Thanks to Greg Miller for posting earlier our subadult Long-tailed Jaeger from Lakewood Park on the west side of Cleveland. I led a Local Patch Birding workshop today with 10 hardcore birders that made it through the early morning NNW winds at 25+ and rain fronts in order to watch the Lake. Around 9:30 a.m. as rain lightened, I picked up on a jaeger working east from Edgewater, headed west into the inclement weather. It battled the winds and made little progress but over the course of 4 minutes it worked west to where it was due north of us. Direct comparison with Ring-billed and Herring Gulls (outflying this bird) showed how contrastingly small and dainty, slender winged, slender bodied, tapered-to-the-rear this individual was. It flew with style reminiscent of a nighthawk (almost exactly). The wings were wholesomely dark above and below with no discernible white flashes, at all. The head was mostly dark and darkish around the nape and onto the collar, but the belly was constrastingly paler. Scope views only. 

A second, more distant jaeger species was observed almost due north, about 25 minutes later, as it headed due west into the winds. Too distant to call, but this bird seemed more Parasitic-like as it was more falcon like with stronger, deeper wingbeats and more direct flight. 

A visit to Burke Lakefront Airport turned up two Buff-breasted Sandpipers. 

JB

Jen Brumfield
Cleveland, OH
Bird illustrator and birding tour guide
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www.jenbrumfield.com
www.northnw.wordpress.com

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