Long way from Home (Ivory Gull)

Hi all,

This is probably the best fed bird in Europe. It's an Ivory Gull that has turned up on south coast of Ireland (Baltimore) far from it's high Artic range. 1st winter bird. Twicthers have been using sardines to draw the bird onto the pier and the bird has been very obliging. This is probably nothing more than a record shot.

MJ

Canon 40D, 300mm f4, handheld

Very nice for 'just a record shot'!! A bit tight in the frame, but a lovely simple portrait. How ethical are the twitchers - feeding the bird to bring it close? Surely that would keep the bird from returning to it's home? It would make an interesting shot to get the twitchers and bird in the same frame.

Dawn, I'm all for having a go at twitchers, but I don't think any of us who use bird food of to attract birds within camera range are in any position to accuse twitchers of being unethical! As for the bird, there is very little chance of any vagrant finding its way home once it has been blown off course. A well-fed bird probably stands a better chance than a poorly fed one, but it is a lousy chance of survival either way.

Nice picture, MJ, but I would like to see a little more space in front of the bird.

David

:

Cheers for the comments folks. It looks like this bird has been on a tour of Europe. It appears to the same bird as was seen in France in January-February and is now making it's way back north. You could call it a fuelling stop!! Unlike the smaller passerines, gulls are fairly tough and bar predation I don't see any reason why this gull won't get back. Many of the same Iceland Gulls and Ring-Billed Gulls keep coming back to the same sites most winters in Ireland (particularly in Cork Harbour) and a number are even staying the summer. Here is different shot of the gull.

MJ

Interesting shots MJ. I've never seen them before. Thanks for posting.
Eric