Many birders were on the Erie Basin Marina tower in Buffalo this morning and several were on the Ontario side at the parking area opposite the old fort but the BROWN BOOBY was not seen today until around 2:00, when it was found by Brandon Holden from the Ontario side. The birders on the Erie Basin Marina tower were eventually able to find it on the northern end of Donnelly's pier (above the obvious sand spit) around 2:15. Viewing was difficult because, despite our height above the bird, it was on the back side of the wall and frequently not visible to us at all. We had to wait for it to lift its head or flap its wings to see it. After 15 minutes or so, we watched it fly well out into the lake and join a large feeding frenzy of gulls and cormorants, eventually getting so far out (a mile?) that no one could stay on it as it mingled with the other birds. We saw it do two plunge-dives before losing it! It was refound by others on the Reef Lighthouse (the decrepit metal structure to the right of the water intakes or to the left for Ontario viewers) with many cormorants. This pattern of appearing on Donnelly's pier in the afternoon, then being found on the Reef Lighthouse near dusk (presumably to roost for the night) has been repeated at least twice.
My apologies to Geneseebirds subscribers who have read most of this already. Good birding! Willie ------------------ Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com <http://www.betsypottersart.com/> 2013 Big Year: http://www.betsypottersart.com/willie-s-photos/2013-big-year/ Big Year List: http://www.happtech.com/BigYearDanna/CurrentList/ShowCurrentListTable.aspx Odenates: http://www.betsypottersart.com/willie-s-photos/dragonflies -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
