[mou] Mew Gull found again

[JELLISBIRD at aol.com]

    I crossed paths with Bob Dunlap who was going out as I was coming in 
along the Sakatah Trail (about 5:30 or so.) At 5:50 PM the Mew Gull emerged from 
somewhere over the North end of Eagle Lake and flew over the trail about 30 yds 
up, providing very nice flying views. It circled the south end of the lake, 
went back over the trail and sat down in the water in the North end of the 
North End of Eagle Lake (about 6:05.) From there it alternately got up, circling 
the north end and re-alighting on the water, where it appeared to be feeding. I 
could consistently pick it out at that distance but not to ID it. Shortly 
before 7 PM it got up, flew south, again flying over the trail and circled to the 
south end of the south end of the lake and lit again. At this point I waved 
in other birders (Karen and Merrill Frydendahl and Vern and Cindy Krienke) who 
were scanning the North end from up the trail. Shortly after this the bird got 
up, flew around in circles over the south end and then came over the trail, 
circling over the trail and lit in the water on the north end about 75-100 
yards out for some very adequate looks sitting on the water. 
    The overall appearance was a mottled brown bird with darker brown wing 
tips and tail end, with whiter highlights on the tail coverts and the underwing 
coverts and white highlights on the front of the face. The bill was weaker 
than a ring-bill and the bird was overall slightly smaller and had narrower wings 
than the ring-bills present. The bill was small, with a fleshy (pink) base 
and a dark tip. The head was rounded, the eyes were dark and the bird had a 
"gentle" appearance. The tail coverts, upper and under, while lighter in 
appearance than the tail tip, were barred with a darker brown (but the brown was 
lighter than the tail tip.) The mantle was a greyer brown and had lighter highlights 
on the feather edges. The bird was graceful, had a subtly slower wing beat 
then the ring-bills and seemed slightly more buoyant in flight. While feeding it 
would lift off the water slightly and would bob its head under the water, 
almost starting a dive at times and would come out at times with small fish. It 
was occasionally harrassed by ring-bills (and by a nearby Pelican at one time) 
and lost several of the fish it had caught. The breast and belly were brownish 
with darker brown highlights on the feathers. My impression was the same as 
Chad Heins', a first winter Mew Gull.
    John Ellis-St. Paul<BR><BR><BR>**************<BR>It's Tax Time! Get tips, 
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