Greetings,

As a few others have noted, the swarms of insects that attract all the bird
activity are flying ants, broods of which emerge from their underground
nests at this time of year to mate and found new colonies. Ants are slow
flyers, loaded with fat reserves to get them through the early stages of
colony formation and so make an excellent food resource for even large
non-flycatching birds like gulls. As with many insects, far more are
produced than will actually survive to reproduce.

Gulls may be the most noticeable of these opportunistic feeders, as they
make their awkward pirouettes in the air, but many other birds, including
nighthawks, swifts, swallows, and starlings take advantage of the bounty, as
do the dragonflies. We have not witnessed gulls capturing dragonflies on the
wing - they are probably not quite agile enough to catch such swift fliers,
but migrating hawks (e.g. kestrels, broad-wings) do take advantage, letting
the wings spiral down to the ground as they consume the body.

It is thought by some scientists that the migrations of Chimney Swifts and
nighthawks are timed to coincide with the peak of flying ant dispersal.
Flying ants, and the fat they provide, may be of considerable importance to
the migrations of these birds and perhaps some swallows as well.

Good birding,

Nancy Martin & Walter Ellison

23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: 

"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B.
White (in "Stuart Little")

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Anderson" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2004 11:23 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] 1000+ RB gulls feeding on insects next to Potomac River


> Wondering if anyone else saw the amazing show along the Potomac today
around
> 5:45 PM and if so if they could explain it.
>
> While driving on GW parkway from Alexandria to Memorial Bridge for more
than
> a mile there were groups of hundreds of ring billed and some laughing
gulls
> (easily totaling over 1000) catching insects above the trees and along the
> river.
>
> I have seen large groups of gulls scared up and scattered like this from
> dumps but never so many that were feeding at one time in the sky.
>
> What sort of insects would be available in such numbers and of enough
> substance to attract 1000 gulls? (both adults and youngsters) Are they
> coming from the trees or water?
>
> Any insights would be appreciated.
>
> PS there were a few ring bills on the DC side of the bridge but they were
> floating in the water.
>