Thanks to Andy Guthrie for posting this to GeneseeBirds earlier. The first winter FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen from Artpark State Park in Lewiston, NY from 2:15 to 2:45 this afternoon. Take the upper entrance (off of Portage Street) into the park, stay to your left, and drive to a small parking lot by the river. Walk the trail that goes south toward the Lewiston Queenston Bridge. The Franklin's Gull was first seen about 150 yards from the parking lot, mainly working along the NY shore but could have been easily seen from the Ontario side (walk upriver from the Queenston boat ramp). If searching for this gull, other places to check include the power plants (Adam Beck overlook or NY Power Vista), the Whirlpool (Spanish Aero Car or Whirlpool State Park), or even below the falls. Watching the Bonaparte's Gulls fly out of the river onto Lake Ontario at dusk may also work. There were not a lot of Bonies here, perhaps less than a hundred in the narrowest stretch of the river below the Lewiston Queenston Bridge. There were also very few at the Whirlpool and none below the falls. There were many at the power plants, however.
We also made a quick check at Goat Island, which is between the American and Canadian Falls on the NY side. There were no Bonaparte's Gulls below the falls and we did not have time to make a thorough check above the falls. However, I was still able to count nine LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS roosting in the shallows just off of Goat Island and above the Three Sisters Islands. Of special interest were three juveniles all sitting together. I don't think I have ever seen three juvenile Lessers in one day before, much less all together. The others were five adults and one second winter. Good birding! Willie ------------------ Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com <http://www.betsypottersart.com/> _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
