Greetings - I pulled this excellent tidbit from Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron on the Ontariobirds listserv. 

The majority of Ohio Northern Gannet sightings are of juveniles. However, it looks like ADULTS may (and already are) make a push through the Great Lakes region this fall. 

Ron's info: 

 Will any juvenile Northern Gannets be seen this fall in southern Ontario?
This is the age class normally seen inland (inexperienced young are prone to

wander) along the St Lawrence River, Ottawa River, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie,

etc. However, nesting success was very low this summer on Bonaventure Island

in the Gulf of St Lawrence, which is probably one of the main sources of

juvenile gannets seen here. Olivier Barden of Quebec City reported "Food was

scarce due to high water temperatures, causing adults to travel far from the

colonies, often leaving the young to die. Apparently, the mortality rate of

young at the nest was over 90% this summer at Bonaventure Island." As of 17

October Olivier has seen no juvenile gannets near Quebec City. This could be

the first in many years that no juvenile gannets are seen on Lake Ontario.



Adults: This age class is accidental inland. Olivier Barden wrote "Unusual

numbers of adult gannets wandered deep into the St. Lawrence estuary

starting in late summer. I saw 43 adults and subadults in freshwater on the

south side of Orleans Island (near Quebec City) in mid-August." These

observations fit with Dave Tetlow's sighting on 1 September of an adult

Northern Gannet which flew west past Hamlin Beach State Park on Lake Ontario

near Rochester, New York. Just recently on 13 October, Tony Shrimpton

reported an adult gannet on eastern Lake Ontario flying south at Stoney

Point in Jefferson County , New York. Both of these gannets were close to

Ontario.



For more information about gannets and other seabirds on Lake Ontario.

http://www.jeaniron.ca/2009/La...



Acknowledgement: I thank Olivier Barden of Quebec City for information on

Northern Gannets in Quebec.



Ron Pittaway

Minden ON

JB

Jen Brumfield
Cleveland, OH
Bird illustrator and birding tour guide
[log in to unmask]
www.jenbrumfield.com
www.northnw.wordpress.com


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