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From: pc@mitre.org (Melissa P. Chase)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: bird begging
Message-ID: 
Date: 9 Aug 89 19:57:01 GMT
References: <4529@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <3067@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
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In-reply-to: john@nmtsun.nmt.edu's message of 9 Aug 89 03:06:12 GMT


John Shipman's account of brazen gulls reminds me of an experience I
had last summer.  My friend Kathy and I went birdwatching at Plum
Island.  After spending the morning driving up and down the island
looking at shorebirds, we stopped at one of the beaches.  We had a
snack of Stella D'Oro breadsticks, some cheese, and some grapefruit
juice (in those coated cardboard cartons).  While we were eating, a
Herring Gull was standing nearby watching very intently.  We decided
to go for a swim, and packed up the remaining food in a knapsack
(which we partially zippered).  While we were swimming, Kathy points
to some Stella D'Oro cellophane wrapping floating in the water and
says, "That looks our lunch!"  I said, "No, it couldn't be.  We packed
it in the knapsack."  When we got out of the water and walked back to
our stuff, we saw remnents of our lunch scattered on the beach!  There
wasn't a single breadstick left.  Cartons of juice, punctured and
empty, were lying on the ground.  A couple of gulls were standing
nearby, looking rather smug.  Obviously while we were swimming, the
gull who had been watching us gathered some of his cronies, they
managed to get the food out of the knapsack (they probably unzipped it
a bit more), and helped themselves to our lunch.  I must admit, I was
pretty impressed.

	Penny

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