Strange Gull

["Bruce Roubin" <>]

G'day,

 

I've been back twice to Boat Harbour since spotting the curious gull there (on low tide on May 6), and not found it since.

When I did see (and sketch) it,  there was a stiff south-easter blowing, but there's been little wind since then. None of the usual kelp gulls were on the rockshelf on low tide May 6.

I do a monthly high tide count of the birds on the Boat Harbour rockshelf (Pimelwi Rocks) for the NSW Wader Study Group, and my last count (Apr 19, below) was consistent with Terrill's figures from today for Kelp Gulls.

By the way, if anyone in Sydney is interested in seeing a Lesser Sandplover in breeding plumage, now is the time at Boat Harbour - this one is race Mongolus (as to be expected). It stands with some of the double-banded plovers on high tide, but is more elusive on low (whereas the double-bandeds are still very obvious).

 

Boat Harbour

Apr 19, 9.45 - 10.30am, Phil Straw & Bruce Roubin

Pt Hacking Hightide 10.21am. 1.5m, showers, moderate S-SE winds, 19C.

 

Double-banded plover 22

R. Turnstone               8

Kelp Gull                    5 (incl 1 Juv.)

Darter                        1

Sooty Oystercatcher   3

Whitefaced Heron       1

Rednecked stint        31

Crested tern            100

Great Cormorant         1

Little Black Cormorant 1

Pied Cormorant           3

S. Gull                      40

  

 Regards

Bruce Roubin

-----Original Message-----
From: [ On Behalf Of TERRILL NORDSTROM
Sent: Friday, 9 May 2003 3:38
To:
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] Strange Gull

Went to Boat Harbour today to look for the strange gull but could only find Kelp Gulls (total 5 birds) all seemed normal to me. Other birds of note were 12 Sooty Oystercatcher, 2 Ruddy Turnstone, ! Reef Heron, 10 Double-banded Plover and 1 Lesser Sand Plover.

                                    regards   Terrill