When I arrived about 830-845 there were no gulls on the Myers spit but some on the lighthouse jetty. I waited for about half an hour and the gulls filtered back in from breakfast and settled on the spit. Reexamining them several times (as more arrived), I thought I had the Kittiwake when I spotted a post-ocular spot on one who had a darkened nape. Whoo-hoo says I. Then he stood up. Pink legs were pretty obvious. As were those on his mate. Pics of the two (I think) Bonaparte’s Gulls (correct me if I misidentified these!). One Semiplamated Plover, one Least Sandpiper, and a couple of Spotted Sandpipers piddled around the gulls.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73284351@N03/sets/72157644717310165/<https://www.flickr.com/photos/73284351@N03/14226991653/> Salt Point was birdy: I watched a Warbling Vireo working on a woven basket nest (2/3 of the way down the no-driving road toward the lake, on the left side high up in a tree that also contains an active Baltimore Oriole nest). The funky White-winged Scoter and one of the winter plumage Common Loons (thanks to Jay, I now know what both of those are!) were still in the north bay near shore along with 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and 1 breeding plumage Horned Grebe. Magnified and weak shots of the distant Scoter and Loon are at the link above. I heard the burry voice of then saw what I believe was Yellow-throated Vireo (could not get on him as he bopped around in the foliage to see the spectacles but the throat was quite yellow) in the same tree on the north side as another singing Warbling Vireo and while waiting for the YTVI to reappear, finally got a look at a silent ORCHARD ORIOLE M who landed near me and chipped a few times, then left. Two OSPREY flew over, one spent time in a tree, one appeared on the nest box after a while. In total, I had about 48 species at Myers/Salt Pt, but nothing out of the expected so I won’t list here. One more interesting observation with pic: European Starling appeared above me as I was absent-mindedly stopped under one of the bird houses on poles on the walk to the lake. It was upset because its chicks were hollering from same box. I looked up and saw that it had a large green flying insect and 2 or 3 large caterpillars SIMULTANEOUSLY in its bill! I moved off a bit after taking this pic and the smorgasbord was heartily received by the kids shortly after. Wonder why Starlings are so prosperous? Mass production and just-in-time delivery. ChrisP -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
