Subject: California Gull migration
Date: Aug 14 00:38:12 1997
From: Harry Nehls - hnehls at teleport.com


There is a very heavy adult California Gull migration down the Columbia
River beginning about mid June. These may be birds from the Columbia Basin.
As the movement is primarily northwesterly birds from more distant Great
Basin colonies move at higher elevations and fly directly over the
mountains. We see tnem regularly flying over the mountains all along the
Cascades.

An interesting sidelight. California Gulls molt during the movement and
many arrive on the coast in very poor condition, often with considerable
mortality. Many of these adults drop down along the migration route and are
regularly found on mountain lakes and interior valley wetlands.


Harry Nehls, Portland, Or.
hnehls at teleport.com (503) 233-3976