[MDOsprey] Kelp Gull
BirderBea@aol.com
Thu, 9 Sep 1999 15:32:10 EDT
We saw the kelp gull at the Sea Breeze Restaurant yesterday (Wednesday,
9/8/99), and ate some of the most delicious cream of crab soup.... The Kelp
was quite cooperative, posing for us on a piling for fifteen minutes or so
and then flying downriver for a while before returning and posting himself on
a piling right outside the window where we were eating..... It was quite easy
to observe the yellowish-green legs and the red orbs through our scope. He
seems to be molting and, among other things shows some white in the wings
when he flies.
Two young ladies came in for lunch while he was gone - they were not birders
(I didn't know people went there just to eat!). Suddenly, an immature green
heron came zipping in and sat on the pier right in front of us. This caught
the attention of the two ladies, and we had a great time talking birding with
them. When the kelp gull came back, they were as excited as we were,
borrowing our bino and perusing our National Geo. field guide. We told them
that now they were "hooked", they should start a life list, which we
explained to them. As we were leaving, they were discussing where they could
get binos. Fun!
After leaving there, we checked out Point Lookout, but it was quite dead. The
only thing in sight were three gbb gulls. Later, an osprey and a cormorant,
but not many gulls and no bridled tern. It was too hot and humid to stand out
there for long, but there seemed to be nothing in sight as far as we could
scope on the water or in the air.
One out of two isn't bad, though! The kelp gull made the trip from Baltimore
well worth the effort!!!