Franklin's Gull

I just got back from Niagara Falls. I spent the weekend there w/ a good friend from Toronto named Lee Eric and we had a great time. Now, Lee Eric is understanding of my need to sometimes look for birds when I'm away from home. Understanding enough that he was willing to spend time standing in the cold looking at gulls at a hydroelectric generating station. He even shares an interest in the hobby (ex. he likes showing me pictures of all the birds he sees on his world travels that I haven't seen, lingering just a little bit longer on the photos of birds I will probably never see). So when a Franklin's Gull was being reported from Sir Adam Beck, I thought, well heck, I'm so close...let's go have a look.

I'm like, really stupid. People tell me I shouldn't put myself down like that but those same people tell me that lying is bad so I get confused sometimes. Anyway, for reasons I can't quite remember I decided to leave my scope at home. I think it had something to do w/ only being able to carry so many things from my apartment to my car in one trip. I need to stop making such mistakes. It would have been nice to have a scope.

When we arrived at Adam Beck on Saturday, there were a lot of Bonaparte's Gulls. I honestly thought this one was gonna be easy. The Franklin's's been there for some time now, had been reported the same morning, is seen between Adam Beck and the roosting rocks just south of Adam Beck so there wasn't much ground to cover, and it's a gull that should pop out from the rest of the galaxy even w/o a scope.

I set Lee Eric on the task of pointing out dark gulls. After a while w/ no luck we walked over to the cliff-edge overlooking the roosting rocks on the river just across from Devil's Hole State Park. This is when I wished I had my scope. There were quite a few gulls down there and they were conveniently just out of reach of my identification ability. Don't get me wrong, I could tell they were Boni's but every Boni standing a certain way in front of a rock made it look like it could have a dark mantle or a partial hood. And when you want to find a certain bird, the mind makes everything look good. Around the hour mark, I started to feel bad. Lee Eric felt bad that I wasn't seeing the bird. We gave up and went back to Niagara and drank beer. Neither of us felt bad anymore.

Sunday morning, we went for one more try before Lee Eric had to board his bus back to Toronto. There's not much to say except it was a repeat of the day before. After dropping him off at the bus stop, I now had the afternoon to look for this darn gull. Alright, Jeremy, let's find this thing!

In come the storm clouds. Darkening skies, increasing winds, and a sudden downpour welcomed my return to Adam Beck. An inauspicious start. I smirked. I was prepared to wait for however long it would take and brave any and all elements to find the gull. Bring it on!

*Three hours later*

The sun being back out, a tourist holding a camera got out of her car, walked up to me, and quietly asked me what I was looking for. She had a pleasant smile.

"A Franklin's Gull," I screamed.

She left without taking any pictures.

I knew I had to leave for home soon and the wind had picked up severely. I headed back to the roosting rocks lookout and teetered on the edge of the precipice. My hands were shaking, either from the cold or from the onset of hypoglycemia. If I accidentally lurch off this cliff, I thought, I will probably still be looking for the gull all the way to the bottom. This morbid thought led to morbider thoughts of my head cracking open on the rocks below. Perhaps a birder would find the Queenston Black Vultures peeling away the resilient membrane encasing my brain, and start celebrating seeing an Ontario lifer.

I gave up and left. Ok, so I didn't get the Franklin's Gull. At least I can drive a short distance and add those Black Vultures to my year list. I pulled into the Queenston Heights lookout.

*One hour later*

I left, but instead of letting my thoughts reach their morbidest, I thought, OK, that all stunk, but hey, come now, do you really think I can let a couple of missed birds ruin a weekend where I met this tortoise?

2012 Year List - 305

This post is a bit late but I got it up before 2014 so that's something.

Many thanks to all who made my 2012 Big Year possible. There were countless people across Ontario who either alerted me to birds I still needed for the year, encouraged me along the way, inspired me w/ their own Big Years, gave me tips and advice for where I should visit and in what month to reach my goal of 300, or simply listened to me gripe about the birds I was missing without punching me in the face. Thanks to each and every one of you.

