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Re: Black-headed Gull and CBC meeting



    Jill Froning and I stopped and looked for the Black-headed Gull at Lake 
Mattamuskeet on our way home from the CBC meeting on Sun. Jan 27.  We arrived 
at the northernmost culvert at @ 4:00 PM and stayed till dusk with no luck 
finding the gull.  
    We did see what could have been the same gull Steve described, sitting on 
the sand bar on the western side of the culvert, with a group of Forster's 
Terns.  We also couldn't confirm the bill color because of poor light.  It 
was hard to gage the size without a Bonaparte's nearby, though we thought it 
seemed larger.
    We checked numerous spots as we headed south along the causeway, and then 
rechecked the northernmost culvert again as we headed home. 
    We did pass a nice covey of N. Bobwhite on the way back to Rt. 64, on Rt. 
94.  Can't remember if they were counted at the meeting Sat. PM.
    
Shelley Theye
 
In a message dated 1/28/02 9:14:38 AM, steven.shultz@unifi.com writes:

<< On the way to Nags Head Friday we stopped at Mattamuskeet to see the
Black-headed Gull.  The water was flowing to the west through the culverts,
so we checked this side instead of the previously reported east side.  A
bird sitting on the little sand bar to the west of the northernmost culvert
closely matched the description of the bird, red-orange legs, pale mantle,
"small-hooded gull" head and shape.  The bill appeared a bit straighter and
larger than Bonaparte's.  The light was not good enough to verify bill
color so we moved along with plans to come back when, hopefully, the bird
would be feeding.  2-3 culverts south we stopped to watch some Bonapartes
feeding.  Among this group was a Black-headed Gull.  We got good pics, let
me know if you want me to e-mail one to you, but be warned the file is
large as the pic was taken at 3.1 megapixel.  Anyway, this leads me to
wonder if there are in fact two of these visitors at Mattamuskeet, assuming
the one on the bar was also Black-headed.  Interestingly other birders
reported the Black-headed on the bar within a few hours of our sighting.>>



Shelley Theye
North Chatham County, NC
Psbmt@aol.com