Hi all
I hope you don't mind this post.
Regards
Marcie Jacklin
________________________________________
From: [email protected] [[email protected]]
on behalf of James Pawlicki [[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2013 7:00 AM
To: geneseebirds-l
Subject: [GeneseeBirds-L] Glaucous-winged Gull in Niagara County
Late yesterday afternoon I came across an interesting white-winged gull at the
Modern Landfill (garbage dump) property in the town of Lewiston. Long story
short, after the first 5 minutes of observation it became clear that the bird
appeared to be a bonafide juvenile/1st-winter Glaucous-winged Gull. Views of
the bird were had in-flight and sitting as it foraged with approx. 2,000
Herring and Ring-billed Gulls (plus 3 Glaucous, 3 Iceland, and 4 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls). Everything that was seen on the bird was either typical of
or well within the range of variation of first-cycle Glaucous-winged Gull.
Shortly after I phoned Willie D'Anna and we both observed it for another 10
minutes from near the complex property at the intersection of Pletcher and
Harold roads, and It was last seen circling overhead and then headed off the
proptery to the SW in the direction of the Niagara River/Lewiston Reservoir.
My best (iphone scoped) shot of the bird
here:www.flickr.com/photos/jmpawli10<http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmpawli10>
While I was viewing the bird, and and again later after Willie D'Anna arrived
we had conversations with Modern Landfill employees who were extremely paranoid
about viewing the property and asked us to leave. There is a drive-way and
vacant lot across the street from the fenced-off/gated entrance from which we
were originally viewing, but were later told that these areas are privately
owned by Modern Corp. (despite no signs/fencing, etc.) For the time being,
the viewing here is extremely limited and less than ideal (distant), but
perhaps still doable from the road shoulders (which are public property, but
somewhat dangerous to stand here and view).
Regardless I am hoping that others birding the Niagara River and vicinity will
be on the lookout for this bird. Ideally it will turn up in a much more
viewing/accessible location along the lower Niagara River (Devil's Hole State
Park or Power Plants) or perhaps on the Lewiston Reservoir which is where many
of the dumps gulls travel to loaf and roost when not at the dump.
Jim Pawlicki
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