Have you met Pierre? Hilton Head Island's newest celebrity

Thanks to Fran Baer of Hilton Head Island for sharing the story of a new Lowcountry celebrity, Pierre.

"Celebrity Sighting"

By Fran Baer

On the morning of Sept. 15, Susan Murphy and I, as members of Hilton Head Island Audubon's Conservation Committee, conducted an ongoing bird survey at The Folly inlet.

This area includes Burkes Beach, Collier Beach and the inlet where the Atlantic Ocean rushes between the dunes and into the marsh beyond. The creek winds its way throughout the marsh toward the edge of the maritime forest on the incoming tide, then flows back out.

As we came out onto Burkes Beach and walked to The Folly, we spotted a large dark gull slightly apart from a group of laughing gulls. It was a black-backed gull, and on further inspection, we determined it was a Lesser because it had yellow legs. This species is less common on Hilton Head than the Great Black-Backed Gull, but either species is a great find.

There were several other nice surprises that morning ... a flock of 11 woodstorks feeding and preening in The Folly creek near the inlet, a cattle egret in a dead "roosting tree" area at the far edge of the marsh, a bald eagle in a pine tree near the far edge of the marsh, a clapper rail that came out onto the creek bank to provide us with a good look, and four (yes, four) red-shouldered hawks -- three flying over the marsh (two of which perched in a far pine tree out in the marsh area while one was still calling from a tree near the parking spots at the end of Burkes Beach Road).

But back to the gull.

I typically "bird" with my camera to help me with positive identifications for those that are questionable. Fortunately, I took some documentary photos of the gull. When I got home, I was able to see on the computer screen that this gull was banded. I've never found a banded gull before, so I was excited, and that led me to search online about how to report a banded gull. I've reported a fair number of banded piping plovers, several red knots and a beautiful marbled godwit, and I have received feedback on every one of those birds from various sources. This experience was no exception.

I found a link specifically about black-backed and herring gulls, and in the process saw a mention of a "celebrity" lesser. I had determined that the band of "our" bird was stamped P05 in white letters on a dark green background. The "celebrity's" band is F05. I looked again at my photo and realized that the "P" could be an "F."

The website mentioned Dr. Julie Ellis as the lead researcher on The Gulls of Appledore (Maine) and gave her email address. Ellis is a research assistant professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and a director of the Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET). I sent a message to her along with two photos and received a quick response back that "YES! This bird is 'F05.' "

So, finally, here is the scoop on the Lesser Black-Backed Gull (LBBG), and more specifically, F05's story.

The species arose in Europe and has expanded its breeding range in relatively recent years to Iceland and Greenland. LBBGs have been observed in increasing numbers during the winter along the Atlantic coast. An email from Ellis states: " 'F05' (also referred to as 'Pierre') was first observed, not breeding, in the fall of 2006. I saw him in the exact same spot the following spring of 2007. In that year, he nested and we were concerned that if we banded him, the disturbance might spook him off the island. So we hoped he would return in 2008 and planned to band him then, which we did. We're certain that he's the same bird because: 1. No LBBGs have ever attempted nesting on Appledore, and 2. He has always been observed in the exact same spot on the island -- in 2006, he was prospecting the area; in 2007, he returned to the same area to establish a nest; and in 2008, he nested in the same spot."

In 2007, he was mated to a herring gull; the pair successfully fledged two chicks that year.

His celebrity status results from his being the first confirmed breeding record for a LBBG on the Atlantic coast of North America. His is the first successful nesting attempt by a LBBG in North America.

Pierre has exhibited exceptional site fidelity. Almost every year since 2007, F05 has mated with various herring gulls and produced chicks, one of which returned to Appledore this past summer. In addition, based on his "encounter history" (provided to me by Ellis), every year since he was banded in spring 2008, he has been spotted at Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., beginning in January 2009. On two occasions, he was reported at Jenness State Beach in New Hampshire.

According to Ellis, our sighting is unique because it's the first time he's been observed in any state other than Maine, New Hampshire and Florida.

She also stated that she would "forward our resight to some interested folks from the Shoals Lab, including the new director. The Lesser Black-Backed Gull, also known as Pierre, is quite a celebrity on (Appledore)!"

Now Pierre is a celebrity on Hilton Head as well.

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This story was originally published October 25, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Have you met Pierre? Hilton Head Island's newest celebrity."