I have to especially thank 3 people:

Mark Field, who was my traveling partner, co-conspirator, and confidant throughout the year...well, until I left Toronto and only got to 305 while he made it 311 and moved 1 place ahead of me in the eBird final standings...but who's keeping track? But seriously, the year would have sucked without you, Mark.

Matt Timpf (Mr. Canada Big Year 2013!), who helped me find many of my early year birds and continuously boosted my confidence along the way, which is actually quite a feat considering my confidence is usually somewhere between 0.01 and flatline...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

And Marianne, who always texted or called me to see how my year was going while I was away and eventually helped me get to 305 once I returned to Leamington even though I was ready to call it a day when I hit 300 (so happy you were there to share the experience of me reaching my goal with Red Phalarope).

Here is my final list for 2012 in Ontario, more or less in chronological order (unfortunately I did not keep track of when I saw each individual species on a specific day so the numbers do not always correspond with the exact order in which I saw each species, but rather in taxonomic order on the date I first saw them):

January 1 - family farm, Staples

1. Red-tailed Hawk
2. Ring-billed Gull

January 2 - train from Chatham to Toronto (story here)

3. Tundra Swan
4. Wild Turkey
5. Rock Pigeon
6. American Kestrel
7. American Crow
8. Horned Lark
9. European Starling
10. House Sparrow

January 10 - Concession 1 - Puslinch

11. Canada Goose
12. Mourning Dove
13. Red-bellied Woodpecker
14. Hairy Woodpecker
15. Blue Jay
16. Black-capped Chickadee
17. White-breasted Nuthatch
18. Mountain Bluebird (lifer)
19. Dark-eyed Junco
20. House Finch
21. American Goldfinch
22. American Robin

January 10 - Mounstberg Conservation Area, Hamilton

23. Rough-legged Hawk
24. Downy Woodpecker
25. American Tree Sparrow
26. Northern Cardinal
27. Pine Siskin

January 10 - Marilynn Bell Park, Toronto

28. Mute Swan
29. Gadwall
30. American Wigeon
31. American Black Duck
32. Mallard
33. Redhead
34. Bufflehead
35. Common Merganser
36. Red-breasted Merganser
37. Herring Gull

January 25 - High Park, Toronto

38. Northern Pintail
39. Cooper's Hawk
40. Red-breasted Nuthatch
41. Gray Catbird
42. Common Grackle

January 25 - Sunnyside Beach, Toronto

43. Greater Scaup
44. Long-tailed Duck
45. Common Goldeneye
46. Ruddy Duck
47. American Coot
48. Glaucous Gull
49. Great Black-backed Gull

January 31 - Point Pelee National Park

50. Northern Harrier
51. Sharp-shinned Hawk
52. Bald Eagle
53. Bonaparte's Gull
54. Eastern Screech-Owl
55. Northern Shrike

February 1 - Onion Fields, Leamington (story here)

56. Great Horned Owl
57. Snowy Owl
58. Long-eared Owl
59. Red-winged Blackbird
60. Rusty Blackbird
61. Brown-headed Cowbird

February 2 - family farm, Staples

62. Ring-necked Pheasant

February 7 - Thunder Bay

63. Common Raven
64. Brown Creeper
65. Harris's Sparrow
66. Common Redpoll
67. Pine Grosbeak (lifer)
68. Golden Eagle
69. Pileated Woodpecker
70. Red Crossbill (lifer)

