1.
Zoom out from CU of Moffat's Island to full shot of St. Helen's Island, the St. Lawrence River, the St. Lawrence Seaway at St. Lambert Lock, with Montreal in the background (aerial still shot)


2.
ship in seaway


3.
large flock of seagulls flying, whip pan to left as four men cross and flats to Moffat's Island


4.
birds flying with grain elevator in background


5.
CU telephoto - group of ring billed gulls on ground


6.
as above


7.
CU telephoto - single gull


8.
four men closer to island, whip pan to right to birds flying


9.
MS men reach island


10.
MLS Jacques Cartier Bridge in background, and birds on island


11.
MS group of birds on island


12.
CS ring billed gull chick and egg at nest


13.
MS Dr. Ian McLaren, of the Fisheries Research Board, behind camera photographing birds


14.
CS as above, and watching birds flying


15.
MS birds circling about in sky


16.
Dr. D. Sergeant, of the Fisheries Research Board, and Dr. J. Lowther, of Bishop's University, walk over to clump and pick up chick


17.
CU nest with two eggs


18.
MS nest with three eggs


19.
chick gets up to of nest


20.
MS chick runs over to group of gulls


21.
CS chick bring picked up for banding


22.
CU Dr. Sergeant, pan to Dr. Lowther, pan to chick during banding


23.
CU chick's leg with ban being fixed


24.
CS chick being put on ground, pan as it runs to flock and then a left to right pan to show Montreal skyline in background


25.
CS Dr. Sergeant making notes on banding


26.
group of gull standing in water


27.
LS Dr. F. E. Warburton, of the Canadian Wildlife Service who is investigating the bird problem at Montreal's International Airport, checking birds' habits


28.
MS pan up from lake to birds flying, Montreal in background


29.
CS Dr. Warburton checking birds through binoculars


30.
MLS birds flying, pan left to right.


31.
CS Drs. Warburton and Sergeant taking a sample of food from young gull to see where it has been feeding


32.
LS Dr. Lowther checking, grain elevator in background


33.
CS man with binoculars


34.
CS telephoto - group of gulls on island


35.
CU telephoto - single gull


36.
same of two gulls


37.
as above


38.
single gull


39.
CS man with binoculars, pan up to gulls flying in the LS with Montreal skyline in the background


40.
LS gulls flying with grain elevator in background


41.
LS similar to above shot but background closer




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FROM 8,000 TO 10,000 ADULT RING-BILLED GULLS PRODUCING 10,000 TO 15,000 YOUNG A YEAR CONVERGE THE END OF MARCH ON MOFFAT'S ISLAND -- ONE OF SEVERAL SMALL ISLANDS DESIGNATED AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S "ILE AUX HERONS" BIRD SANCTUARY IN THE ST.LAWRENCE RIVER BETWEEN THE NORTH SHORE (MONTREAL) AND THE ST.LAWRENCE SEAWAY.NEXT SPRING WHEN THE SEAGULLS ARRIVE FOR THE MATING SEASON THEY WILL FIND THEIR SANCTUARY HAS DISAPPEARED, HUGE BULLDOZERS WILL BE AT WORK FILLING IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ISLAND TO MAKE A NEW ONE -- NOTE DAME ISLAND -- TO FORM PART OF THE SITE FOR THE 1967 WORLD'S FAIR.

THIS BIRD SANCTUARY IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS FAR INLAND -- MORE THAN 1,000 MILES FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN -- AND SO NEAR THE GREAT METROPOLITAN CITY OF MONTREAL - CANADA'S LARGEST CITY, ONE OF THE LARGEST INLAND PORTS IN THE WORLD, AND ONLY 10 MILES AS THE SEAGULL FLIES FROM MONTREAL'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHICH PROVIDES THE MAIN AIRLINK FOR TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHTS.

IRATE BIRD LOVERS ARE UP IN ARMS OVER THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS SANCTUARY AND BIOLOGISTS AND BIRD WATCHERS ARE WADING ACROSS TO MOFFAT'S ISLAND FROM THE ST.LAWRENCE SEAWAY TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SEAGULLS, TO BAND THE BABY ONES SAND TO MAKE VARIOUS STUDIES OF THEM.OUR STORY COVERS THE BANDING OF THE GULLS BY SEVERAL BIOLOGISTS - THE BAND INCLUDES THE NUMBER AND ASKS THAT IT BE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND A RECORD OF THE NUMBER, THE DATE AND LOCATION OF THE BANDING IS SENT TO THAT SERVICE.THIS STUDY IS UNDERTAKEN TO ESTABLISH THE NUMBER OF GULLS AND TO PLOT THEIR COURSE.THE BABIES ARE BANDED WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF BIRTH.ANOTHER STUDY UNDERTAKEN BY A BIOLOGIST OF THE CANADIAN WILDLIFE SERVICE, DR.F.E.WARBURTON, IS AN INVESTIGATION OF THEIR FEEDING HABITS TO SEE WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN EATING AND THIS IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST AS THESE SEAGULLS ARE A NUISANCE AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN CONNECTION WITH STRIKING AIRCRAFT.

THE RING-BILLED GULLS ARE NOT FOUND IN EUROPE.FROM BANDING DONE IN OTHER YEARS, ITS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT THE GULLS MIGRATE ALONG THE ST.LAWRENCE RIVER TO THE EAST COST, ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND AS FAR SOUTH OF FLORIDA.SEVERAL HAVE BEEN FOUND AS FAR SOUTH AS THE ANTILLES.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR WHEN THEY ARRIVE? IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE SEAGULLS WILL NEST AROUND THE HARBOUR AND THE WATERFRONT AREA.ONE OF THE REASONS FOR STUDYING THEIR NESTING AND FEEDING HABITS PARTICULARLY THIS YEAR IS TO ENDEAVOUR TO ESTABLISH WHY THEY AVE CHOSEN MOFFAT'S ISLAND IN THE PAST SO THAT, IF POSSIBLE, AN ALTERNATIVE SITE COULD BE FOUND FOR THEM NEXT YEAR.

STORY INCLUDES FOOTAGE OF THESE GULLS WITH THE NEW MONTREAL SKYLINE IN THE BACKGROUND -- THE MANY NEW SKYSCRAPERS AND GRAIN ELEVATOR WHICH HAVE BEEN BUILT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.