As Dave posted earlier (thanks Dave!), I saw 5 species of gulls in fields
off Zuber Rd. today across the interstate from the SWACO Landfill (aka the
Franklin County landfill). These included a 1st cycle THAYER'S, a 3rd cycle
GLAUCOUS and 2 (adult and 2nd cycle) LESSER BLACK-BACKED gulls.

Photos of all three species can be viewed in the eBird checklist I
submitted for my visit
  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9705552

or (better option) the annotated photos can be viewed directly via FlickR
at
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljhurtado

Earlier this morning I also had 2 PINE SISKINS in the treetops above the
Greenlawn Cemetery feeders
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljhurtado/6778402267/in/photostream/

a Merlin south of the nearby bridge in Greenlawn, and this very lost
looking buck White-tailed Deer!
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljhurtado/6778402473/in/photostream

If anyone plans to search for the gulls Sunday, check the fields off Zuber
near Seed Rd frequently.  If no birds are present, you can still scope the
landfill from the Zuber Rd -- just be careful as there isn't much of a
shoulder there.  Late morning seems to be a good time to visit the landfill
(birds have time to fly in from their roosting sites) although any time
later in the day might also work just as well.

Another place to find some of these gulls would be to catch them coming and
going from their roost, which presumably include some of the nearby large
lakes or reservoirs (Alum Creek? Deer Creek? Somewhere else???).  I'm not
sure when they leave for the evening, but it would be interested to see
which direction these gulls are heading each evening...

Good birding,
Paul Hurtado

PS: There have been a pair of male Scaup at the Watermark Quarry/Lake south
of the Grandview area in Columbus this past week. It seems some are
reporting one of these as a Greater, but I'm fairly confident it's a
Lesser.  These can be tricky birds to ID, so if anyone is curious in taking
a look I *think* the bird in question is this individual, photographed
today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljhurtado/6778401921/in/photostream/
I'm pretty sure it's a Lesser, but I could be wrong and/or the reports
earlier this week may have been of a different pair of Scaup.

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