February 8 - Longlac

71. Spotted Towhee
72. White-winged Crossbill
73. Evening Grosbeak (lifer)
74. Hoary Redpoll (lifer)


February 8 - Beardmore

75. Common Redpoll

February 8 - Everard Road, Thunder Bay

76. Ruffed Grouse

February 9 - Rocky Bay

77. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (lifer)
78. Purple Finch

February 9 - Wishart Conservation Area, Thunder Bay

79. American Three-toed Woodpecker (lifer)

February 14 - Whitby Harbour

80. Trumpeter Swan
81. Hooded Merganser
82. Northern Mockingbird

February 15 - Adam Beck, Niagara

83. Thayer's Gull
84. Iceland Gull

February 15 - Fort Erie

85. Canvasback
86. White-winged Scoter
87. Fish Crow (Ontario lifer)
88. American Pipit

February 15 - Niagara Falls - upper falls

89. Lesser Black-backed Gull

February 15 - Queenston Heights overlook, Niagara

90. Double-crested Cormorant
91. Black Vulture
92. Turkey Vulture
93. Little Gull
94. Tufted Titmouse

February 15 - LaSalle Marina, Burlington

95. Lesser Scaup
96. King Eider

February 16 - Whitby Harbour

97. Greater White-fronted Goose (story here)

February 16 - Oshawa Second Marsh

98. Northern Saw-whet Owl

February 16 - Professor's Lake, Brampton

99. Wood Duck
100. Merlin

February 17 - Toronto

101. Peregrine Falcon

February 23 - Spencer Smith Park, Burlington

102. Surf Scoter

February 23 - 10th Road East, Stoney Creek

103. Short-eared Owl

February 28 - Elgin County

104. Eastern Bluebird

February 28 - Port Burwell

105. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
106. Field Sparrow
107. Song Sparrow

February 28 - Norfolk County

108. Northern Flicker

February 28 - Long Point area

109. Ring-necked Duck
110. Sandhill Crane
111. Swamp Sparrow
112. Great Blue Heron
113. Belted Kingfisher

March 7 - Leamington

114. Eastern Meadowlark
115. Killdeer

March 10 - Point Pelee National Park

116. Northern Shoveler
117. Green-winged Teal
118. Eastern Phoebe
119. Hermit Thrush
120. Yellow-rumped Warbler
121. Eastern Towhee
122. Fox Sparrow

March 10 - Onion Fields, Leamington

123. Ross's Goose (lifer)

March 17 - Long Point area

124. Horned Grebe
125. Golden-crowned Kinglet
126. Tree Swallow
127. Pied-billed Grebe
128. American Woodcock

March 18 - Long Point area

129. Winter Wren
130. White-throated Sparrow

March 18 - Townsend Sewage Lagoons

131. Snow Goose

March 22 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

132. Red-necked Grebe

March 22 - Rattray March, Mississauga

133. Carolina Wren

March 22 - High Park, Toronto

134. Virginia Rail

March 26 - Prince Edward Park

135. Bohemian Waxwing (lifer)
136. Cedar Waxwing

March 26 - Russel Road, Bourget

137. Cackling Goose

March 26 - Ottawa area

138. Wilson's Snipe

March 27 - Algonquin Provincial Park

139. Spruce Grouse (lifer)
140. Black-backed Woodpecker (lifer)
141. Boreal Chickadee

March 27 - Carden Alvar

142. Loggerhead Shrike

March 27 - Townsend Sewage Lagoon

143. Eurasian Wigeon
144. Greater Yellowlegs

March 31 - High Park, Toronto

145. Black-crowned Night-Heron
146. Chipping Sparrow

April 6 - Leslie Street Spit, Toronto

147. Great Egret
148. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
149. Barn Swallow
150. Pine Warbler

April 7 - Norfolk County

151. Common Loon
152. Vesper Sparrow
153. Savannah Sparrow
154. Lesser Yellowlegs

April 7 - Long Point area

155. Purple Martin
156. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
157. Forster's Tern

April 7 - Cootes Paradise, Hamilton

158. Caspian Tern

April 7 - Peterborough

159. Osprey

April 14 - Gairloch Gardens, Oakville

160. Harlequin Duck

April 16 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

161. Blue-winged Teal
162. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

April 17 - Everard Road, Thunder Bay

163. Sharp-tailed Grouse (lifer)

April 17 - Hurkett Cove Conservation Area, Thunder Bay

164. American White Pelican

April 17 - Thunder Bay

165. Lapland Longspur

April 22 - Rondeau Provincial Park

166. Chimney Swift
167. White-eyed Vireo
168. House Wren
169. Brown Thrasher
170. Blackburnian Warbler
171. Yellow-throated Warbler

April 22 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

172. Sora
173. Pectoral Sandpiper
174. Dunlin

April 27 - High Park, Toronto

175. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
176. Nashville Warbler
177. Palm Warbler

