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 > This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > > ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01BE80CC.7B08A380 > Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > 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 ?!" > > > ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01BE80CC.7B08A380 > Content-Type: text/html; > charset="iso-8859-1" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> > <HTML> > <HEAD> > > <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = > http-equiv=3DContent-Type> > <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR> > </HEAD> > <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> > <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> > > ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01BE80CC.7B08A380-- > > =============== Norm Saunders Colesville, MD osprey@ari.net