1/28/17 Tupper Lake (Franklin Co.)
I wanted to post a huge thank-you to the woman who found the Ross's Gull today - Bernice Gawron of Stephentown, NY! Bernice was looking across Tupper Lake (from Route 30) at ice fishermen (a long distance away) when she spotted the gull flying from their direction! She was with Jesse Jaycox and pointed at the gull. I was leading a field trip and we happened to be driving by just as Bernice was pointing. Jodi Brodsky noticed her pointing and we stopped! I called Bob Washburn who was at Jack Delehanty's house to let everyone know. Thanks to Bernice's sharp eyes, the gull was found midday and everyone was able to view it. Without spotting it flying, it would have been difficult to find. The gull was at the edge of the ice out a great distance and blending into its background. It stayed in one spot most of the time, but did go into the open water to bathe for a bit before getting back out on the edge of the ice. I did not observe the gull eat anything during the time we observed it. There is an open water channel between the boat launch and the bridge between Simon Pond and Tupper Lake. We were all viewing the gull just a bit northeast of the boat launch and I could see Raquette River Outfitters from where we were standing. The gull's location on the ice edge was ~ 2.5 miles from where it had been viewed at Jack Delehanty's home. Two Bald Eagles were also on the ice. When we stopped at Jack Delehanty's house earlier, we spotted license plates from Georgia, Maryland, and Indiana (& every bordering state of NY)! It was terrific that Bernice found the Ross's Gull today when people had traveled so far. The sudden influx of cars on Route 30 caused 2 state police cars to stop with lights flashing! I spent a long time talking with one officer and he understood the importance of the gull to birders there - and he told everyone it was ok as long as they were parked over the white line at the edge of the road. A few other species: We also observed the Northern Shrike that has a winter territory across from the old OWD factory in Tupper Lake - and many visitors also saw it. I received a few reports of Evening Grosbeaks in Newcomb, and Bohemian Waxwings in both Newcomb and Minerva locations today. There were at least 6 Gray Jays at Sabattis Bog (& 5 more at other Long Lake locations). Joan Collins President, NYS Ornithological Association Editor, New York Birders Long Lake, NY (315) 244-7127 cell (518) 624-5528 home http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/ http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
