We made a short but very satisfying trip along the Cleveland east
lakefront today (Dec. 19) between 1 and 2:30 PM. First stop was Gordon
Park where we quickly found the female Long-tailed Duck reported
yesterday and then spotted an EARED GREBE in with 8 Horned Grebes.

At the E. 55th marina we found 10 Gadwall and a Pied-billed Grebe among
the  waterfowl collected there. We didn't spend a lot of time looking
for unusual gulls but noted several Great Black-backed Gulls near by and
saw only a few Bonaparte's Gulls.

Proceeding west along North Marginal Drive we found a pair of Hooded
Mergansers in the lee of the impoundment behind Cleveland Public Power
and had an adult Bald Eagle in a bare tree behind the Whale Wall there.

Continuing west, at the east end of Burke Airport we were surprised to
find a Short-eared Owl interacting with a Northern Harrier. Scanning the
lights along the runways turned up two American Kestrels and we found an
immature Red-tailed Hawk on a light pole along the Shoreway.

Heading for home, we detoured through Lake View Cemetery where we found
a male Merlin in an oak tree near the maintenance area close to the
ponds where we'd had one on our Christmas Bird Count on Saturday.(This
is the fourth year in a row for a Merlin wintering in this spot.)
Including the Cooper's Hawk found earlier on our street in Cleveland
Heights, it was a six raptor day.

Dick & Jean Hoffman
Cleveland Heights

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