Just a few details on the adult "North American" MEW GULL (L.c.
brachyrynchus) seen by Jay Powell, Mike Klimeczko, and myself at the whirlpool
on the
lower Niagara River from Whirlpool State Park (US) this afternoon.
We saw the bird from roughly 12:55 to 1:20 pm feeding amongst a couple
dozen Herring and Ring-billed Gulls at the eastern end of the whirlpool--it
was relatively easy to pick out amongst the few birds present based on the
small body size, darker gray mantle, and large white mirrors on P9 and P10.
After getting the bird in the scope, the white subterminal spots ("string
of pearls") on P6-P8 were visible, clearly indicating a "North American" Mew
Gull over a "European" Common Gull. Everything else about the bird,
including mantle darkness, extent of tertial crescent, head streaking, eye
color, and bill size, color, and shape was consistent with "North American"
Mew
Gull and matched the features of the Mew Gull found by Willie D'Anna and
Betsy Potter on the roosting rocks off of Devil's Hole State Park last
Sunday. While watching the bird, I called Bill Watson and he told me about
suspected "European" Common Gull that was seen about an hour earlier at the
roosting rocks further downstream by Dean DiTomasso and Jean Iron. I don't
have any other details on that bird and suspect that more details will be
provided. After observing the Mew Gull off and on for about 20 minutes we last
saw the bird feeding in the vicinity of the whirlpool outflow and suspected
that it either sat down on the rocks or water out of view or continued
further downstream. We then headed downstream to check the roosting rocks
from Devil's Hole State Park and did not see the suspected Common Gull or the
Mew Gull, nor did others on the Canadian side to our knowledge.
After checking Lewiston, we headed back to Whirlpool State Park in the late
afternoon, and spotted a distant "darker-mantled" Gull on the water that
was initially taken to be the Mew Gull, but once we got the bird in the
scope and it started flying around, it was quickly apparent that it was a
"darker-mantled"-type Herring Gull or perhaps a Herring x L. Black-backed Gull
hybrid although I could not see anything else on the bird other than mantle
darkness that suggested possible LBB Gull influence.
I also thought it would be worth mentioning that while scoping the area
above the falls from the 3 Sisters Islands on Goat Island earlier in the
morning, we saw a hen Goldeneye that sported what appeared to be a completely
yellow bill, in the rapids about mid-river and in the vicinity of the shelf
that have often been frequented by Purple Sandpipers. More specifically
the location is the pool just downstream from the set of rocks with the large
shrubby tree--the Goldeneye was there amongst a hen Common and 2-3 Common
Mergansers. At that distance it was hard to precisely determine head
shape, but I personally felt that it was "acceptable" for Barrow's (but my no
means definitive to say the least). In recent years though many of these
yellow-billed Goldeneyes on the Niagara River have turned out to be
yellow-billed Commons, although this bird is certainly worth a second look for
those
interested.
Jim Pawlicki
Amherst, NY
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