I did a lakewatch at Lake Erie Bluffs in Lake County this morning, 7:30-9:30, (10/30). It was pretty breezy out of the west. Gulls were moving west in good numbers before sunrise. loons also moved earlier in the morning. Waterfowl never moved until after 8:30 and then it was only small groups. Birds of note were a BRANT flying west in a group of close to 120 cormorants. It was in the rear of the flock. Also of note were 2 SURF SCOTERS and a RED-THROATED LOON. Things slowed down considerably by 9:30.


Lake Erie Bluffs Metropark--Lane Rd., Lake, Ohio, US
Oct 30, 2017 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     Partly to mostly cloudy with strong west winds 15-25mph.
21 species (+1 other taxa)

Brant  1     A single brant was flying at the tail end of a flock of close to 12 double-crested cormorants. The head looked all black and the black extended into the upper chest rather than just the neck in Canada goose. The bird appeared grayish overall and was noticeably smaller than the accompanying cormorants. Belly was pale.
Gadwall  2
Mallard  3
Surf Scoter  2
Bufflehead  2
Red-breasted Merganser  27
Red-throated Loon  1     One bird flying east low over the water. Noticeable down-turned wingbeat and smaller sliimmer profile.
Common Loon  22
Horned Grebe  8
Double-crested Cormorant  327
Turkey Vulture  2
Bald Eagle  7     2 adults and 5 immatures
Bonaparte's Gull  513
Ring-billed Gull  2270
Herring Gull  680
Great Black-backed Gull  1
American Crow  3
Tree Swallow  1
American Robin  6
Snow Bunting  7
White-throated Sparrow  11
blackbird sp.  120


John Pogacnik

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]