5 replies to this topic

[tassiesim]

To me these birds are called Molly Hawks, I'm not sure why really except its the name my grandfather called them and well who am I to argue but I do believe on good authority the correct name is Pacific Gull although I am also not sure if the brown one is the same just a different colour so I'm interested to see if anyone else knows anything more about these birds I found on the Tamar River,

and if you look very closely you can see a water drop on the beak of the white and black one

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[Mystic]

Great shots Sim. Thanks for sharing those.

[nineteenineteen]

You've definitely got two Pacific Gulls there, Sim. The brown is either a female, or an immature bird (I can never remember which). There is also another very similar bird in Tasmania called a Kelp Gell; this has a slightly slimmer beak, the red tip on the beak is only on the top, and it has different patterning on the underside of the wings. Kelp Gulls aren't native to Tasmania, probably arriving by following (see below) fishing boats from New Zealand.

Large gulls are usually called mollyhawks (particularly brown ones), although mollyhawk derives from the Gaelic word mollymawk (anyone who speaks Gaelic or knows better - please correct me on this!) which I believe means "following bird", and is usually a name for albatross. I can't remember where I found this bit of trivia out...sorry.

Oh, and if you're keen to see more of these birds, they tend to hang around the last bridge on the Tamar Island walk (is that where photo #1 was taken??). They like to use the last bridge as a stop over point from the Mowbray Waste Disposal Facility (ie the Lonny Tip), and you can see all manner of things they've regurgitated on the bridge - I once found half a rubber glove and a doll's leg.

[tassiesim]

Ohh thanks Nineteen for explaining the molly hawks name to me , I did wonder where he got the name from now I know much appreciated ,


This shot was taken down on the floating pontoon near Deviot on the Tamar River but yes I do know where you mean on the Tamar Island wetland walk I have seen evidence of them being there very umm iccky even , but still a good walk just dont hold onto the rails lol

[nineteenineteen]

It certainly is a bit icky! But educational - like the doll's leg, you wouldn't believe the stuff birds will eat...

[islandhome]

tassiesim, on 26 March 2008 - 10:39 AM, said:

Ohh thanks Nineteen for explaining the molly hawks name to me , I did wonder where he got the name from now I know much appreciated ,


This shot was taken down on the floating pontoon near Deviot on the Tamar River but yes I do know where you mean on the Tamar Island wetland walk I have seen evidence of them being there very umm iccky even , but still a good walk just dont hold onto the rails lol

Hundreds of these gulls gather on the Uni oval in Newnham.... just amazing! My Aquatic Biology lecturer said the brown ones were juveniles......