Hi All, Yesterday (28 Feb) I went to Allan H Treman State Park to check on the progress of migration (big news: the Northern Pintails - at least 10 - from the day before had all departed, and the Lesser Scaups were the #2 Aythya species in the raft, Canvasback numbers being a tenth of what they had been).
At about 12:25 I noticed a gull standing on the ice in the very corner of the lake, a gull which I thought might be a juvenile Glaucous Gull because it looked very pale, and it had a long pink bill with a small black tip. It had to be bigger than a Herring Gull which was in the foreground, although given the variation in size among Herring Gulls, and that their distance away from each other was small compared to their distance to me, their difference in size may not have been significant. I took a photo of it through my scope then continued viewing it while I waited for a view of its wingtips. When the birds shifted I was disappointed to see its wingtips were not white but light brown, darker than the body generally, which I figured ruled out Glaucous Gull. I also noticed that the darkest and most distinct feature of its plumage was on the row of overlapping feathers on the folded wing which would be the upper inner trailing edge of the wing. Each of these feathers had a long oval of light brown surrounded by white along the length of the feather, and their effect should produce a relatively dark bar next to the trailing edge of the inner wing. I figured this must be an example of the tremendous variation in Herring Gulls - I’ve seen some immatures which are extremely faded in Summer - and I didn’t pay more attention at the time. But late last night as I was writing up details of my list for eBird, I got to wondering if this might be a Glaucous hybrid. I double-checked my Sibley for the Glaucous-like bill on Herring Gulls, and a picture jumped out at me. The first summer Vega (Siberian) Herring Gull most resembled my bird, although the bird I saw was even faded compared to that Sibley plate. I have no experience with Vega Gull, but I’m putting it out there as a possibility, for gull experts to consider. I’m hoping someone has seen this bird or will see it, or can form an opinion from my photo & notes. I never saw the bird’s tail, nor did I see it with spread wings, nor did I see it directly next to another gull, so I apologize for the limited information. Reference to my updated eBird list is below, which also shows up in the Tompkins County rare birds list with less detailed notes. Meanwhile I saw again a banded immature Great Black-backed Gull with a black plastic band on its left leg with white lettering saying “4JF”. This bird was hatched on Appledore Island, home of the Shoals Marine Lab, off the coast of the Maine - New Hampshire border, and this is the second winter I have seen it in Ithaca. Another observer this winter had remarked on how small this bird looked and unlike a Great Black-backed. My photos show that while it may be smaller than another Great Black-backed Gull, it is larger than a couple of Herring Gulls, and it is much larger than a Ring-billed Gull. - - Dave Nutter > From: ebird-checkl...@cornell.edu > Date: March 1, 2021 at 11:00:05 AM EST > To: nutter.d...@mac.com > Subject: eBird Report - NY:TOM:Ithaca: home to Cayuga L: Cass Pk - AHTreman > SMP, Feb 28, 2021 > > NY:TOM:Ithaca: home to Cayuga L: Cass Pk - AHTreman SMP, Tompkins, New York, > US > Feb 28, 2021 9:57 AM - 2:20 PM > Protocol: Traveling > 3.0 mile(s) > Checklist Comments: Walked N on CWT W, BDT, driveway, NYS-89; E on AHTSMP > entrance road; N on walkway to Hangar; N, E, N, & E on Hangar parking lots, > sidewalk, & driveway; N on maintenance building driveway, paved trail, > trampled snow shortcut, & snow/ ice covered gravel path; CW around N Field; S > on ice-covered paved path through & snow-covered grass path E/ N Woods; SW on > trampled snow path across grass field; S on mostly ice-covered paved path; W > along cleared S edge of marina; CW on cleared lane in boat ramp parking lot; > S on CWT E; W across NYS-89 & Turtle Ln S; S on spur & CWT W home. Totally > cloudy, low 40sF, light but increasing S breeze/ wind, liquid FCC except near > marina & bay by college boathouses; Williams Glen Estuary has cut a stream > through the ice in the SW corner of lake; Treman lakeshore generally > ice-free; considerable but deteriorating ice shelf off Stewart Park (Fall > Creek not seen but presumed eroded through ice). Lake calm, low shimmer. > 39 species (+3 other taxa) > > Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 80 ~30 grazing on limited snow-free > part of Union Field; 6 & 10 flying seen from BDT. 3 flying over AHTSMP > marina. Very few & uncounted on lake (sorry, eBird). ~30 flying near golf > course (doubtless more grazing there). > Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 3 2 males & 1 female, all together, in Aythya > raft. > American Wigeon (Mareca americana) 8 4 males & 2 females separate in > Aythya raft, 1 male & 1 female on ice in corner of lake. > Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) X > American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 9 > Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) (Anas platyrhynchos x rubripes) 1 > 1 near SW corner of lake with Mallards & American Black Ducks, like an > American Black Duck with yellow bill and green wash over brow. > Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 0 All Northern Pintails (at least 4 males > & 6 females) from yesterday were gone, solid gone. > Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) 33 33, mostly males but several females, > among Aythya raft in SW part of lake. > Redhead (Aythya americana) 0 Hundreds, majority in raft in SW part of > lake, but I got sick of counting after getting good numbers for several > species (sorry, eBird). > Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 27 25 males & 2 females in/ near raft > in SW part of lake. > Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) 18 14 males & 4 females in/ near Aythya > raft in SW part of lake. > Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 105 Exact count in SW part of lake, all > in/ near raft, 2nd most numerous Aythya after Redheads. > Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 19 2 males & 2 females among > raft (probable undercount), 12 together N/ raft. 2 males & 1 female on FCC > flushed from W side opp Farmers’ Market. > Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) X > Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 3 2 females & 1 non-breeding plumage > male sleeping separate in Aythya raft. > Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 2 2 flying NW > over W Hill seen from