There had been a Cooper's Hawk that spooked the gulls into the air. That is how I initially found the bird, it didn't sound like any other gull I had heard before. They circled around for a while and then only the Black-headed Gull and one Ring-billed Gull settled into the area, the other Ring-bills left. It may be possible that the same thing happened again and everything left. Hopefully it comes back.

-----Original Message-----
From: Leslie Starr [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 3:51 PM
To: Jon Corcoran
Cc: 
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] BLACK-HEADED GULL Paper Mill Flats - gone 

By the time we arrived around 3:15, there was no sign of the gull and there were almost no birds (Killdeer, Kingfisher, a pair of Black Ducks). We scanned carefully from the edge of the woods and from the bridge.

Thanks to Kevin for trying to help.

Leslie Starr & Joe Turner
Baltimore



On Dec 8, 2010, at 1:49 PM, Jon Corcoran <> wrote:

> Hello,
> I don't have a field guide but am fairly certain there is a Black-headed Gull at Paper Mill Flats. This is bird I have never actually seen and is close to Ring-billed Gull sized but with a raspy call that clued me in:
> 
> I was able to get this photo loaded via mobile broadband:
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/thrasher72/5244647646/
> 
> If I am wrong please let me know. Wanted to get the word out...
> 
> Jon Corcoran