The Return of Weekday Birding, 03/13/19

~Lesser Scaup at Greenwood Lake, 01/13/19.~

With the beginning of Daylight Savings Time over the weekend, I’ve finally been able to get some after work evening birding in this week. Tonight I stopped at Greenwood Lake and had a really great night of birding. I did really well with waterfowl, with 9 species:

  • Mallard
  • Canada Goose
  • Mute Swan
  • Lesser Scaup
  • Greater Scaup
  • Bufflehead
  • Hooded Merganser
  • Common Merganser
  • Common Goldeneye
~Lesser Black-backed Gull at Greenwood Lake, 03/13/19.~

The real highlight came when I located a gull with darker gray coloring. The bird was out on the ice and quite distant, but I was thinking it looked good for a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. At the distance and the low light (it was getting late), I could not pick up the coloring on the legs. But, the size looked good to me and the head was smudgy. Rob Stone ran to join me, but as fate would have it, the bird flew literally just as he put his eye to my spotting scope. When I got home, I reviewed my pics and became more convinced that is was a Lesser Black-backed Gull; it looked to me like it might be a 2nd year with a dark bill tip as seen in The Crossley Guide. I emailed the photos to John Haas, he reviewed them and agreed with my ID! That’s a good bird for the county! And it’s great to be out during the week again!

~Lesser Black-backed Gull with its back to me. Picture included to give a sense of the size of the bird. Greenwood Lake, 03/13/19.~
~Another good bird for OC – Common Goldeneye at Greenwood Lake, 03/13/19.~

10 thoughts on “The Return of Weekday Birding, 03/13/19”

  1. ABSOLUTELY a Lesser Black-back Gull! Good spotting and the photo clinches the ID. Size, shape, color and the company of other gulls make it impossible for it to be anything else. Nice find, Matt!

  3. Wonderful find, Matt! Congratulations! So glad you can get out in the evenings to do some birding….one of the few blessings of changing to daylight savings time.

    1. Thanks Kathy. I’ve always loved DST as I prefer to have that time in the evening. Getting up has been tough this week, though. Matt

  4. Good to get the extra daylight. Had a doctors appt yesterday morning so had a chance to get down to Assunpink around noon. Had both the long earred and Saw Whet owls. Long ears were well hidden and the Saw Whet was in bad light. Good to see them anyway.
    Bruce

    1. It’s always good to see owls. I need more Long-eared Owls in my life, I’ve only ever seen one. Actually same goes for Saw Whet. Matt

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