy! C’mon boy!"</P> <P>From the deck of the
> Sea Breeze, to the pier by the wall,</P> <P>"Look at it! Check it
> out! Study it all!"</P> <P> </P> <P>As shearwaters at the wave
> tops do fly</P> <P>So, too, does the Kelp Gull, just skimming by.</P>
> <P>Here to St. Mary’s, the birders for miles,</P> <P>All came for
> the Kelp Gull, Patty’s and Kyle’s.</P> <P>About then the Kelp
> Gull made national news</P> <P>After giving the <I>Post</I> some mighty
> fine views.</P> <P> </P> <P>CNN and Fox News both sent some folk</P>
> <P>Who treated the story as a really good joke.</P> <P>But hundreds of
> birders, who before hadn’t known,</P> <P>Arrived on the weekend
> (having driven and flown).</P> <P>When then in a twinkling I heard the big
> scoop:</P> <P>The Sea Breeze was out of cream of crab soup!</P>
> <P> </P> <P>Donnie Ray and Nioma, and all Sea Breeze staff</P>
> <P>Looked out at the full house and gave tired laughs.</P> <P>With oysters
> and raw jumbo shrimp as its fare</P> <P>We all thought, "This Kelp
> Gull ain’t goin’ = nowhere!"=20 </P> <P>People who saw it
> were impressed by the bird</P> <P>And very unlikely gull praises were
> heard.</P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P>
> <P>"Its eye ring, how orange! Its gonys, how red!</P> <P>And look at
> the shape of that smooth dove-like head.</P> <P>Its legs are the
> yellowish-green of a piling.</P> <P>And see how its gape makes it look
> like it’s smiling?</P> <P>The black of its mantle is darker than
> jet</P> <P>(Well, maybe not quite, but the darkest gull yet.)"</P>
> <P> </P> <P>But the bird left for two days (it gave not a sound)</P>
> <P>Leaving many sad birders still hanging around.</P> <P>The Kelp Gull
> came back, though its schedule was dicey;</P> <P>We looked for a
> pattern—Was its favorite pier icy?</P> <P>It left yet again without
> giving us warning</P> <P>It just wasn’t there at sunrise one
> morning.</P> <P> </P> <P>I spring from bed daily to update the
> matter</P> <P>While local gulls eat up the shrimp and get fatter.</P>
> <P>Where is the Kelp Gull when it leaves our piers?</P> <P>Has it flown on
> north or is it still here?</P> <P>I had heard the gull, ere last it flew
> out of sight:</P> <P>"Sheesh! I came for vacation. Can’t a bird
> have a little = privacy=20 ?!"</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
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>
===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net