April 28 - Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

178. Piping Plover

April 28 - Bruce Peninsula

179. Western Tanager (lifer)
180. Brewer's Blackbird (lifer)

April 30 - Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto

181. Cerulean Warbler

May 5 - Toronto Islands

182. Spotted Sandpiper
183. Common Tern
184. Great Crested Flycatcher
185. Eastern Kingbird
186. Blue-headed Vireo
187. Warbling Vireo
188. Bank Swallow
189. Cliff Swallow
190. Northern Waterthrush
191. Black-and-white Warbler
192. Cape May Warbler
193. Northern Parula
194. Magnolia Warbler
195. Yellow Warbler
196. Chestnut-sided Warbler
197. Black-throated Blue Warbler
198. Black-throated Green Warbler
199. White-crowned Sparrow
200. Orchard Oriole
201. Baltimore Oriole

May 7 - Rattray March, Mississauga

202. Least Flycatcher

May 7 - Townsed Sewage Lagoon

203. Semipalmated Plover
204. Least Sandpiper

May 7 - Aylmer Sewage Lagoons

205. Bobolink

May 7 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

206. Black-bellied Plover
207. American Avocet
208. Short-billed Dowitcher
209. Common Yellowthroat

May 8 - Point Pelee National Park

210. Eastern Whip-poor-will
211. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
212. Red-headed Woodpecker
213. Eastern Wood-Pewee
214. Yellow-throated Vireo
215. Red-eyed Vireo
216. Sedge Wren
217. Veery
218. Swainson's Thrush
219. Wood Thrush
220. Ovenbird
221. Golden-winged Warbler
222. Tennessee Warbler
223. American Redstart
224. Bay-breasted Warbler
225. Wilson's Warbler
226. Lincoln's Sparrow
227. Scarlet Tanager
228. Indigo Bunting

May 9 - Point Pelee National Park

229. Black Tern
230. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
231. Marsh Wren
232. Prothonotary Warbler
233. Canada Warbler

May 10 - Point Pelee National Park

234. Broad-winged Hawk
235. Black-billed Cuckoo

May  10 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

236. Cattle Egret
237. Marbled Godwit
238. Ruddy Turnstone

May 10 - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

239. Common Gallinule

May 11 - Point Pelee National Park

240. Gray-cheeked Thrush
241. Worm-eating Warbler
242. Blackpoll Warbler

May 11 - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

243. American Bittern
244. Least Bittern
245. Green Heron
246. White-faced Ibis
247. Yellow-headed Blackbird

May 12 - Point Pelee National Park

248. Black Scoter

May 12 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

249. American Golden-Plover
250. Willow Flycatcher

May 13 - Point Pelee National Park

251. Red-throated Loon (lifer)

May 14 - Rondeau Provincial Park

252. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

May 14 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

253. Stilt Sandpiper

May 15 - Point Pelee National Park

254. Hooded Warbler

May 15 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

255. Semipalmated Sanpdiper

May 16 - Point Pelee National Park

256. Mourning Warbler

May 16 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

257. Clay-colored Sparrow

May 16 - Wheatley Provincial Park

258. Solitary Sandpiper

May 17 - Point Pelee National Park

259. Olive-sided Flycatcher
260. Philadelphia Vireo
261. Blue-winged Warbler
262. Orange-crowned Warbler
263. Connecticut Warbler

May 18 - Pelee Island

264. Yellow-breasted Chat

May 19 - Point Pelee National Park

265. California Gull (lifer)

May 19 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

266. Red-necked Phalarope

May 20 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

267. White-rumped Sandpiper

May 21 - Backus Wood Conservation Area, Long Point area

268. Acadian Flycatcher
269. Louisiana Waterthrush

May 21 - East Quarter Line, Norfolk

270. Grasshopper Sparrow

May 21 - St. Williams Forest, Long Point area

271. Northern Goshawk

May 21 -Haldimand County

272. Snowy Egret
273. Laughing Gull

May 22 - Carden Alvar

274. Upland Sandpiper
275. Common Nighthawk

May 24 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

276. Whimbrel

May 26 - Carden Alvar

277. Alder Flycatcher

May 31 - Presqu'ile Provincial Park

278. Brant
279. Barred Owl

June 4 - Westover Tract, Flamborough

280. Prairie Warbler

June 6 - Parry Sound

281. Red-shoulder Hawk

June 8 - Rainy River District (story here and here)

