Larus gull ID - 26 Mar 2006
I took a bike ride along the dikes this afternoon, starting at Siegler Rd and looping around the Middle Causeway to Cells 3-4 and back along the Huron River/Long Pond trail.
A Bald Eagle was on the nest along the north shore of the Huron River directly across from the Siegler Rd parking lot.
Several hundred Mute Swans were in the Long Pond unit.
Pied-billed Grebes, American Coots, Red-wings, and Marsh Wrens actively singing throughout.
Duck numbers kinda thin, but most all species were represented - Ring-bills, Redheads, Shovelers, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Common Mergansers, Canvasback, Blue-winged Teal Mallard, but no Pintails or Green-winged Teal seen.
Muskrats actively feeding all over, and Canada Geese making use of their dens for nest sites.
Song Sparrows only sparrows seen.
Dozen or so Rusty Blackbirds showed up at the parking lot as I left (around 5:30pm).
I stopped at Cell 4 and found a large contingent of gulls along the sand spit near the west shore. I thought this might be a good time to work on gull ID since both Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls were in breeding plumage. Quite handsome both were.
As I scoped birds I found several 1st winter birds that did not appear to be either Herring or RB Gulls. I was right. I found one single Lesser Black-backed Gull
and 3 Greater Black-backed Gulls. I was able to get ID confirmations by posting to the bird forums.
Mar 26, 2006 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.0 mile(s)
22 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 2
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) 2
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 2
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) 2
Redhead (Aythya americana) 2
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) 2
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 2
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 2
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
American Coot (Fulica americana) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 2
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 3 2nd winter bird?
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) 1 gull w/ dark mask over eye.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 2 Long Pond Unit. Several birds actively singing
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
