Birders,

Here is the latest on the Delta, B.C. IVORY GULL as reported this
afternoon by Brian Self. It is still on the Roberts Bank coal port
jetty, but has moved a bit after its favorite barge was towed away.

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops and Delta, BC
contopus at shaw.ca



----- Original Message -----
From: Brian G Self <brianself at telus.net>
To: e-groups <bcvanbirds at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 5:09 PM
Subject: [bcvanbirds] Ivory Gull-Thursday update


A new location for the Ivory Gull today, arrived at the South side bay
to find one barge with crane had already been moved out and workmen
preparing to move out the last two barges. These departed about 1330
and no-one had seen the gull to this point.

A search of the shoreline on the North side of the jetty revealed it
gorging on a freshly killed Mallard just below the railway tracks
along the shoreline about 200 metres West of where the road to
Westshore Terminals crosses the three or four sets of railroad tracks.
This bird is definitely carnivorous, ripping out strings of intestine
and gulping them down with relish, it was not prepared to share the
spoils with a Glaucous Winged Gull and quickly saw it off, standing
astride the Mallard and challenging the larger gull. There was blood
on face and forehead of the Ivory Gull from going down into the body
cavity. We got to within 20-25 feet of it without any trouble.
There may be sufficient feed there to last a day or more, so this may
be a location worth checking out. However to see the bird one has to
cross three sets of tracks, two of which are in regular use by coal
trains so great caution is essential.

Today the bird looked a lot more alert and active than on Wednesday
when it sat on the barge for the whole time we observed it.

Brian Self
Vancouver, BC
brianself at telus.net