Yes it's Another Gull Post

Did my usual Sunday birding today and once again it was for gulls and ducks which seem to be building in larger numbers daily. I was very glad to get out there for the gulls since I am in the middle of a really good book called Gulls: A Social History by Frank Graham. It's an older book I picked up at the Ben Franklin Book Store in Worcester but it is so interesting I can't put it down. Yes, I take my gulls very seriously and am starting to build up a mini-library right along side my Raptor library and bird guide library. You know I think the bird is special if it has it's own library! ;-)

Anyhow, I started off at Lake Singletary in Millbury this morning hoping for Scaup or a Ruddy Duck but was greeted with the elusive Millbury tagged gull instead. Alan and I had seen this gull a couple of weeks ago and reported it to the DCR and they emailed him back asking for more information because we had reported it as tagged with the number 4. That was all we had so I was very excited to see the gull today to try and get more information. The sun was totally not in my favor so couldn't make out the numbers to the left with my scope or the binoculars so had to settle for the camera and lighten the pics when I got home. I am thinking it looks like 405 4 or 409 4, but can't tell for certain! Little bugger!

I also saw a very cooperative Blue Jay while there so had to get its picture.
After that I decided to head to Indian Lake in Worcester with Alan to see what was there and what do we see but more banded gulls of course! Allow me to introduce you to the Ring-billed Gull above number A42 who is also sporting an attractive ankle bracelet to go with his tag. ;-)
And as you can see #A42 is none to happy with its attire and spent most of the time we were there trying to strip itself of the annoying tag and the picture shows this bird may actually be able to pull it off!
And then there was this docile first cycle Ring-billed gull number 290 who didn't even seem to notice that tag on its wing. We also saw two other tagged Ring-billed Gulls that were too far away to get a number, even with a scope. Just a reminder to all of you, especially in Worcester County, to report any tagged gulls you see as the DCR likes to keep track (the link is in the first paragraph to this post).
There were also other gulls who were not decked out in hunter orange this AM, including this other first cycle Ring-billed Gulls as well as a first cycle Herring Gull whose picture came out lousy so am not posting it.
And speaking of Herring Gulls, we saw 25 of those today including the one above eating REAL, UNPROCESSED food-can you imagine! It was so note worthy that I had to take a picture of course.
Oh, and I finally know what Herring Gulls remind me of. You know those old Black and White gangster movies that Humphrey Bogart was in when he first started acting in the late 30s? He was always with these other shady, dark characters with those sinister eyes, well that's the Herring Gull in a nutshell, serioulsy. We also had an adult Great Black-backed Gull there too so now I have both on my Worcester County list for the season so mission accomplished!
That's not all that was there obviously and the most striking thing at Indian Lake this morning were the 320 Common Mergansers scattered in large flocks throughout the lake.

I was able to get some of my favorite shots of birds which are those where they are in flight.
And a Mallard flight shot too, just because! I also did some other birding on my own this afternoon which I will post about tomorrow. Take care everyone.

List from Indian Lake today:

18--Canada Goose
1--Mute Swan5--Mallard
3--Bufflehead
25Hooded Merganser
320--Common Merganser
5--Double-crested Cormorant
1--Great Blue Heron
75--Ring-billed Gull
25--Herring Gull (American)
1--Great Black-backed Gull
6--American Crow
5--Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)