Curious beach-goers watch Ivory Gull flying in
Arrived at Grover/Pismo Beach, CA just before sunrise this morning as birders began combing the beach in all directions and it didn’t take long for someone to locate the Ivory Gull just past 7:15AM. We all enjoyed great looks of the IVGU as it fed on the carcass of a pinniped that had washed up on the beach.
Ivory Gull
We could tell the bird was becoming increasingly agitated as more and more people showed up to walk their dogs along the beach. Eventually the bird flew off north toward the pier. No one was able to relocate the bird until it showed up again an hour later at the same feasting spot.
Ivory Gull
Again, it stayed in the same spot feeding until more and more people, including two people on horseback that were completely oblivious to the throng of birders, walked through the crowd toward the bird again scaring it up. We were able to relocate the Ivory Gull 10 minutes later at the Lagoon just north of the original location.
Ivory Gull
The Gull seems to be in good health and didn’t seem to mind the multitudes of birders with large lenses sneaking closer and closer to the bird. In fact, some of us were able to get within 15 feet of the bird!
Wes Fritz getting down and dirty
Larry Sansone, Todd McGrath and others
Pinniped Carcass – Ivory Gull Lunch