OHIO-BIRDS Archives

November 2011

OHIO-BIRDS@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Leidy Gabe <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Leidy Gabe <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:05:28 -0800
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (23 lines)
I paid a late afternoon visit to Lorain, but never even made
Hey all -

I paid a late afternoon visit to Lorain, but never even made it to the actual harbor.  An immense concentration of medium/large (Ring-billed/Herring) gulls just SOUTH of the bridge caught my eye, and I pulled behind the newish condos on the east side of the river to scan.  Immediately, I picked up a flying bird only ~1/3 way across the river that jumped at me as a Slaty-backed -type.  The bird was very aggressive, pausing a couple times to bully other gulls, and to rest on the water.  Unfortunately, the light was fading fast, and I lost it, but can only assume that it continued under the bridge and toward the harbor (north).  The bird's size, mantle shade, and overall coloration seperated it immediately.  It was quite large & bulky - intermediate in size between Herring & Great Black-backed Gull, and the mantle shade was also intermediate - a charcoal gray, just a shade lighter than Lesser Black-backed Gull to my eye.  The head was streaked
 blurrily, concentrated around the eye.  Unfortunately, I was not able to make out the "string of pearls" with a pretty good look at the wingtips, and all that I could see of the underwing was a grayish trailing edge.  The bird could have been a hybrid, of course, and my look was less than satisfactory with no photographic evidence.  However, this gull was so distinct and so reminiscent of this species to me, that I wanted put the word out there for others who may be in the area.  

The sheer number of birds here at the moment makes it worth the trip.. There were a couple adult Lesser Black-backed on this stretch of river, as well.  Another access point is the city park with pavillion on the west side of the river.

Good birding -
Gabe Leidy 
Sheffield Lake


______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

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

ATOM RSS1 RSS2