[Ontbirds]Niagara River - Unusual Birds - Dec 4th, 2007

[Holden Family]

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Birders,

With cold temps keeping the fields frozen, we decided to check the gulls
around the Niagara River. We checked from Queenston to above the falls.
Great numbers of Bonaparte's, Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed
with low numbers of Iceland, Glaucous and Lesser Black-backed Gull.
No Thayer's or Little found. The Gull highlight of the day came in the
afternoon above the falls, here we had:

2 different adult (presumed) Great Black-backed X Herring hybrids - one with
a bright yellow bill and little head streaking, one with a duller bill and
more brownish head streaking
1 3rd Basic (presumed) Great Black-backed X Herring hybrid
1 adult (presumed) Herring X Lesser Black-backed Hybrid - smaller, and with
heavier grayish head streaking vs. the above birds

Hopes of Slaty-backed or other species kept popping up. After four "dark
mantled - pinked legged" hybrid gulls, I was starting to wonder if I was
dreaming! Lots of birds, so something could still be hiding out there!

Another highlight of the day was a mostly white American Crow about 250m
north of the Adam Beck Overlook on the side of the road. I eventually got
some pictures of the bird, which I just posted on my website (link on my
"What's New" page http://www.peregrineprints.com/ind__WhatsNew.htm ) After a
long questioning from a Hydro One worker (as to what we were doing with the
big camera) - he eventually told us that they had seen two of these "white
crows" around the area for a while.

Good Birding!

Brandon and Eric Holden