[CT Birds] Gulls (What else?)

[Dennis Varza]

Hi Folks

I did a run in the morning from St. Mary's to Short Beach.

The major flock of gulls was between Penfield Reef and Fayerweather  
Island. The bulk of the flock was down by Penfield in the lee of the  
wind. My best guess was that there were 8,000 Gulls. In addition to  
the gulls there were 3000 Brant and 500 Greater Scaup (Closer to  
Fayerweather Is.). I could only pick out 1 Ad. Lesser Black-backed  
Gull and 1 Bonapartes Gull. Due to the wind, the birds would drift  
out to the sound then they would pick up and fly back towards shore.

I randomly selected 8 scope views of the closer gulls. 80% of the  
gulls were Ring-billed.
In aging the Ring-billed Gulls 90% were adults (this is similar to  
what I see on beaches)
In Herring Gulls only 40% were adults.

Over at Seaside Park there were a few gulls on the beach but none  
feeding on the water.

Over at Long Beach there was about a thousand gulls down towards  
Pleasure Beach.

Over at the Sea Wall there were no rafting gulls but there were 22  
Northern Gannets all adults.
So far this migration all the Gannets I have seen have been adults.

Over at Short Beach The gulls were roosting on the the Breakwater and  
the sand bars I figure there were about 1000 birds there as well.

One of the ideas I was considering was that these larvae blooms  
require calm water. The past few days we have had rough water and the  
blooms. occur in the lee of the wind. I thought the wind would blow  
the larvae down wind and collect them  in pockets along the shore.  
Interesting.

Dennis Varza
Fairfield