I am not exactly sure where this is but I know it is below the escarpment and perhaps 3/4 mile north of the roosting rocks, where we had the bird yesterday. If it continues to move around to such a degree, it could prove difficult to find. The observers below were looking from the Ontario side. Note the other gulls listed at the end of Bob's note, including the California gull.
Good birding! Willie -----Original Message----- From: ontbirds-boun...@hwcn.org [mailto:ontbirds-boun...@hwcn.org] On Behalf Of Bob and Glenda Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 1:09 PM To: Ontbirds Subject: [Ontbirds] Mew Gull, Queenston Ontbirders It was a bit shocking that we saw absolutely no other birders this morning. Perhaps it was the bitter cold and light snow or perhaps birders were "hung-over" from yesterday's birding. We started at 8 at the overlook spot south of Adam Beck dam, described by Willy in yesterday's post. Could not find the most interesting gulls. So we drove north to Queenston. Just north of the road down to the boat ramp there is an Anglican church. The road parallel to the river at the boat rampmis Princess. We turned right on to the road for the church a very short street before it turns left. There is a nice bluff and overlook of the river at this point. There were large numbers of Ring-bills feeding at this point. Most are just below eye-level affording nice studies. Here, between 9 -9:15 we had excellent flying views of the adult Mew Gull. I was thinking that this might be a different bird from yesterday as it was quite light mantled, lighter than most that I've seen in Ontario, except for one at bronte many years ago. However, upon checking Jean Iron's photos this bird was the same shade of grey on the back, and was similarly almost completely white headed. It was a lovely bird in this view, a little daintier than the Ring-bills with large primary mirrors comprised of two white primary spots, a clear yellow bill and large dark irides. Back at the previous overlook south of Beck at 11 we found the 3rd basic California Gull on the roosting rocks. Most of the other usual suspects: Iceland Gull (~20), Thayer's Gull (3). Lesser black-backed Gull (~9), Little Gull (1) at Queenston etc. Bob Curry and Glenda Slessor 30-3115 New Street Burlington, ON L7N 3T6 905-637-2022 curry.sles...@sympatico.ca _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ontbi...@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
