Seagulls inland

[Horselover]

Does anyone know how seagulls know when a farmer is plowing his land? They always come inland and follow the tractor for the worms and grubs that are being overturned in the soil.
Birds cannot smell (exception is buzzards) or so I am told and they certainly cannot see nor hear from the water's edge that the farmer is plowing. So, how do they know when the farmer is turning the sod.
No one seems to know the answer. I checked on the computer and I could not find an answer there. Any ideas?

[moonwolf]

It's also interesting that I see a seagull when it's going to rain. Yesterday, the forecast wasn't for any rain, except a sprinke. I saw a herring gull (seagull) flying low and all around the place. It rained steady all night after that. Never seems to fail. When it's cloudy and doesn't rain, I don't see any seagulls. They stay at the lakes several miles away.

[thechickenladyx]

birds can smell. check out their beaks, they have nostrils. my chickens sure can smell when the ground is turned. i heard that, too, but obviously it isn't true. as kids we were told never to pick up a wild egg because the mother will refuse it, because she could smell the human on them. they were right.

jesse

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by thechickenladyx

birds can smell. check out their beaks, they have nostrils. my chickens sure can smell when the ground is turned. i heard that, too, but obviously it isn't true. as kids we were told never to pick up a wild egg because the mother will refuse it, because she could smell the human on them. they were right.

jesse

While they can smell most birds have very poor sense of smell. The egg thing is just an old wives tale.

[MELOC]

i am not sure about any of the above, but i find it fascinating that i see them on occassion and i live over sixty miles northwest of baltimore. more often than not it is right after a storm. i always figured they got lost in the storm or something.

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by MELOC

i am not sure about any of the above, but i find it fascinating that i see them on occassion and i live over sixty miles northwest of baltimore. more often than not it is right after a storm. i always figured they got lost in the storm or something.

I think the name "seagull" is somewhat misleading. We have them in MN, far from any "sea". That said I've always wondered how they hone in on a freshly plowed field so fast myself.

[EDDIE BUCK]

We live about fifty miles from the ocean , but you'll see more seagulls at the local landfill than at the ocean. OR WOULD THAT BE "LANDGULLS"?

[Obser]

I think the term "garbage gulls" is often appropriate. Vast flocks frequent landfills as far inland as Albuquerque, NM (and probably farther).

[Windy in Kansas]

I think Kansas would be considered "inland" and we have plenty of gulls which we call seagulls whether they are or not.

I enjoy the gulls following my tractor and implement when I am working the land. I am always amazed at spotless pure white color of them, albeit with other colors. Maybe they get tired of the usual landfill diet and want fresh stuff the disk uncovers.

Seems they can almost hover without flapping their wings at all even on what seems a calm day.

Off the topic, but I have been enjoying watching a Killdeer build a nest and fill it with eggs where the lawn at work meets our driveway. An egg a day was laid until there were four. As I have always found all points of the eggs are toward the center of the nest and are tilted downward.

Since I mow close by I can check the nest frequently. The Killdeer tolerates me for the most part but has given me the broken wing--follow me routine several times. I really enjoy the Killdeer and am a fan.

http://www.wnrmag.com/special/apr99kil.htm

[fantasymaker]

They follow the food supply.The plowing tends to start near the coasts and worrk inland.
A gull flying at 10,000 feet can see forr 200 miles thats an area of 120,000 miles that can gather gulls to a single field!