Glaucous Gull - 10 Feb 2012
I took a ride by the antennae farm just south of the SGA, and found a female Northern Harrier sitting close to the road. It took off and flew toward the car, but veered away so that I was unable to get any photos of it from the driver side.
I then parked at the Mouillee Creek entrance and rode the Middle Causeway toward the Banana Unit. My first Red-winged Blackbirds of the year were singing "konk-la-ree" near the parking lot. Ring-billed Gulls were actively flying along Mouillee Creek, but I was unable to turn up any other type of gull. Mallards and Canada Geese were the majority in the Walpatich Unit, but I managed a few Redhead Ducks and a single Bufflehead.
The Humphries Unit held hundreds of American Coot, at least three Green-winged Teal, and a few more Canada Geese. A half-dozen Mute Swans were roosting on the ice near the SW corner of the Vermet Unit, and another half-dozen Tundra Swans were found near the SE corner. A pair of Bald Eagles were roosting in their typical haunt in the middle of the unit.
Cell 4 was open, and Lesser Scaup, Redhead and American Black Duck busy scattering from the near shoreline. It was not hard to notice that some of the Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls were already sporting their dashing breeding whites - really quite beautiful!
I scanned the mudflats of Cell 3 for the Snowy Owl, but failed to find anything w/ feathers. I left the bike and walked around the east shoreline of Cell 3, and was able to see 30 Great Black-backed Gulls along the lakeshore and out on the small mudflats midway toward the SE corner of the cell. I photographed this (presumed) 1st-cycle Herring Gull near the shore, but have some doubts as to its origin. The beak seems a bit large, and suggests a possible GBBG X Herring Gull hybrid.
Luckily, I was quickly distracted by this 1st-cycle Glaucous Gull that came flying in from the lake. I sanpped several frames as it banked to the south and landed among a few Herring Gulls swimming near shore. Note the dark eye and black-tipped bill, white wings and tail. Quite a magnificent bird - I couldn't help but think of Dad at this moment. I Miss You!
I rode back to the car, and then headed north for home. I stopped momentarily at Riverside Park and found a half-dozen Common Merganser males swimming near the boat launch, but was unable to get any worthwhile photos. I continued on to Pt. Mouillee HQ, where I managed a few frames of a Greater Scaup that was swimming near shore.
After leaving the parking lot I stopped for a few minutes at the gate and threw out some seed. A Black-capped Chickadee landed on my mirror, and would've flown into the car if I had seed in my hand to offer.
Four White-throated Sparrows, several Dark-eyed Juncos, and a single American Tree Sparrow were unconcerned w/ my presence. The two-dozen Northern Cardinals were a bit more pensive, but offered numerous photos from just a few feet away.
Feb 10, 2012 7:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
8.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Remembering Dad and the gull attributed to him. Temps in the mid 20's, cloudy, cold
21 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 24
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 6
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 6
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 24
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 3 Humphries Unit; small gray dabblers w/ tan tail, red head and green mask; 2 males, 1 female showing green speculum. Distinctive
Redhead (Aythya americana) 16
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis) 24
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 1
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 6
American Coot (Fulica americana) 250 Humphries Unit; large raft of white-billed black birds. Numbers in the 1000's are typical this time of year.
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 6
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 6
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 29 Large black-backed white-headed gulls along Lake Erie shoreline next to Cell 3 and small mudflats ; toward SE corner of Cell 3. Exact count
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) 1 was quickly distracted by this 1st-cycle Glaucous Gull that came flying in from the lake. I sanpped several frames as it banked to the south and landed among a few Herring Gulls swimming near shore. Note the dark eye and black-tipped bill, white wings and tail.
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 4
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 3 singing "konk-la-reee' near Mouillee Creek parking lot. First of season! Black birds w/ hint of red epaulets on wires and snags along middle causeway
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 24
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
