Hi Everyone,
A 1st winter Ross's Gull was viewed throughout the day today in the Town of Tupper Lake. It was viewed in back of a private residence on Simon Pond. The owner, Jack Delehanty, is fine with visitors. Birders stood on his outside deck at the back of the house to view the gull. Conditions are very icy and he is worried about people falling. So watch your footing if you visit! His house is under construction so it was busy at times. Jack is the son of Charlcie Delehanty, a famous Adirondack birder who is still birding at age 94! (And she got to see the Ross's Gull today!) As it turns out, Shawn Hitchens, one of the construction workers, went ice fishing yesterday. Mike Thibodeau, another construction worker, noticed the gull when it landed to eat the Walleye eggs Shawn left behind on the ice. Jack (a birder like his mother) took photos of the gull and his sister Alex (also a birder, now living in CT, but just happened to be visiting) sent the photos to Larry Master last night. It is remarkable luck that this all happened in front of a birder's home! All the property in the neighborhood is private. As long as fish eggs can be found outside Jack's house on the edge of Simon Pond, the gull will likely continue to be viewed at this location. There are lots of ice fisherpeople on Simon Pond, so it may range. Two adult Bald Eagles and 2 Common Ravens were frightening it off, but it always returned. Stacy Robinson and I heard the gull vocalize as it flew away when an adult Bald Eagle flew over it. Mathew Kessler brought a bag of Perch eggs to Jack for the gull! The Ross's Gull continued to eat the Walleye eggs, but did switch to the Perch eggs. (It ignored venison that Jack put out!) Of course the eagles and ravens also noticed the food, so the gull kept an eye on the sky (which you can see in a couple photos I took). Visitors were parking along the road at the beginning of the driveway and walking in. Lake Simond Road is a backroad and it was very icy. Everyone who visited was able to see the Ross's Gull at close range! Jack Delehanty said it was more exciting for him to see so many happy birders at his house today than to see the gull! I had to type this quickly - no power in Long Lake (bad weather) and we have a tenuous internet connection that keeps dropping. Joan Collins President, NYS Ornithological Association Editor, New York Birders Long Lake, NY (315) 244-7127 cell (518) 624-5528 home http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/ http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
