Ivory Gull!!!
Wheeww! Finally home after a grueling three weeks on the road. Attended four different shows, met lots of great people, snuck outside long enough to see some great birds, and collected lots of material for the blog. Before I get to any of that though, there are more pressing subjects to report on!
For the last few day of my trip I kept an anxious eye on the status of two adult Ivory Gulls that showed up along the Massachusetts coast while I was in Florida. One bird was still being reported as I prepared to go home, so on landing in the Philly airport I gathered my things and sprinted for the door. But I did not sprint home as one should do after three weeks on the road. No, I headed north towards Plymouth, Massachusetts and an Ivory Gull. A few hours sleep were caught in my car parked at a frigid Connecticut rest area with the glow of a 24 hour McDonald's as company before completing the drive and arriving in Plymouth. The East Side Grille was quickly found and several minutes were devoted to pulling additional layers over the lightweight clothing suited for Florida weather I was still wearing. I finally trekked around the back of the restaurant to see a man sitting at the edge of the snowy parking lot point a small digital camera at a small mound of pure white. No, there is no way it can be this easy! But it was. The Ivory Gull was sitting on a small wall between the parking lot and a large bay enjoy a chicken carcass left by an admirer! I joined the group of about a dozen onlookers and basked in the aura of this incredible bird. In a bit of a euphoric haze, I kept saying to perfect strangers, "I can't believe this is real!" It was real, though, and I have the pictures to prove it!
Adult Ivory Gull photographed by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens
Absolutely incredibly! Number three on my list of coolest birds ever:
1. White-faced Storm-Petrel -Clearly number one, but if you haven't seen one I understand your skepticism since seeing the bird behave like a drunken sailor crossed with some kind of feathered frog is what makes it special.
#2 Red-legged Kittiwake- Just gorgeous
#3 Ivory Gull- pure light in feathered form
#4 Does it really matter after these three!
(If anyone has a problem with my list I am willing to discuss alterations, but you have come up with something good. No overdone, puffed up peacocks like Resplendent Quetzal or Indian Peafowl will be considered! Something like a Waved Albatross, Diademed Sandpiper-plover, or Cape Petrel might do the trick. NOTE: The views expressed here are not those of BWD, Nikon, or Mike Freiberg. They are solely my own and given with my tongue hovering in the general vicinity of my cheek.)
Adult Ivory Gull photographed by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens
Getting back to Ivory Gulls... notice the structure of this bird. It has a small head with enormous eyes, a surprisingly broad chest, and short but heavy legs. This bird is perfectly adapted to life spent around arctic pack ice. A low center of gravity aids them as they battle katabatic winds in the extreme environment where most of these beautiful gulls spent their entire life. The large eye aids the sight during the constant darkness of the arctic winter. Truly a creature shaped by its choice of home.
Adult Ivory Gull photographed by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lens
Stunning! What an incredible bird. This is not the forum for an environmental soapbox but Ivory Gulls are in trouble. I would urge anyone moved by the beauty of this bird, particularly those of you went to see it, to do some research on the factors facing this species and consider small things that you can do to help. Seeing this bird has caused me to rethink some of my own behavior. Even if I can only change small things, I want to make sure I am doing what I can to ensure that Ivory Gulls and other species continue to exist.
Good birding to all.
For the last few day of my trip I kept an anxious eye on the status of two adult Ivory Gulls that showed up along the Massachusetts coast while I was in Florida. One bird was still being reported as I prepared to go home, so on landing in the Philly airport I gathered my things and sprinted for the door. But I did not sprint home as one should do after three weeks on the road. No, I headed north towards Plymouth, Massachusetts and an Ivory Gull. A few hours sleep were caught in my car parked at a frigid Connecticut rest area with the glow of a 24 hour McDonald's as company before completing the drive and arriving in Plymouth. The East Side Grille was quickly found and several minutes were devoted to pulling additional layers over the lightweight clothing suited for Florida weather I was still wearing. I finally trekked around the back of the restaurant to see a man sitting at the edge of the snowy parking lot point a small digital camera at a small mound of pure white. No, there is no way it can be this easy! But it was. The Ivory Gull was sitting on a small wall between the parking lot and a large bay enjoy a chicken carcass left by an admirer! I joined the group of about a dozen onlookers and basked in the aura of this incredible bird. In a bit of a euphoric haze, I kept saying to perfect strangers, "I can't believe this is real!" It was real, though, and I have the pictures to prove it!
Adult Ivory Gull photographed by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lensAbsolutely incredibly! Number three on my list of coolest birds ever:
1. White-faced Storm-Petrel -Clearly number one, but if you haven't seen one I understand your skepticism since seeing the bird behave like a drunken sailor crossed with some kind of feathered frog is what makes it special.
#2 Red-legged Kittiwake- Just gorgeous
#3 Ivory Gull- pure light in feathered form
#4 Does it really matter after these three!
(If anyone has a problem with my list I am willing to discuss alterations, but you have come up with something good. No overdone, puffed up peacocks like Resplendent Quetzal or Indian Peafowl will be considered! Something like a Waved Albatross, Diademed Sandpiper-plover, or Cape Petrel might do the trick. NOTE: The views expressed here are not those of BWD, Nikon, or Mike Freiberg. They are solely my own and given with my tongue hovering in the general vicinity of my cheek.)
Adult Ivory Gull photographed by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lensGetting back to Ivory Gulls... notice the structure of this bird. It has a small head with enormous eyes, a surprisingly broad chest, and short but heavy legs. This bird is perfectly adapted to life spent around arctic pack ice. A low center of gravity aids them as they battle katabatic winds in the extreme environment where most of these beautiful gulls spent their entire life. The large eye aids the sight during the constant darkness of the arctic winter. Truly a creature shaped by its choice of home.
Adult Ivory Gull photographed by Cameron Cox with a Nikon D200 and 300mm Nikkor lensStunning! What an incredible bird. This is not the forum for an environmental soapbox but Ivory Gulls are in trouble. I would urge anyone moved by the beauty of this bird, particularly those of you went to see it, to do some research on the factors facing this species and consider small things that you can do to help. Seeing this bird has caused me to rethink some of my own behavior. Even if I can only change small things, I want to make sure I am doing what I can to ensure that Ivory Gulls and other species continue to exist.
Good birding to all.
1 comments:
Totally understand your enthusiasm, that is one impressive bird. I've chased the immature Ivory Gulls but to see an adult, wow! Thanks for sharing.
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