FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Ky Dam, Jan 24-25, 2004, 6 spp gulls

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx]

Kentucky Dam has a really nice concentration of gulls right now. No telling
how long they will remain; the rest of the lakes area is a relative ghost
town for gulls, although they are sprinkled about the main channels and
bays.  Yesterday, Hap Chambers and I found 6 species (the same 6 I had seen
in about 1/2 hour the evening before.  I went back and forth about how many
I thought were there, but feel pretty good about at least 15,000 birds being
there (Bill Lisowsky estimated at least 10,000 on the 23rd, so that makes me
feel better).

The tally yesterday for within 1/2 to 3/4 mile of the dam (above and below)
was:

Bonaparte's Gull -- 500+
Ring-billed Gull -- circa 14,000
Herring Gull -- maybe 1,000 (rough estimate; there are more than 500, but
1,000 may be a bit high??)
Lesser Black-backed Gull -- at least 3, maybe 4 (1 or 2 adults; 1
3rd-winter; 1 2nd winter)
Thayer's Gull -- 3 (at least 1 adult and 2 1st-winter)
Glaucous Gull -- 2 (1st winters)

NOTES: 

The Bonys are staying away from the virtual hurricane of Ringers immediately
below the hydro portion of the dam and the melee of Herrings and others
downstream of the hurricane, but are surprisingly well distributed around
the dam area for late January.

The Ringers are a surprisingly high percentage of adults. This happens
sometimes and I've never understood whether the young have gone thru and are
farther south or remain farther north?? I suspect they are farther south,
these adults having remained north unless the weather causes them to
retreat??

The Herrings are obviously a good mix of all age-classes and are a great
lesson for anyone wishing to pull our rarities in the "larger" size class.
You watch this group and you'll see Lesser Black-backed looking Herrings,
Great Black-backed looking Herrings, Thayer's looking Herrings, California
looking Herrings, and Western looking Herrings.  

There may be more Thayer's, but the only obviously different individual
(within age classes) is a first-year bird at the light end of the spectrum
(both Hap and I each mistook it on at least one occasion for one of the
first year Glaucous Gulls yesterday); it has a solid tail pattern and mostly
solid tertials, however, and the primaries are still primarily solidly
colored even though the edgings and tips are very broadly edged with frosty
whitish. 

The 2nd year Lesser Black-backed has a neat tail pattern, retaining two
outer pairs from the first-year plumage, but the rest have mottled, smoky
gray smudges in the subterminal region.

One of the Glaucous Gulls has a more light-brown ground color to the body
including the breast and head.

Although access is limited in the dam area due to all of the construction,
the Power House visitor parking lot is actually the best place to be for
viewing. It takes some concentration and persistence to pull some of these
birds out.  I have found that standing on a flat surface and leaning against
a solid object like your vehicle can help keep you from getting so dizzy :o)

bpb, Louisville
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