Sorry for the belated report.  I got back to Cincinnati at about 10:00 pm
on Sunday night, and was quite tired.  Monday was filled with computer
problems and yesterday was too busy to post.  This will address only the
highlights

On my way to Headlands Beach State Park on Saturday morning, 11/04/06, I
stopped for about one hour at Caesar Creek State Park to check on the loon
and waterfowl migration here in southwest Ohio.  I found a total of 6
Common Loons at three locations:  Harveysburg Road, the Beach off Rt 73,
boat ramp north of the beach and Furnas Boat Ramp.  I found a few Horned
Grebes and only two Ruddy Ducks.   Actually, the loon migration is picking
up in southwest Ohio as there were only 1-2 present in the previous two
weekends.

I stopped at Wellington reservoir on my way to HBSP.  This was my first
time ever visit.  Nothing really unusual there, and I did not spend much
time.  Lots of American Coots, quite a few Ruddy Ducks, Gadwall, one drake
Hooded Merganser, a few Horned Grebes, Pied-billed Grebe, about 6
Redheads, and a flock of Canada Geese.

I arrived at Headlands Beach State Park at about 3:30 in the afternoon.
Not the best time for birds.  There was a large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls
in the inlet and bay just east of the jetty to the lighthouse.  I
scannedthem for something unusual, but found nothing.  I walked out to and
beyond the light house, checking for Purple Sandpiper, but no luck.  In
and around the inlet beyond the lighthouse I counted/estimated 60 Horned
Grebes.

Sunday morning, 11/05/06, I met Larry Rosche, Ray Hannikman, Craig Holt
and others.  Larry told me about the immature Black-legged Kittiwake found
on Saturday by John Pogacnik.  Lots of Common Loons flying by and big
flocks of Red-breasted Mergansers.  Obviously, the loon migration has not
yet reached southwest Ohio!  The large Bonaparte's flock was still present
but the light was poor from the jetty.  My first new bird for Ohio for the
year was Snow Bunting.  Latter, I walked out to and beyond the light house
to do a lake watch.  Not long after joining another birder already there,
a Parasitic Jaeger flew into the inlet from the northwest and passed to
right of the end of the jetty beyond the light house.  The other birder,
sorry don't know his name, pointed out that a second, and larger jaeger
went left and headed for a large flock of gull feeding in the wide bay to
the west of HBSP.

The first bird was in my opinion was an adult Parasitic Jaeger, as I could
see the white face and dark cap.  It was a Parasitic Jaeger based on size,
shape and flight pattern.  It was more the size of Laughing Gull than
Ring-billed Gull, somewhat smaller than Ring-billed, with relatively
narrow wings (relative to Pomarine Jaeger and Ring-billed Gull, for
example).  The wings at the base, where connected to the body were more
narrow than the extension of tail and body behind the wings.  No central
tail extensions could be seen on this fly-by.  This first view was in 8x30
binoculars, but the bird was quite close.  In this first view and others
through my telescope, I saw the relatively diffuse brownish gray color
that margins the whitish underparts without streaking and barring. Latter,
this bird came by again and while chasing/harassing  a gull as it wheeled
around it spread its tail, and I could see the two short, sharply pointed
central tail extensions.  This bird had an obvious white flash in the
primaries below and relatively obvious in the upper side of the wing.

The other birder and I got the second larger jaeger in our telescopes.  I
viewed this bird at 20X to 40X as I followed it with my scope.  This bird
was as large as Ring-billed Gull. The wings were relatively broad based
and as wide as the extension of the tail.  It appeared to be an immature
bird as it was brownish on the head, throat, breast and upper belly and
seemed to have some indistinct barring rather than streaking.  In a side
view as it sailed by, it was relatively robust and big bellied rather than
with a more slender body, but there is variability in this for Pomarine
Jaegers, in my experience.  The white flash at the base of the primaries
on the underwing on this bird was double, with a broader white flash in
back and a narrow second white arc in front.  The rump was whitish and
barred.  In my opinion, these field marks are consistent with Pomarine
Jaeger  It was a young bird but I would not be able to say anything more
about its age.

A second smaller jaeger, with similar size, shape and flight pattern also
appeared.  I also viewed this bird at 20X perhaps as much as 40X in my
telescope.  However, this bird was more streaked on the face, throat,
breast and upper belly, indicating an immature bird.  The wings were also
more narrow than the extension behind the wings. I believe that these
observations are consistent with an immature Parasitic jaeger.  This
jaeger and the previous adult were too large bodied, and broad winged for
Long-tailed Jaeger (LTJA).  LTJA is more tern-like in flight with narrow
stream-lined wings and body.

Later, Gary Mesaros joined us beyond the light house.  The jaegers stayed
in the area circling and chasing gulls for about 30 -45 minutes.  When I
returned to the base of the jetty, I met Kevin Metcalf and his field trip.
 It seemed like Kevin and I agreed at the time on the number of jaegers
present and on the ID of these jaegers, as he has previously reported on
Ohio Birds.  Parasitic Jaeger is a new Ohio bird for me!

"Calibration" of ones observations on jaegers is always a concern.  In my
case, my most recent experiences were on The Searcher out of San Diego, CA
September 3 - 6, 2006 on which trip we saw a number of Pomarine,
Parasitic, and Long-tailed Jaegers in several plumages as well as South
Polar Skua, and on three Debi Shearwater pelagic trips October 13, 14 and
15, 2006 out of Bodega Bay and Monterey Bay on which trips we also saw all
three jaegers and South Polar Skua.

Latter, I met Larry Rosche after he and Ray had seen the Black-legged
kittiwake at the fishing pier at Fairport Harbor.  So, I went to Fairport
harbor fishing pier hoping for luck.   When I got to the fishing pier, the
gull flocks were scattered across the harbor, so I scanned them through
binoculars and telescope.  No luck.  However, some early teenage boys were
fishing at the end of the pier and spilled french fires and were throwing
them around.  When they started kicking the fries into the water, a flock
of Ring-billed Gulls can in to the "chum" along with the Black-legged
Kittiwake!  I had point blank views of this immature bird and pulled out
my new digital SLR, Cannon 30 D and fired off six shots.  One came out
good enough to share, and I will when I figure out where to put it, as
Ohio Birding News is not active now.  I'll post to Ohio Birds with the
location when completed.  The kittiwake was a new Ohio and NA year bird
for me, but not a new state bird.

Finally, I went to Sims Park to look for the scoters.  I found a flock of
five Black Scoters with an apparent adult White-winged Scoter and two more
beyond this flock mixed in with Common Goldeneye.  Black Scoter was a new
Ohio year bird for me.

It's a long way from Cincinnati to Headlands Beach State Park, you might
point out.  YEP!  But its tough, next to impossible to see Snow Bunting,
Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Black-legged Kittiwake and Black Scoter
on the same day in southwest Ohio!
Jay

Jay G. Lehman
Cincinnati, OH
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