ML273562321

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

--Written by Zach Millen-- Juvenile found early this morning in the parking lot of the adjacent commercial building by one of their employees. Photo was texted to a friend, another friend, then posted to ID that PA Bird Facebook page where details began to emerge. Thanks to Ross Gallardy for quickly messaging the poster to obtain a number for me, which I called and was astonished to hear that it was right outside my work campus. By this point it had wandered into the grassy field beside the next door church, where I found it sitting rather unceremoniously and no doubt much confused. Fortunately for the bird, a rehabber from Raven Ridge was 20 minutes out, so I immediately texted RBAs and birders revved their engines. Unfortunately for the rehabber, she was rear-ended en route and became delayed for another hour and a half. A number of blown-away birders were able to see it before she finally arrived and captured it, and word was that it would be transferred to Red Creek Wildlife Center. Incredible first record for Lancaster county! The consensus theory was that it came off of the Susquehanna River overnight (probably out of the Chesapeake, but may have been wandering the river prior?), and became lost in the extremely intense fog overnight. At dawn It may have seen the wet parking lot around the building and thought that it was water, and once down it was too late. Or, just being a young bird, maybe it simply picked a very poor LZ. Thanks to the finders for having the wherewith-all to post about their unusual bird, and the efforts of the rehabber to pick it up. The gannet would almost certainly have found it impossible to lift off from the grassy field, particularly on a windless day. We all hope it makes it back to the ocean where it belongs!

Technical information

Model

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

ISO

1000

Focal length

247 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

4239 pixels x 3179 pixels

Original file size

4.03 MB