Saw one adult Herring gull, 11 bonaparte's gulls and dozens of Ring-billed
gulls on Lake Detroit today. There was one flying 200 yards out that
immediately caught my eye. It was small (bonaparte's or forster's tern size)
and had very dark wings. It had a very shallow wing beat, almost not flapping.
I got binoculars on it for about two seconds before it flew out of sight
behind a point. It had a black leading edge on the wings and light behind. I
didn't notice if it had a dark trailing edge. My initial thought was Black
Tern based on size, color and the way it flew. I haven't seen one since
summer. Is this too late? The immiture black kittiwake in Sibley's guide
looks similar, but I have no idea how they fly. Is this possible? Anybody in
the area birding keep a watchful eye. It was much darker than the bonaparte's
IMO. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the lake stays unfrozen until the CBC on Dec.
19?
Also on the lake were a handful of each; common goldeneyes, redheads, mallards.
One brown creeper along the shore.
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