Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Sabine's Gull in Tucson!

Monday evening a Sabine's Gull was found at some recharge basins in Tucson, AZ.  So yesterday after work I zipped over there to see it.  Sabine's Gulls are rare and irregular fall transients to Southeast Arizona.  Luckily it was still around.  The gull would occasionally fly into view and finally landed on the water where I could get a better look.  Another lifer!  It looks like a first summer bird, but correct me if I'm wrong.  As for the pronunciation, I once read somewhere that it's "suh-bean," but just found a source that says it's "say-bin."  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?  I guess we should ask Sir Edward Sabine, for whom the bird is named.



 CERange Map for Sabine's Gull  

10 comments:

  1. Great shots. Glad you got a chance to see it.

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  2. Wow nice! Say-been makes the most sense to me, but sense and english pronunciations...they don't always go hand in hand.

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  3. Wow, what a great find Laurence, very glad you got to see and photograph it!

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  4. I've no idea how it's pronounced but congrats on yet another interesting and unusual find!

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  5. Jeremy, how amazing! Where are you seeing it? I have never seen one myself. While I have set up a nectar feeder and hung a thistle seed sock in my yard, I have not gone out to bird anywhere...yet! Perhaps tomorrow. Congrats on the lifer!

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  6. I say Say-bin. I recently read my kids a book series called "Leven Thumps" wherein the evil character is Sabine and the pronunciation guide in the book says "Suh-BINE" rhymes with "mine". Who knows!

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  7. Pretty cool find! I'm going on a pelagic trip Sunday - last year in Sept. one was found on the same trip, but I doubt I'll be that lucky.

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