March 5, 2026
Nature Done Wright
Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs
CELERY FARM: Gull darn mystery
In addition to a marsh harrier and a kingfisher, the gulls were putting on a show on Lake Appert yesterday.
A few of the gulls, with freshwater clams in their bills, would fly maybe 100 feet above the ice and drop the clams onto the ice. The clams would open, at least some of the time, upon impact, and the gulls would eat the contents.
How’s that for openers?
The bigger question is, where did the clams come from?
Any thoughts? Please share them.
Thanks.
3 comments
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Gulls can plunge down kind of duck like, down say ~ 1 foot to take buried clams (I see them do this to take quahogs all the time) the learn to reconize them by the syphon holes, aslong as the clams/mussels, are in soft sediment, and not to deeply dug in so their beak can get a grip…obviously, if the lake is solidily frozen over, with no exposed areas, then I am stumped.
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From the local A&P?
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Haven’t a clue! I hope to find out. Is there a clam shack nearby?






3 comments
scott
Gulls can plunge down kind of duck like, down say ~ 1 foot to take buried clams (I see them do this to take quahogs all the time) the learn to reconize them by the syphon holes, aslong as the clams/mussels, are in soft sediment, and not to deeply dug in so their beak can get a grip…obviously, if the lake is solidily frozen over, with no exposed areas, then I am stumped.
DjBrown
From the local A&P?
Diana & Jeff
Haven’t a clue! I hope to find out. Is there a clam shack nearby?