With memories of the 13 Whimbrel that landed on the spit at Myers during a rain storm a couple of years ago, I drove out there at first light this morning to see what I could see. A lone Semipalmated Plover was foraging at the water's edge. And picking through the hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls, a couple of juvenile Black-backed, and several herring Gulls hunkered down in the rain, I noticed three Bonaparte's Gulls. While looking for more Bonaparte's (and possible LIttle Gull), I noticed one gull with a dark ear spot and what I thought initially was the beginning of a black hood. Then I noticed that its bill was pale yellow and that it was nearly the same size as the neighboring Ring-billeds - and that the black on the back of the head was actually a partial collar. At that point I started taking pictures and sent the word out. Tim Lentz arrived shortly thereafter and confirmed that it was a Black-legged Kittiwake. Given the steady rain, I would not be surprised if it remained on the spit for this morning at least.
Bob McGuire -- 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/ --
