FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Gulls on the move

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx]

The lack of gulls on the LBL CBC reported by Mark Bennett was probably
rectified today . . .

While participating on the Louisville CBC today, I decided to make the most
of the conditions by sitting in the truck and just watching what was passing
by along the river. Light to moderate snow showers kept most birds grounded
thru late morning, but once the cloudy skies broke into partial sun and the
frigid wind kept howling, an incredible movement of birds, mostly gulls,
developed. The sky above the river was a virtual river of gulls, coming
mostly in small groups, occasionally 50-75. There was never a moment when a
few birds were not visible, ALL moving downstream (south-southwest).

In about two hours of watching I tallied the following:

1000+ Ring-billed Gulls (I should have kept count, but didn't)
26 Herring Gulls (probably more, but I couldn't discern all the adults -- in
the morning there were NONE on the river from the Falls upstream for several
miles and I never saw one alight on the water . . . ALL were moving and kept
moving).
20 Bonaparte's Gulls (again, NONE had been around in the morning, but a few
of these stopped to rest)
1 Double-crested Cormorant
1 flock of Mallards (15-20 birds)
1 flock of 22 Canada Geese
1 flock of 24 Sandhill Cranes
2 flocks of Aythya ducks (looked like scaup sp. + either Canvasback or
Redhead -- something bigger)
1 + 1 + 1 Bald Eagles (ad, 4th year, juv)
1 flock of ca. 25 Lapland Longspurs.

This was a pretty neat tally, mostly from one spot at Cox's Park just
upstream from the city, but I was a bit surprised not to see a few more
ducks and some field birds like larks and pipits moving.

All in all it turned out to be a pretty interesting way to take advantage of
the 15-25 mph NW winds with temps in the low 20s!

Other birds of interest I saw today were 2 mixed-species flocks of scaup
(both with 9 Greaters), 2 Least Sandpipers and 2 Mute Swans (which have been
around for several weeks) at the water company ponds, and a female Black
Scoter at the local spot we call "Towhead Island."


bpb, Louisville






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