Saturday March 25th - Black-legged Kittiwake

 

Saturday March 25th – Black-legged Kittiwake

          A Black-legged Kittiwake had been hanging around at the Spitzer Riverside Marina in Lorain, Ohio for more than a week and was seen by many birders.  Mike and I had actually gone to chase this bird the previous Sunday without success.  Since so many people had found the bird, we decided to give it one more try.

          We drove 1 ½ hours to Lorain, pulled up to the marina and immediately saw the kittiwake floating by itself really close by.  Mike was able to get some great pictures, and it was worth the trip.  This is only the second time we have seen a Black-legged Kittiwake in Ohio.  The previous time was in 2015.

          A Black-legged Kittiwake is a type of gull that gets its name because of the shrill sound of its call “kittee-wa-aaake”.  A kittiwake is a small gull and the breeding adults are pale gray above with black wingtips, white below and a yellow bill. The legs are jet black.  Juveniles are quite striking: white overall, with a black M pattern across the upper wing visible in flight.  They also have a gray or black collar across the back of the neck, a black tail tip and a black bill.

          They nest on seaside cliffs in arctic and subarctic regions.  Kittiwakes are true pelagic seabirds, spending most of their lives on the open ocean, only touching land during the nesting season.  The kittiwake is a rare bird throughout the interior of the United States.

                                           Black-legged Kittiwake (juvenile)

                                           Another view


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January Summary

Image
  February 1 st           The first month of our Birding Big Year has drawn to a close.   Mike and I have worked hard to find the important winter target birds as well as some rarities.  We are pleased with our progress.   Here is a list of the winter target birds that we have found:           Snow Goose                                           Snowy Owl           Ross’s Goose                                        Long-eared Owl           Greater White-fronted Goose                   Short-eared Owl           Cackling Goose                                       Northern Saw-whet Owl           White-winged Scoter                               Northern Shrike           Long-tailed Duck                                    Purple Finch           Iceland Gull                                            Common Redpoll           Glaucous Gull                                         Lapland Longspur           Rough-legged Hawk                                Snow Bunting
Read more

Chuck-will's-widow

Image
  May 22 nd             This morning Mike and I left for southern Ohio but took a round about way of getting there.   First, we went east to Lorain to look for several birds that had been reported there.   We did find a Cattle Egret at the Lorain Impoundment which is a marshy area near the boat launch and pier.   Cattle Egrets are common in the South but are scarce in Ohio.   Our view of the egret was somewhat obstructed, but it was definitely in full breeding plumage.           From here we headed south for our destination which was Shawnee State Park.   Some of you will remember that we were here just about a month ago with Ann and Howard Rosenberg. That trip ended with the “stomach flu” episode.   We arrived about 4:00pm today and went out for a walk.   There had been a report of a pair of Mississippi Kites seen near the firepit in the cabin area.   We found the spot and immediately saw a kite perched high on a dead snag.   As Mike was taking pictures, I spotted the second kite.
Read more