Subject: Gull and Teal
Date: Dec 28 16:07:06 1998
From: "Len Jellicoe" - ljellico at netcom.ca


Hi,
My wife and I witnessed an unusal sight today at Reifel Sanctuary in
Ladner B.C. We came upon a glaucous winged gull with a green winged teal in
its' bill. The teal was flapping madly with one wing as the gull had a firm
grip on its' other wing. I thought the gull didn't have a faint hope of
subduing its' prey as the fight was quite furious and the gull was getting
hit with some good wallops. The gull would violently shake the duck and
then get a better grip on the wing closer to the body. It did this several
times until its' bill was at the
base of the wing. The teal was now getting exhausted. We then observed the
gull stab the prey with its' bill right under the wing and then quickly
renew its' grip before the teal could escape. It stabbed three or four times
until the teal was dead. It then proceeded to eat its' prey. We don't know
if the teal was injured or sick before the gull got it, but it put up a good
fight which lasted about five minutes. I never would have thought a gull
would take on such a large prey.
Has anyone else seen a gull attack and kill?
All the best to everyone for the New Year
Len Jellicoe