The highlight of my day birding with Jim Pawlicki was an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL in breeding plumage (full hood) on the lower Niagara River. We first saw the bird about 1:30 p.m. flying downriver and landing with a raft of Bonaparte's Gulls, from above the Lewiston (NY) boat ramp (the foot of Center St). Later, with Bill Watson, we had it foraging from the small parking lot at Artpark State Park right next to the river and the trail-heads. The conspicuous metal piece of art, which formerly one could walk on, is located about 100 yards downriver from this spot. This location is upriver from the Lewiston boat ramp, right about where the narrow section of the river ends. Birders looking from the Ontario side of the river can try the Queenston boat ramp - look upriver, to your right, for the spot where we had the bird foraging (or walk upriver from the boat ramp). Alternatively, try going downriver a mile or two to look for rafting Bonaparte's Gulls. Many of the Bonaparte's Gulls (a few thousand here) have varying degrees of incomplete black hoods but about 10% or so have relatively complete hoods. This might help to make relocating this bird a little easier. Also, in this area of the river were 8 LITTLE GULLS (probably more) and two immature ICELAND GULLS. Still plenty of LONG-TAILED DUCKS with their wonderful calls here.
Elsewhere, Jim and I had a singing VESPER SPARROW on Hulbert Road in the Town of Wilson, NY. Looking out on Lake Ontario from home, we had 105 RED-THROATED LOONS, 3 COMMON LOONS, about a dozen RED-NECKED GREBES, a second basic GLAUCOUS GULL, and a pair of SURF SCOTERS, as well as many other species of ducks. Off of Fort Niagara State Park, I had three SURF SCOTERS, two adult males and one female. Around home lately, PINE SISKINS can be heard calling and singing all day. Today, Jim saw mate-feeding but as of yet, no stronger evidence of breeding has been detected. Good birding! Willie ---------- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
