Of Loons and Little Gulls - 22 Nov 2023

On this day before Thanksgiving 2023 skies were cloudy, misty and winds were nonexistent; conditions not favorable for a raptor flight here at the Detroit River Hawk Watch. But, we did get a couple of Red-tailed Hawks pass overhead.

Though the hawks weren't flying we did see 3 loons flying over Lake Erie. One would swim in the channel in front of Celeron Island and would be later identified as a Pacific Loon!

Bonaparte's Gulls continue to fly up and down the channel in front of the counters.

And, after several days absence, our Little Gull reappeared out in the middle of the channel. It disappeared after just a few moments.

I would leave the hawk count at noon. Just a handful more birds would be seen in the afternoon including another Golden Eagle.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 22, 2023 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Detroit River Hawk Watch
3 species (+1 other taxa)

Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus)  1     Continuing. Smaller than Bonaparte's Gull w/ black inner wing lining. Photos.
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  6
loon sp. (Gavia sp.)  3     flying across Lake Erie to the south of hawk watch. Presumed Common Loons but one was reported as a Pacific Loon.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S158336940

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)