Foam Lake Birding No. 31

FOAM LAKE BIRDING
No. 31
One thing about being on the coast is that one is inundated with a wide variety of water loving birds – especially gulls. Overall, their numbers are not that great because large quantities of food are simply not available to them nearby. Local ordinances and state and federal laws prohibit dumping of refuse on beaches, thus keeping populations under control However, with heavy human use of beaches, there are always some accidentally dropped or discarded tidbits from picnic lunches and so on. In addition, there is always something dead or dying washing up on shore. When the tides recede, sea life such as clams, crabs, starfish and worms top off the menu. Whatever the food source, gulls, which are not discriminating eaters, do a very thorough job of keeping the beaches clean. Their feeding habits provide a sanitation service far beyond what man could hope to do.
Some gulls can be found both on sea coasts and fresh water lakes; some only on fresh water; the majority only along sea coasts. Today’s featured bird, the Western Gull, belongs to the latter group.
The Western Gull is very similar to many other white headed gulls. Distinctions among the various species are quite subtle. They all have white heads and undersides, and dark wings and back. All, more or less, sound the same. Different species do vary quite considerably in size, but unless they are in mixed flocks this is of little use. An observer has to focus on the colours and markings of the eyes, bills, feet, backs and wings. Only when all field marks fall into place can a positive identification be made.
Above all else, a serious birder should acquire a current bird book with accurate colour pictures and range maps. Poor colour rendition, especially in older bird books, often results in birds being misidentified. Range maps are very helpful, but often under utilized. Through the process of elimination, a birder can use range maps to zero in only on birds that exist in that particular area. For example, the Greater Black Backed Gull is found only on the east coast; whereas the very similar Western Gull is found only on the west coast from southern British Columbia to northern Mexico. A birder in Halifax, upon seeing a white gull with very dark wings and back, would be quite confident that the bird in question is a Greater Black Backed; similarly, with the Western in Victoria. In neither case would one have to differentiate between the two because they do not coexist in the same area.
As mentioned in a previous article, any bird seen far outside its normal range must be identified with great caution and corroborated by credible witnesses. Good quality photographs are a great help, but are not considered proof. For example, it is impossible to determine with any reasonable certainty that the gulls in this week’s picture are Western Gulls. With poor quality photographs, the task becomes almost impossible. Only when the location is known can the birds be safely identified.
This week’s photo was taken in Oceanside, California. In typical gull fashion, the two are sitting on a street light surveying the area and watching for somebody to discard something to eat. It certainly does remind one of gulls sitting on light poles at fast food restaurants back home.

Foam Lake birding No. 12

FOAM LAKE BIRDING
No. 12
When it comes to water birds that swim, there are many more than just ducks and geese. Gulls are just such a group. With their waterproof feathers and fully webbed feet, they can and do ride the waves as well as any duck or goose. Not only can gulls do what ducks do, but they can do other things as well. First, they perch on buildings, poles, cars and so on. Second, they have special glands that extract salt from water, which allows them to drink from oceans and salt water lakes such as the Quill Lakes. Third, they can eat just about anything that man eats, and more. Isolated from man, gulls’ diets include insects, smaller birds and animals, but not vegetable matter. Near humans, their preference is man’s refuse, if it is available. Like man, they seem to enjoy processed food – even grain based foods such as bread. Because of their scavenging habits, they are considered very useful in cleaning up birds and animals killed by vehicles, hunters or disease. They are especially good at keeping shore lines clean of dead fish. Their feeding habits undoubtedly reduce the spreading of diseases. For these and other reasons, all gulls are protected by law.
Five different species of gulls occur locally; two are common, one is uncommon but regular, two occur occasionally during migration. Probably, the most common is the Franklin’s Gull – especially during wet years. Of the three black headed gulls in Canada, only two occur here, and only the Franklin’s Gull can be seen in the summer. In other words, if one sees a black headed gull in the summer, it is almost certainly this one. The bill and feet are red; the breast is pink that quickly fades to white after death. White feathers around the eye contrast sharply with the solid black head. The wing tips are black. Like the other black headed gulls, it makes a ‘laughing” sound that has resulted in this group also being called the Laughing Gulls. The young take two years to mature. During this period, they are a dull grey with dark spots and streaks and no black heads. As with all gulls, males and females are identical and cannot be told apart in the field.
In the past, when farming practices included extensive summer fallowing, it was a common sight to see a flock of Franklin’s gulls following a farmer working in his field. The freshly disturbed soil provided a banquet of newly exposed insects, worms and mice. In such instances, more than one farmer was “bombed” by gulls flying overhead. Strangely enough, this seldom evoked anger. Instead, it became a source of amusement – especially to onlookers! Some companies even manufactured caps featuring a “gull bomb” on it.
Although some summer fallowing takes place today, it no longer plays a major role in the Franklin’s Gulls’ lives. As a result, they spend most of their time around lakes, sloughs and marshes. On rainy days, when earthworms have come to the surface in order to avoid drowning, Franklin’s Gulls will congregate in school yards, parks, golf courses, pastures and even lawns to gorge themselves. At times, a small flock will even march down a town street picking earthworms from the gutters. During dry years, they will, occasionally, fly out to grasshopper infested areas to feed. However, because they prefer to be near water, they are rather scarce during dry years and are rarely seen during the summer.
On July 11th, a lady in town phoned me to report that a flock of gulls was in the Composite School grounds. I drove out to take a look and saw a good sized flock of Franklin’s Gulls and several white headed Ring Billed Gulls that had already eaten and were now relaxing during a misty rain. Because it was so heavily overcast, I was unable to get a good picture. It definitely was a “gull” day. Not all birding takes place on sunny days!
During our winter travels in the southern United States and Mexico, I have seen the other two black headed gulls, but never the Franklin’s Gull. It is highly migratory and spends its winters from Guatemala in Central America to Chile in South America! Why? Nobody really knows. Of all the gulls it is the most social and is seldom seen in ones and twos, usually in larger flocks of a dozen or more birds. This year, being a relatively wet one, is a good time to observe Franklin’s Gulls.