For the record, Angus found his Mew Gull April 8, 2007. But if it is the same
bird, it looks good for its age. It doesn't look a day over 3.
Steve Walter
----- Original Message -----
From: Shane Blodgett
To: nys birds
Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 8:13 PM
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Common Gull/Bensonhurst Park/Brooklyn (long)
At about 1:35 this afternoon I found a Mew Gull of what I believe to be
the European race (Larus canus canus a.k.a. Common Gull) roosting on a ball
field next to Gravesend Bay in Bensonhurst Park, Brooklyn
Just to show how fickle this hobby can be, here is the story of how I
happened upon this bird.
Last Saturday, at the end of the Brooklyn CBC, I made one last stop
along Coney Island Creek to look for gulls that tend to congregate their at low
tide. The wind was whipping at 25-30 mph+ and after about 5 minutes of scanning
whilst being sand and snow blasted by said wind, I moved away from my scope and
tried to use my binoculars, wrapping my hands around the oculars to protect my
eyes. Nothing but Ring-bills and Herrings.
In a near hypothermic stupor, I then proceeded to WALK AWAY from my
scope and tripod, get into my car and drive home, running a couple of
wife-requested errands enroute (can someone tell me why no one carries 1% milk
by the gallon?). It was only upon parking in front of my apartment and opening
the trunk did I realize what I had done. I drove back as fast as I could, but
my well-used Zeiss Diascope and Bogen tripod were gone. Calls to the local
police precinct in hopes that an honest individual might have found them have
so far been unsuccessful.
Which brings me to today. When a friend suggested I put up a couple of
signs around the neighborhood where I left the scope offering a reward if
found, I thought what better day to do that than another one with 30 mph +
winds and horizontal rain.
On the way to do this (armed with gaffer's tape and plastic sleeves for
the flyers), I couldn't help but notice large numbers of gulls roosting along
the Belt. As I still had my binoculars I pulled over into the the 2 parking
lots along the Belt and -from the car-scanned the flocks. Nothing unusual.
As I pulled out of the second lot and entered the service road, I
noticed a few more gulls on the ballfields of Bensonhurst Park. I pulled over
to take a look again and one of the gulls was decidedly darker-backed. Thinking
I might have a candidate for Lesser-blacked backed, I decided to park in the
metered parking just east of the park. I donned my poncho I keep in the trunk,
and clutching an umbrella with 2 hands trudged through the mud to get a closer
look.
When I got out to the field, I couldn't find the bird I had seen from
the road, but as I turned to walk back -or rather be blown back- to the car,
there, not more than 40 feet away was a small billed, round-headed gull that I
immediately knew was not a Ring-billed.
I took a couple of digi-bin shots while bracing myself and the umbrella
againt the third base dugout fence. I then hustled back to the car and made a
few phone calls and a few intrepid birders were able to come out and enjoy the
bird, though not necessarily the elements. I never did get those flyers up...
Here is a link to the shaky shots I took.:
http://tinyurl.com/yf9qqk9
The longish greenish based bill with dusky sub-terminal markings
(albeit barely perceptible) and yellowish tip, the small rounded head, the dark
eye (it looked black in life) the short necked look, the darker mantle (though
subtly so), the large tertial crescent, big mirrors on P9-10, the fine
streaking on head, strongest around eye and on collar, overall size and
greenish gray legs all point to the Mew Gull complex.
I believe the bill's dusky markings and overall length and color, the
not too dark mantle, the fine streaking (vs. smudging ) on the head, and
possibly the black subterminal mark on P5 would make it of the European race,
but views of the spread wing would better substantiate that. Hopefully someone
will get that opportunity tomorrow.
Here is the location where the bird stayed until we left at ~ 3:45
p.m.:
http://tinyurl.com/yezhpzd
I have to wonder-based on age and location if this bird might be the
same bird that Angus Wilson found in April, 2009. That was a second winter and
this is an adult.
BTW, if anyone has an extra scope lying around, I'm in the market...
See you afield sometime,
Shane Blodgett
Brooklyn NY
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