While we were finishing dinner in our glass-roofed conservatory, I saw a crow-sized bird soar in and begin circling overhead. Hoping for a raven, I grabbed the binocs at hand and was as happy to see it was a BROAD-WINGED HAWK (not a new yard bird but first of year for me and for yard). It circled several times giving great looks at the tail before sailing off to the east up West Meadow Dr Lansing.
Shortly after 2 WOOD DUCKs flew over (they were in the creek a couple weeks back). I went out to see what other goodies would appear when what to my wondering eyes but about 50 RING-BILLED GULLs flying in an almost perfect goose-like V (somewhat flatter than the typical goose pattern) on their way back to the lake for the night. This is the biggest organized gull group I’ve ever seen. I have had small well-formed V’s of a dozen or so gulls pass over in the past (not this year) but at first glance up I thought ‘wow what are those snow geese doing here now?’. ChrisP -- 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/ --