Region 6
Region VI Central Prairie
Bert Frenz
221 Rainbow Drive
PMB 12190
Livingston, TX 77399-2021
e-mail: bert@bafrenz.com
GULLS AND TERNS
Laughing Gull: (1 photographed) 13 April (Chris Merkord), Welch Park, Burleson County [very rare in spring].
Franklin's Gull: (1) 19 May (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [somewhat late].
Franklin's Gull: (10) 20 May (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake, Williamson County [occasional in last half of May].
Bonaparte's Gull: (1) 13 April (Chris Merkord), Welch Park, Burleson County [occasional].
Herring Gull: (2) 18 March (Peter Barnes), just outside Richland Creek WMA from Hwy 287 and 488, Freestone County [rare].
Herring Gull: (2) 7 April; (6) 8 April; (7) 9 April; (4) 13 April (Chris Merkord, Jennifer Reidy), Welch Park, Burleson County [rare].
Thayer's Gull: (1 first-year) ~12:30 PM, 8 April (Chris Merkord, Jennifer Reidy), Welch Park, Lake Somerville, Burleson County; (same bird) ~ 5 PM, 8 April (Chris Merkord, Jennifer Reidy, Darrell Vollert), Overlook Park, Washington County [if valid id, this would be first area record].
Chris Merkord, "Monday, April 09, 2001 1:27 PM. Thayer's Gull at Lake Somerville 4/8/01. Yesterday Jennifer Reidy and I located a first-winter Thayer's Gull at Welch Park on Lake Somerville. This park is just north of the dam. We called Darrell Vollert who met us out there to look at the bird. Although we could not relocate it in Welch Park, we soon found the bird in another group of gulls between the dam and Overlook Park (just south of the dam). We all got close enough looks to determine that the bird was indeed a Thayer's Gull. This represents the first record of this species for the ten-county area comprising the central Brazos Valley.
The most obvious field marks were as follows: 1. completely black bill shorter than nearby herring gulls 2. dark brown primaries with slight pale edges 3. tertials, secondaries, and scapulars well patterned without the splotchy appearance of herring gull, giving a very pale brown tone overall, much warmer than herring gulls 4. very light edging on secondaries and tertials 5. smooth warm brown color on the front, not streaked as in herring gull 6. rounded head giving the bird a "cute" appearance was clearly visible (except when the bird was facing into the strong SW wind) Jennifer got a few distant pictures, but I don't think they'll turn out very well."
Darrell Vollert, "Here are my notes on the first-winter Thayer's Gull that Chris Merkord, Jennifer Reidy, and I saw at Lake Somerville on Sunday, April 8,2001.
"First, Chris and Jennifer saw the gull originally around 12:30PM-in optimum lighting- at Welch Park (Burleson County) at Lake Somerville. I met Jennifer and Chris around 3:15PM at the place in Welch Park where they saw the gull earlier in the day. We saw Herring Gulls and Forster's Terns, but did not see the first-winter Thayer's Gull. We waited at that location for well over an hour. Then we decided to drive over to the area near the dam where Chris and Jennifer had seen a group of gulls and terns earlier in the day. As we approached the site we saw a group of gulls and terns along the shore halfway between the dam and Overlook Park (Washington County land). We walked over a grassy area between the road and the shore and approached the birds very cautiously. There was a strong breeze from the SW and the skies were clear.
"Most of the birds were facing into the stiff breeze. We changed our route toward the birds so we could view them from their sides. Jennifer had a camera with her and approached the group at a different angle hoping to get some good photos. When we got close enough Chris said "their is the bird Jennifer and I saw earlier in the day". We stopped walking then and looked through our binoculars at the gull. The time was around 5:00PM. The field marks I noticed are as follows: The gull did not appear to be "flat-headed", the tertials and secondaries of the gull we saw were edged in a lighter white coloration than that of Herring Gulls-giving the feathers a more scalloped appearance. I also saw more white edging on the primaries of the gull we saw than would be seen on a Herring Gull. When the gull took flight the feathers looked a lighter brown than a Herring Gull's feathers would be. The vent area looked more scalloped than that of a Herring Gull.
"The first-winter Thayer's Gull was the last bird in the group to take flight when we got too close to them. Which I find interesting. The gull flew high and far, towards the west over a peninsula (Wash. Co. land). Jennifer got a few photos she thought would not turn out very good.
"We decided to drive over to Rocky Creek Park, a few miles away to the west, in Washington County. I knew of an area at Rocky Creek Park where gulls and terns grouped near the camping grounds at the park. We found gulls and terns at the spot, but did not see the Thayer's Gull. It was getting late in the afternoon at that time so I had to leave. Chris and Jennifer said they were going back to Welch Park hoping the gull returned to the original area they had found him.
"I received an email from Chris that night stating that he and Jennifer relocated the gull at the original site. Jennifer got a few more shots before the gull took flight towards the northwest.
"In closing I feel very confident that Chris, Jennifer, and I saw a first-winter Thayer's Gull. I have looked at many photos on the web of first-winter Thayer's Gulls and first-winter Herring Gulls. The gull we saw looked so much like a first-winter Thayer's Gull."
Caspian Tern: (1) 29 April (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [rare].
Least Tern: (1) 16 April (Tim Fennell), Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [rare; photographed].
Black Tern: (1) 12 May (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [occasional].
Black Tern: (3) 12 and 20 May (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake, Williamson County [occasional].