Hello All,
Jade's request coincided with my intended posting on Silver Gulls
drinking.
24th Nov, 7.15 am. Little Cove, Noosa, Sunshine Coast Qld.
Little Cove is a small beach boardered by loose rocks which are covered
by every tide. At the time indicated, the tide had exposed about 2-3
meters of sandy beach which was occasionally completely covered by the
edge of a wave. Several small runnels of fresh water flow out from
under the rocks across the sand and into the waves.
Four Silver Gulls arrived on the spot and began to drink at the runnels.
Pointing uphill against the flow of the runnels, they drank quickly and
with 'determination'. Their style was to bend down, arch their neck
down, tilt their head up and lay their bill flat to the sand in the
stream of fresh water. Within the next ten minutes the number increased
to eleven birds in several increments, all of whom drank from the
runnels, occasionally squabbling over the 'best' spot as Silver Gulls
seem to do so well. Thirst slaked the birds flew off in small groups,
leaving four birds
in the last group to leave. There was still plenty of exposure of fresh
water after the birds had left.
One more thing, all the Silver Gulls in question were in
less-than-mature plumage with varying amounts of black and red in legs
and bill.
Cheers,
Ros.
jade welch wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> Does anyone have any info on Australian native birds and their drinking
> habits?
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