more Ivory Gull, CBBT, 9/14/98
Rob Hilton (robert@csa.com)
Mon, 14 Sep 1998 17:43:52 -0400
I am posting this as a recipient of the forward from Les Willis; I am not
sure that Phil Davis is around right now.
Best,
Rob Hilton
robert@csa.com
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Abbott [SMTP:DFAbbott@compuserve.com]
>Sent: Monday, September 14, 1998 5:06 PM
>To: Bill Williams; C. Willis; Valley Birds; Phil Davis; Brian Taber
>Subject: IVORY GULL
>
>Phil
>
>Please feel free to pass this on to MD Osprey as I am not a subscriber but
>read it often via internet.
>Thanks-hope all is well.
>
>In regards to the Ivory Gull report from CBBT on Sat. 9/12/98, I am not
>sure how it came to be an Ivory Gull report. I spoke with both observers
>the morning of 9/12 and they did not mention anything of the kind but did
>highlight an unidentified gull on isl. 4. This is the only report of note
>they mentioned in an otherwise very slow morning. As usual, I had
>questions about the unidentified gull (which they clearly favored leaving
>it as) and the description would seem to rule out Ivory. It was on the
>rocks of isl. 4 with terns. It was judged to be small, "about Bonaparte's
>size", with a "gray head", "white mantle and white tail with black spots on
>the middle tips. The tail was square."
>Further, the mantle was described as being white, including the inner
>wings, with a black wedge along the outer hand forming a slim triangle, the
>broad part being the tips of the outermost p's. Intreguing yes, Ivory Gull
>no (unless unequivocal photos prove otherwise). It would seem ludicrous to
>claim an Ivory on this lattitude in Sept. The observers at the time made
>no claim.
>
>While on the CBBT later that day, four of us studied an odd tern that
>matched this description (although we didn't see it as well). The bird was
>only seen perched and indeed was white on the mantle with a gray head. Its
>breast was facing us and it did alot of preening. The pecular aspect was
>that the bird had some sort of dye or oil or something spotting its face,
>neck and upper breast. Where it was densest, the shade was dark (head),
>but on the breast it was more spotted and clearly had a emerald-green
>sheen! Often looking dark gray, the green was obvious to all when the sun
>hit it full.
>Its bill was fairly long and stout with a blunt tip. It was reddish orange
>distally and black from about mid way to tip. I suspect that this bird was
>a juv. Common tern but again I didn't stay with it long enough (time was
>short as we were a team on the Kiptopeake Challenge).
>
>Any further thoughts are welcome.
>I'd like to hear if there were any additional sightings!
>
>David F Abbott
>Ashburn VA
>dfabbott@compuserve.com
>
>
>