[obol] Gull ID discussion

[Greg Gillson]

Tom is right, of course. In western Oregon the wind is blowing 30  
miles per hour, the freezing rain is coming down sideways. Gulls and  
Great Blue Herons are the only birds large enough to for us to see out  
the window, and heavy enough not to blow away in these conditions.

All the winter birds are long since settled in, and except for waiting  
for the first swallow, vulture, or hummingbird to show up, nothing  
very exciting birdwise is happening right now. I suspect those crazy  
gull plumages of February and March aren't there at all; it is the  
sensory depravation of us birders waiting for colorful Neotropical  
migrants to arrive that creates the kaleidoscope of gull plumages we  
imagine we see this time of year.

If discussing gull photos online doesn't cure your sensory  
depravation, you could always take up the exciting sport of buff owl  
watching where, I suspect, no photography is allowed.

Greg Gillson
Hillsboro, Oregon
greg at thebirdguide.com
http://thebirdguide.com



Subject: Re: Gull ID discussion
From: "Tom Crabtree" <tc AT empnet.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 09:58:12 -0800

Dave,

I agree with all your points except one. There is a cure -- move to Central
Oregon where you only see large pink footed gulls once in a blue moon.

Tom Crabtree
Bend "The vast gull less expanse"