[EBB Sightings] that Franklin's gull

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If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you visit the bird feeding area at =
Lake Merritt for the Franklin's gull.  Emily Strauss and I found it =
easily this morning just where it was supposed to be -- on the white =
boom nearest shore just north of the feeding area.  The bird was a lifer =
for me but more important a truly thrilling experience as this exquisite =
bird is unlike any gull I know.  The black head, thick white eye ring, =
the red-tipped bill, the black legs and impeccable plumage and =
diminutive size was quite enough, but then you add a suffusion of pink =
orange that rises from the white breast up and around the nape and =
--WOW!  (I'll be back tomorrow).  The other gulls -- mostly ring-bill =
and California's -- appear to resent this solitary, straying beauty and =
give it no peace.

On a technical point, the bill is only red-tipped (not all red) and the =
legs appear to be entirely black unlike the mature male in breeding =
plumage shown in my field guides.

While you're there, check out all the breeding birds on the islands -- =
both egrets, cormorants, black-crowned night herons, plumes galore and =
chicks begging in the nest.  Why are the trees dead on the outermost =
island?  The skeletons are nice frames for the cormorant nests but the =
fallen limbs littering the ground make me wonder in the rest of the tree =
is soon to follow.

Phila Rogers
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area at=20
Lake Merritt for the Franklin's gull.  Emily Strauss and I found it =
easily=20
this morning just where it was supposed to be -- on the white boom =
nearest shore=20
just north of the feeding area.  The bird was a lifer for me but =
more=20
important a truly thrilling experience as this exquisite bird is =
unlike any=20
gull I know.  The black head, thick white eye ring, the red-tipped =
bill,=20
the black legs and impeccable plumage and diminutive size was quite =
enough,=20
but then you add a suffusion of pink orange that rises from the white =
breast up=20
and around the nape and --WOW!  (I'll be back tomorrow).  The =
other=20
gulls -- mostly ring-bill and California's -- appear to resent this =

solitary, straying beauty and give it no peace.
the=20
legs appear to be entirely black unlike the mature male in breeding =
plumage=20
shown in my field guides.
-- both=20
egrets, cormorants, black-crowned night herons, plumes galore and chicks =
begging=20
in the nest.  Why are the trees dead on the outermost island?  =
The=20
skeletons are nice frames for the cormorant nests but the fallen limbs =
littering=20
the ground make me wonder in the rest of the tree is soon to =
follow.

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