Justin here to bring you a new update, this time on a young Great Black-backed Gull. This report comes from Debra Steingart, a New York State wildlife rehabilitator, who received a bewildered 9T8 on November 8th, 2011. He was found in South Fallsburg, NY, about 225 miles southwest of Appledore. 9T8 was banded as a chick this year at the northern tip of the island. First year gulls tend to disperse far and wide with 9T8 being no exception.
9T8 was rescued approximately 225 miles away from Appledore
9T8 couldn’t gain flight so Debra let him rest overnight and released him the next day. Here’s Debra’s report:
The condition of the gull was good. There were no visible signs of injury, broken wings, lost plumage or parasites. The gull looked healthy and at a good weight. He was not stressed when I got close to him. He was not able to lift up more than 2 feet in the air. I’m not sure if he was just tired and needed some R&R. I left him alone for several hours and when I returned he was gone. The area was fenced in with a 4-1/2 foot high fence.
9T8 preens himself after being rescued - Photo by Debra Steingart
We hope to see 9T8 in future years and thank Debra for assisting him during his wanderings! If you see a banded gull, you can report it directly to the Appledore Banding Project or the USGS. Stay tuned for more gulls!
Bill Clark contributed to this post and the posts on E73 and C17.
