One cold blustery day last fall Franklin’s gulls gathered together at Hutton Lake up on the cold windswept plains outside of Laramie Wyoming. They were going somewhere and hung around on the lake just long enough to freeze their little gull feet off. Look closely at the image, you won’t find a foot there. The general consensus of those observing them regarding why they gather together, was an incredible desire on their part to share body heat. The gulls that is, not the observers. It was very cold that day and a 35 mph wind quartering out of the North didn’t help any.

Franklin’s gulls, or as they’re known locally by many as Jack Brinn’s Gulls, or at least they’re known as Jack Brinn’s gulls by two people anyway, namely Jack Brinn and the Director of The Institute who is an ardent supporter of Jack Brinn’s tendency to want to name entire species after himself, but only the good nice ones. In Wyoming two people gathered together in nearly anyplace is considered many. A crowd actually. A recent poll of those many up in Wyoming thought that Franklin’s gulls should be named Jack Brinn’s gulls so I propose we change it immediately. The people have chosen. Make it so.

The gulls gather in tightly spaced groups or flocks if you are a stickler for absolute accurate detail, and fly packed together in a huge feathered lump with nothing but their wing tips sticking out. We have determined they do this because of a strong belief that the guy next to them knows where he’s going. This can make for some unusual flight patterns which take them all over the sky, but they do it with incredible precision.

The wind which has been kicking up here lately, blew a VW sized boulder through the window of our document storage area and scattered photos all over hell and back, and this particular one was plastered up against the ‘pick me’ wall. We pay attention to omens here at The Institute so that’s why you’re getting this information about Franklins gulls, Jack Brinn’s gulls. We’ve found it to be prudent to go with the flow and not mess with the Cosmos. If the Cosmos wants you to know about Jack Brinn’s gulls we’re not going to stand in the way. We’re not stupid. So those of you with Bird Books, turn to the gull page and use a heavy-duty marker and black out Franklin’s gull and write Jack Brinn’s gull there instead. Thanks.