Greetings birders - 
 
It was a phenomenal morning to be at East 72nd on the Cleveland lakeshore. Thousands upon thousands of gulls were present on the still-too-far-off ice shelf that is creeping south towards shore. When the shelf makes it into the harbor area....it's ON! Strong northwest winds predicted for tomorrow should help the ice move in a bit, making Sunday a predictably good day to get to East 72nd. BE ADVISED that weather conditions in the Greater Cleveland region are currently POOR to MISERABLE, and the forecast is grim for tomorrow, Saturday. Even if roads are clear, a NW wind could create semi-white-out conditions just offshore, making for tough viewing. BE CAREFUL, and good luck to you. Bad weather = good birds, but sometimes the conditions are just downright gross. Be aware that tomorrow's birding here could be semi-rough.
 
The highlight this morning was a single adult BLACK-HEADED GULL that made two swings into the warm water outflow area, allowing for superb looks. A flock of nearly a thousand Bonaparte's Gulls continues just in from the far breakwall, but the birds are mostly content to sit in the water instead of actively feed. However, when a flock of 30 to a hundred Bonies picks up and makes its way into the warm water area, LOOK HARD and FAST, as the birds will be present for only minutes at most until they circle back out towards the far breakwall to once again sit down. Black-headed Gull identification, if you go strictly by the book, is really misleading, actually. More often than not, you will NOT pick up on the deep-blood red bill, NOR will you pick up on the slightly-larger-than-a-Bonaparte's size. Adults in winter (at least during Jan/Feb), DO NOT have black heads...they have a single dark "ear" spot like Bonaparte's. Typically, too, Black-headeds hang out with Bonparte's and move/feed fairly quickly and actively, making looking for a red bill pretty much an invite for a migraine. If you want to pick out a BH Gull from a big flock of Bonies ONLY by size...I suggest you just go home and sit by the fire (grin). For BH Gull you MUST rely on repeated scans looking for the dark black flash UNDER the primaries. The effect is really similar to the easily-apparent Little Gull's black underwing, but the black or extreme dark gray is limited on a Black-headed only to just under the primaries (rest of underwing is white). I really like the illustration of BH Gull in flight, in National Geographic. Check that out. **Beware of extreme light, as very sunny days will produce shadows under the wing and you'll see 500 Black-headed Gulls...if you catch my drift. Many folks are led to believe that a Black-headed Gull is found by looking for it's red bill (Bonie has a black bill). In your ID process, forsake the red bill for actually finding the bird by looking for that black underwing flash. 
 
AWESOME numbers of Iceland and Glaucous Gulls continue. Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers are on the slight rise, after several weeks of absence in good numbers. Thanks to Jerry Talkington and Emil Bacik for helping to get a good grip on counting certain species (Icelands). 
 
NOTE: The term first-winter and first-cycle, second-winter and second-cycle, and so on, are used back and forth; "cycle" is the presently favored/accepted terminology.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
 
Bonaparte's Gull - nearly 1,000
BLACK-HEADED GULL - single adult with Bonaparte's
Ring-billed Gull - abundant
Herring Gull - abundant
Great Black-backed Gull - easily 500+
Lesser Black-backed Gull - (9) at least 6 adults, plus 3 first-cycles
ICELAND GULL - (14+) 5 adults and the rest variable first-cycles and second-cycles of all extremes
GLAUCOUS GULL - (8+) at least 5 adults, 3 first-cycles
THAYER'S GULL - (2) one first-cycle, one second-cycle 
 
**Hybrids: An adult Great Black-backed GullxHerring Gull, AND a possible adult Lesser BBxHerring Gull were both observed today. Be aware that the LBBxHerring is very similar in appearance to an adult California Gull. Also present was a possible 2nd-cycle "Nelson's Gull" - a HerringxGlaucous hybrid (or aberrant Glaucous). Be aware that there is also a gorgeous adult Nelson's Gull (seen last weekend).***
 
**A first-cycle CALIFORNIA GULL was observed here yesterday
 
 
OTHER: American Coot, Mallard, American Black Duck, Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, DC Cormorant, Snow Bunting, Northern Mockingbird, Black-mantled House-Sparrow
 
 
Should you have questions regarding gulls/gulling at East 72nd please email me privately. 
best of birding to you - 
Jen
 
Jen Brumfield
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Sharon Center, OH
 
 
 
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