BDT. > American Coot (Fulica americana) 24 24 among raft of ducks in SW part of > lake (same number in 2 sweeps). > Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 1 1 heard calling at 1158 behind me as I > scanned ducks from Treman lakeshore. I turned & looked around but only saw a > gull overhead. FOY. > Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) X Several on ice by college > boathouses. Singles scattered elsewhere. > Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) X Scores on Stewart Park ice shelf, > several harassing ducks for food, even those plucking aquatic vegetation. > Herring Gull (Vega) (Larus argentatus vegae) 1 In the SW corner of > Cayuga Lake about 12:25pm I saw standing on the ice a large very pale gull > with a long pink bill with a short black tip like an immature Glaucous Gull. > Before seeing its wingtips I photographed it. Then birds shifted positions > and I saw it had light brown wingtips & a row of overlapping feathers all > alike in the folded wing, each with a light brown lengthwise oval ringed by > white near the tip, that together should produce a dark bar next to the > trailing edge of the inner wing on the top side. I did not see the tail. It > appeared to be slightly larger than an adult Herring Gull which was in the > same view and in the photo, but given that this photo was taken through my > scope and the difference in their distances was a snap proportion of their > distance away from me, and that there is a great deal of variation in Herring > Gull size, this size difference may not be significant. I did not take more > photos or pay much attention to the bird when it appeared not to be a > Glaucous Gull. But I began wondering later if it was a Glaucous hybrid or a > very faded Herring Gull (although the most faded Herring Gulls I’ve noticed > have been in Summer, as i recall), and checking Sibley about bill color on > young Herring Gulls I saw a pretty good match with immature Vega, a variety > of gull with which I have no prior experience. Has anyone else seen such a > gull as this at the Cornell compost piles or at Cayuga Lake, or do birders > more expert than I have an opinion about this bird? Apologies for the late > report & meager documentation. > Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) 1 1 juvenile continuing in SW corner of > lake. > Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) 1 1 breeding plumage adult > resting on ice off Stewart Park. White head, slate gray ( not black) back & > wings, much smaller than adjacent Great Black-backed Gull, & seemingly a bit > smaller than nearby Herring Gulls. Also seen there yesterday. > Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 72 31 on Red Lighthouse > Breakwater, 39 on Stewart Park ice shelf, 2 in nearby Cayuga Lake. Among them > first in SW corner of lake & later on Red Lighthouse Breakwater was immature > with left white-lettered black plastic leg band 4JF, repeat sighting, banded > as chick on Appledore I, Maine. Photos. Said to be small by another observer, > and while smaller than some Great Black-backeds, definitely larger than some > Herrings, and far larger than a Ring-billed. > Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 5 4 remaining on Red > Lighthouse Breakwater after 1 flew SE. > Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1 1 flying SW over marina. > Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2 2 heard W/ BDT near > Linderman Creek. > Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2 1 on tree NW/ 156. 1 in woods > W/ BDT. 1 on Cattails in melting marsh E/ driveway betw BDT & NYS-89. > Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) 1 1 heard in N Woods & seen flying > W & on tree on knoll. > Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2 1 heard W/ BDT. 1 heard unseen > apparently in pine N/ boat ramp parking lot, but only 2 crows flew out. > American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 7 3 separate heard along BDT. 2 > heard from Treman lakeshore. 2 more over AHTSMP. > crow sp. (Corvus sp. (crow sp.)) 3 1 WB over Incodema parking lot & > Cliff St Woods. 2 silently flying SW from pine between boat ramp parking lot > & park office after an unseen Blue Jay screamed there for awhile > (interrupting crows’ early thoughts on nesting?) > Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 4 1 in W yard. 1 in > Linderman Creek gorge. 2 high in tree E/ Hangar. > Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 3 1 heard from 156. 2 seen in woods > near Linderman Creek gorge. > Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 4 1 heard singing SW/ 243 Cliff > perhaps responding to Cardinal songs. 2 singing W/ BDT & 1 in Linderman Creek > gorge. > European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 1 Perched in tree between singing > male Eastern Bluebird and female Eastern Bluebird near potential food. Hmm... > Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 2 1 male singing & 1 female near > Sumacs, near Birding Kiosk & Coach’s Crossing bridge along CWT E. > American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 40 Estimate of Robins in Linderman > Creek gorge, in woods to N, in brush just N & W/ BDT, & in trees, on vines, > on privet, in marsh, on forest floor & at puddles along S end of driveway > betw BDT & NYS-89. > House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 3 1 female on Denmans’ S lawn. 1 heard > in Children’s Garden near Hawthorns & nest box. 1 heard singing S/ AHTSMP > maintenance building. > House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 4 1 male & 1 female flew S up from > driveway to treetop by BDT. 1 male & 1 female later emerged from brush at > bottom of hill on same driveway. > American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 1 1 on Denmans’ S lawn. > Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) (Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis) 1 > 1 on Denmans’ S lawn. > White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 2 2 on Denmans’ S lawn. > Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 8 1 male & 1 female on > Denmans’ S lawn; shortly later 1 male (same?) singing atop tree SW 156 on > slope to Incodema parking lot, another simpler song series of notes from W/ > 243 Cliff (same female?). 1 heard singing near S end BDT; 1 female seen W/ > BDT; 1 male seen singing W/ BDT farther N; 1 E/ driveway betw BDT & NYS-89; 1 > heard singing in N part of Cass Park. 1 singing near N Woods heard from > Treman lakeshore. > > View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S82549119 > > This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home) -- 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/ --
