[mou] Dakota Sabine's Gull evening update
James Mattsson
mattjim@earthlink.net
Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:29:56 -0500
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Took Laura to see the Sabine's Gull tonight (26th). We arrived at 6:00pm and the gull was on the asphalt again within a few feet of a pickup. No one else was there. As I noticed earlier today, the bird was roosting on a crack in the asphalt with a a small amount of vegetation protruding. Periodically it would peck at the vegetation and appear to catch a food item, perhaps a small insect. After 20 mins. or so it flew low along the entrance road and landed next to the gutter (see Linda Krueger's photo from today) on its belly. It's feet and legs appear to be non-functional. It lands in the leaves and attempts to catch insects. I believe it does this as it cannot acquire food in water because it is incapable of swimming. Twice I watched it land in water and drink, then soon return to the asphalt. Pretty sad. We left just before 7:00pm and the bird was still sitting in the gutter. I assume it is starving and in poor health and I doubt it will make it throught the night uless
it roosts in open water. I hope I'm wrong.
Jim
Eagan
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<DIV>Took Laura to see the Sabine's Gull tonight (26th). We arrived at 6:00pm and the gull was on the asphalt again within a few feet of a pickup. No one else was there. As I noticed earlier today, the bird was roosting on a crack in the asphalt with a a small amount of vegetation protruding. Periodically it would peck at the vegetation and appear to catch a food item, perhaps a small insect. After 20 mins. or so it flew low along the entrance road and landed next to the gutter (see Linda Krueger's photo from today) on its belly. It's feet and legs appear to be non-functional. It lands in the leaves and attempts to catch insects. I believe it does this as it cannot acquire food in water because it is incapable of swimming. Twice I watched it land in water and drink, then soon return to the asphalt. Pretty sad. We left just before 7:00pm and the bird was still sitting in the gutter. I assume it is starving and in poor health and I doubt it will mak
e it throught the night uless it roosts in open water. I hope I'm wrong.</DIV>
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<DIV>Jim</DIV>
<DIV>Eagan</DIV>
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