Lake-watching highlights during the NE winds and misty conditions this morning (26 October) along the Lake Ontario shore at Olcott and Fort Niagara State Park in Niagara County:
Olcott (8:30 to 9:00): Northern Gannet - 1 juv. (about 150 yards out heading west at 8:50; I later caught up with the bird at Wilson Harbor at 9:05 and then again at Old Lake Rd. along Route 18 in the town of Porter at 9:15. Coincidentally enough at Old Lake Rd. it stalled and plunged dived in front of me only to surface next to what looked like an old white detergent bottle; it then sat on the water for about a minute and half before continuing west) Pomarine Jaeger - 1 dark/intermediate juv. (about 200 yards out sitting on the water and occasionally making short flights chasing a Ring-billed Gull) Dunlin - 60 (two flocks heading east) Fort Niagara State Park (9:35 to 12:30): Parasitic Jaeger - 2-3 intermediate to dark juvs. (at least six different sightings most which were out over the lake chasing Bonaparte's Gulls, but on two occasions birds were observed over land with at one point two birds were about 50 feet overhead and heading inland to the SW) Pomarine Jaeger – 2 intermediate and intermediate/dark juvs. (at least 4 different sightings with all birds out over the lake giving brief chases to Bonaparte's Gulls and once a Herring Gull) Dunlin - 635 (all heading east in about a dozen flocks ranging from 5 to 200 individuals) Sanderling - 3 (heading east with 65 Dunlin) Ruddy Turnstone - 1 (east with 200 Dunlin) Brant - 211 (all heading west in three flocks with the last two flocks putting down across the river on the lawn at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake [Ontario]) In addition to the above, also moving were 1200+ DC Cormorants in numerous flocks heading west, along with upwards of 80 Common and 4-6 Red-throated Loons that were both on the water and in the air. Also seen were several each of Horned Grebe, White-winged Scoter, and Long-tailed Duck. On the way back south, a brief stop Goat Island in Niagara Falls turned up 75 N. Rough-winged, 2 Tree, and 2 Barn Swallows feeding over the rapids just out from Three Sister Islands. Across the river on the Ontario side were 27 Dunlin running around on the south end of the control structure breakwall, along with a Sanderling that was on rocks about mid-river. Also 2 late Blackpoll Warblers were in amongst a small flock of songbirds just downstream of Three Sisters. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
