Today was the stuff the September lakewatching dreams are made of along the south shores of Lake Erie.  The weather forecast featured storms both on and offshore and sustained NW winds at 25+ throughout the morning.  I awoke to find it raining hard at home, so I took the luxury of watching the lake from our covered balcony in Sheffield Lake until 9:00 AM.  There were hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls gathering far offshore, and in their midst - 12 BLACK TERNS.


Black Tern is a species of historical abundance in our region, when it bred in the state, but in recent decades usually appears in small flocks at inland reservoirs and marshes during migration.  For this reason, the concentration of birds offshore at Lorain over the past week - peaking at 150 for Jen Brumfield and I last Sunday, has surprised me greatly.


Also passing home was a 2nd-yr/adult LITTLE GULL, flying head-first into the wind, so I was able to keep this spiffy gull with coal black underwings in the scope for several minutes as it passed to the west.  When the rain cleared, I headed straight to Lakeview Park in Lorain, but most of the gulls had already dispersed for the day.  Late afternoon is best here, when the birds come in to roost.


Upon arrival at the impoundment, there was exactly one shorebird present on the mud islands - a beautfully scalloped juvenile WILSON'S PHALAROPE.  I watched the bird for several minutes before it lifted off toward to east, a theme which carried over to the rest of the day.  Today was a movement day, and these birds were not dawdling for long.  I began lakewatch vigil along the north side of the impoundment, accompanied by the friendly, local WHIMBREL.  Mentioned many times in previous list-serve postings, this bird is uncharacteristically bold, and has been hanging out right on the path at the impoundment all week.

At 11:30, I spotted a small jaeger coming in from the east, just above the waves, and no more than 100 yards offshore.  My heart began to race, but deep-down I prepared for the inevitable failure I've met in my quest for September Long-tailed Jaeger many times before.   However, this bird immediately felt, looked, and acted differently than those many young Parasitics I've viewed both on and offshore over the years.  Could it be?? And it was!  A intermediate juvenile LONG-TAILED JAEGER!  This bird passed so close, that within the scope, I could clearly count only two white primary shafts on both wings.  The projection of the body and tail beyond the wings were immense, far exceeding the width of the wing base, culminating in long blunt-tipped retrices.  The body was beautifully sleek and slender, lacking the "chesty" front-heavy look of the larger jaegers.  The underwings and under tail were dark, not rich brown, and barred with white.  I found the bird
 to be intermediate because it had a brownish wash to the head and brownish breast band.  And then there was the way it acted: ist flight was not as purposeful as other jaegers, with shallower wingbeats, and more bouyancy, almost reminiscent of the Black Terns I've enjoyed watching over the past week.  Just the way I'd always wanted to see a Long-tailed Jaeger - a nemesis no more!

I abandoned the lakewatch, elated, shortly thereafter, and opted to check the mudflats once more before leaving.  I was immediately delighted to see a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was now present on the close flat.  I swung my binocs to the far one - an American Golden-Plover had dropped in, annnnnnd, whaaaaat?  Right in the middle of the mudflat sat a dainty, brown-backed juvenile SABINE'S GULL!!!  I opted to stay back a ways and make a couple phone calls, hoping to get others on the bird.  And boom, over passed a Bald Eagle, up went the bird and it didn't hesitate heading back to the lake and off to the east.  Morale of that story - photos first, and Facebook second!  I stayed around about an hour longer, which paid off when a Black Tern came in to rest and feed, and the phalarope was still present when I left.
That was a lot of words, but the adrenaline is still pumping a bit.  Days like these make the fruitless hours staring at an empty lake worthwhile.  And no bird has ever made me work harder than Long-tailed Jaeger.  Cheers, little buddy...thanks for letting me in :-)

Gabe Leidy
Sheffield Lake

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