Yeah, Linda Williams was unfashionably late to that party. Nice to see
Jonathan got photos of the first bird - the real Mew! I didn't even notice
the muddy appearance of the "unnamed" birder. I did, however, notice all
the big patches of blooming pussytoes (Antennaria sp.) on the way down to
the water - a nice larval host plant for American Lady butterflies.

I added a few comparison head shots of the gulls to the Ring-billed page.

My Lincoln's Sparrow is still visiting my backyard! December 10 to present.
I had a beautiful Yellow-rumped Warbler in the yard yesterday.

Linda Williams
Liberty, Clay County, MO
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean Leonatti" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 8:51 AM
Subject: Re: Weekend Mewsings


>I would only make one slight correction to Laura's narrative --- Linda
> Williams was not present, nor did she get photos of the bird we watched
> fly
> in and were all hooping and hollering about. That bird eventually flew
> around the bend again; and later another bird returned and landed
> directly
> behind a Ring-billed Gull. There was some speculation it might be the Mew
> Gull returning for the third time; but no one could get a definitive view
> of
> it because of its position relative to the other gulls. Jonathan went
> around the corner to try to get photos of the second bird; we started
> back
> up toward the car, and met Linda Williams on the way down the hill. On
> Sunday, she only got photos of the "hidden" second gull which indeed
> turned
> out to be a Ring-billed - her photos on Sunday were not of the earlier
> sighting that all present (better gullers than me included) felt was the
> Mew
> Gull.
>
> Regarding the muddy appearance of one Columbia birder --- well, let's just
> say in the her haste to get down to the lake, "someone" had a hidden piece
> of barb wire fencing reach up and grab her pant leg and flipped her
> unceremoniously face-first, spread-eagle onto the muddy corn field. A
> rather rude baptism for my brand new binoculars out on their first chase!
> Bounced up and kept on going.
> Jean Leonatti
> Boone County
> Columbia, MO
> [log in to unmask]

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