Plum Island March 19th, 2015–leader Steve Reed… Participants, Bruce and Susie Marsten, Linda and Bob Burdick, Mardi Reed and Rob Crosby. Cold and windy but a beautiful sunny day.
Rob Crosby was able to read the band on a Greater BB Gull, and got its history.
American Crow
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Snow Bunting
Red-tailed Hawk
Osprey
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Song Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Northern Harrier
Eider
White-winged Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Greater Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Mallard
Black Duck
Goldeneye
Chickadee
Starling
Hairy Woodpecker
The bird of the day was the Northern Harrier who glided over the fields for 10 minutes.
This banded Black-backed Gull was photographed by Rob Crosby
After reporting the band number on this gull,
here is the information Rob got about the bird:
2E2 is the elder statesman of banded gulls on PI
He was banded as an adult / male in May 2006
It takes 4 years for a gull to reach adulthood so he is at
least 14 years old
He has been known to “commute” to Appledore
as he has been seen at both places in the same day
Your sighting is a good one – I have not seen 2E2 since Dec. 2015
He will hang between Lot 6/7 and Sandy Point from now
until nesting season
He typically shows off his spouse and then disappears for a while
only to return on a regular basis in July
The last two years he has been escorted by an immature gull and
we assume them to be his offspring
He willingly shares food with these birds as they beg to be fed.
7Y6 we believe was he offspring in 2014. 2AK we believe is 2015
offspring but we do not have confirmation on that from Appledore
Thanks for the report and the folks at Appledore appreciate you
sending in the info
DGA