Greetings all - 
Friday's NNE winds really brought a fantastic number and variety of birds to the north-central and NE coast of Ohio. This morning, off of Edgewater State Park (just west of Cleveland), at least 6,000 Ring-billed and 2,000 Bonaparte's Gulls, plus 1,000+ Herring Gulls were staging offshore in feeding lines. Three (3) POMARINE JAEGERS (immature-types) were creating a frenzy far offshore of Edgewater (scope required). I was hardly at Edgewater for 15 minutes when a call came in from Irene Krise, that Jerry Talkington had found a first-year LITTLE GULL at Eastlake Power Plant. I arrived to find them sifting through foraging flocks of at least 2,500 Bonaparte's. Half of the birds were in their air feeding and the other half were resting on calm waters just offshore of the hotwaters. Keen on re-finding the Little Gull, I began scoping the sitting Bonie flocks and was shocked when I landed on a black-naped adult SABINE'S GULL. The dark bill with a pale yellowish tip, smaller overall size and shade-darker mantle were observed well. Multiple times the flocks were spooked by passing fisherman's boats, and the incredible black-and-white wing pattern was observed by many. At least 35 folks were able to see the bird on the water (through the scope) and in flight. Thanks to Greg Miller for posting. A single White-winged Scoter was present just offshore, and passing lines of Red-breasted Mergansers, and scattered Common Loons and Horned Grebes were also present. A flock of 30 and then 2 Snow Buntings came off the lake and flew south overland. 
best of birdingjb

Jen Brumfield 
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Cleveland, Ohio
330-701-6452
                                          
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