Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Ross's Gull Info
Date: Dec 21 19:49:43 2011
From: Ryan Shaw - rtshaw80 at hotmail.com



Greetings all,
In regards to the property rights issue that Andy brought up, please be aware that all the beach property and tree/shrub area in the vicinity of the deer carcass is private property. We heard that several birders and photographers bypassed the private property signs and accessed the beach to get better sightings/photographs - this is quite disturbing considering it took several days of work with Fish and Wildlife to get the location of this bird released to the public due to private property issues, and I would hate for them to think they made a mistake in doing so. I'm sure that future visitors to this site would appreciate abiding by those private property signs to ensure that nothing happens to its food source.
On another note, apparently the Loomis quick stop mart has a guest book that they would like visiting birders to stop by and sign in when you come by to see the gull. And as Andy stated previously, tell everyone you run into that you are here supporting the local economy by purchasing gas, food, patronizing restaurants, coffee shops, motels that you are here for the gull and for the other spectacular wildlife that is around!
With this isolated location, and the large carcass for a food supply, the gull is likely to stay quite a long time. Also of interest is a large herd of Bighorn Sheep that frequent the area - nice animals to look at, I personally haven't seen them very often so quite exciting!
Also, Ryan Merrill and I birded the highlands to the east of Hwy 97 today and had a somewhat slow day of it. We did have several large flocks of Common Redpolls (250 in total) and we tried to pull out a Hoary but couldn't quite turn one up.
>From Tonasket,
Ryan Shawrtshaw80 at hotmail.com