Hello everyone, I'm a visiting birder from Pueblo, Colorado (via Ithaca, New York), and was fortunate enough to spend the last hour or so of day light watching the ROSS'S GULL (a lifer) with Bruce Fall and others (I'm horrible with names) south of the 494 Bridge. A HUGE thanks to Bruce and others for getting the word out about this great bird! :) It was a treat to see the bird on the ice, in the water, eating, sleeping, flying, etc. -- excellent views of nearly all parts of this handsome bird! :)
I wanted to let everyone know that the bird did leave the area this evening... After everyone left around 4:45pm, the ROSS'S GULL woke up from its nap and began flying around again, catching another small fish and taking it to the ice edge to eat. After more circling the area, the bird headed SOUTH down the river staying below tree-top level, until I lost sight of it at exactly 5:00pm, still headed down the river. Hopefully, it will return to this same area tomorrow (it had at least some success feeding, it seems), however it may be worth checking points south if the bird isn't around the same area tomorrow. Hopefully if it goes anywhere it won't be too far. I've submitted the Ross's Gull and a few other birds in the area (N. Shrike, etc.) to eBird (www.ebird.org) -- the report is below. Best of luck if you go searching for this bird tomorrow!!! Good birding, -Paul Hurtado :) ------------------------------------------------------------- Location: Pig's Eye Slough Observation date: 12/15/07 Number of species: 9 Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 2 Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula 6 At least this many Common Merganser - Mergus merganser 120 Many birds continued to fly into the area as I left at dark. Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus 3 Herring Gull - Larus argentatus 12 At least this many when I arrived. Ross's Gull - Rhodostethia rosea 1 Adult bird in basic plumage, seen by many observers. First found by Bruce Fall up the river from here earlier in the day. I have some photos, although better documentation exists at http://moumn.org/gallery/right_page.php?index=0&species=Ross's%20Gull®ion=MN Rock Pigeon - Columba livia X Northern Shrike - Lanius excubitor 1 Seen along Verderosa Rd. north of the 494 bridge. European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 100 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