282. Black-billed Magpie (lifer)
283. Le Conte's Sparrow

June 9 - Rainy River Sewage Lagoon

284. Wilson's Phalarope

June 9 - Rainy River District

285. Western Meadowlark

June 9 - Lake of the Woods - Windy Point, Rainy River District

286. Franklin's Gull (lifer)

June 11 - Rainy River District

287. Dickcissel

June 13 - Wawa Sewage Lagoons

288. Eared Grebe

July 3 - Rondeau Provincial Park area

289. Magnificent Frigatebird (lifer)

July 25 - Rock Point Provincial Park

290. Sanderling
291. Baird's Sandpiper

July 25 - Holiday Beach Conservation Area, Amherstburg

292. Little Blue Heron

July 26 - Walpole Island

293. King Rail

August 12 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

294. Long-billed Dowitcher (story here)

August 25 - Onion Fields, Leamington

295. Buff-breasted Sandpiper

August 29 - Presqu'ile Provincial Park

296. Thick-billed Kingbird (lifer)

August 31 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay (story here)

297. Red Knot

September 1 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay

298. Hudsonian Godwit

September 2 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay

299. Nelson's Sparrow

September 23 - Point Pelee National Park

300. Red Phalarope (story here)

October 30 - Point Edward Lighthouse, Sarnia (story here)

301. Black-legged Kittiwake
302. Sabine's Gull (lifer)

November 1 - Pelee Days Inn / Sturgeon Creek, Leamington

303. Snow Bunting (story here)

November 24 - Point Pelee National Park

304. Cave Swallow (lifer) (story here)

December 31 - Point Pelee National Park

305. Purple Sandpiper (story here)

Missing California

Every once in a while we must make a sacrifice as a birder. We may sacrifice a day of birding to visit family, a dentist appointment, sometimes even work.

But there are other kinds of sacrifices in birding. For example, sacrificing a species you are aiming to see to help boost a fellow birder's year list. This is exactly the friendly (awkward) discussion Mark Field and I had a few weeks ago while planning a day of birding around some of the birds that were being reported on eBird.

See, I wanted to go to Presqu'ile bright and early to search for the Barrow's Goldeneye that sets up shop there year after year. Then, on the drive back, we could stop at various locations for Cackling Goose.

Mark had other interesting plans. In his scenario, he saw a trip to Niagara, starting with Fish Crow, catching some gulls at Adam Beck (Thayer's, Iceland, California (which I had previously tried for and missed (twice))), waiting for the Black Vultures to fly to the Canadian side of the river at Queenston Heights, and getting King Eider at LaSalle Marina in Hamilton.

We weighed our options, which is to say Mark listed the few species that we could still get for my own year list while at the same time adding many to his. Although I swear on my Sibley guide that I genuinely wanted him to share the enjoyment of all these wonderful species I had already seen in Niagara earlier this year on multiple occasions, California Gull was the clincher.

We agreed on Niagara. Well, leave it to me to accept his offer and then find a way to screw it up for him anyway...but let’s leave that for later.

We started in Burlington at the Lift Bridge. We thought we might get lucky and see all 3 scoter species in one go. We saw one of the resident Peregrine Falcons fairly quickly and started scanning the ducks. White-winged Scoters were EVERYWHERE. This was a good sign. We scanned and we scanned. All White-winged. We tried our luck at Spencer Smith Park and got 4 Surf Scoters (my first of year).

I wanted Black Scoter badly, which is why we didn't see one. We did see an all-black duck in a large flock of White-winged Scoters but it was just too far out to definitively say it was a Black and not a Surf. Thoughts of California Gull started to cloud my brain.

On to Fort Erie. Whereas the first time I got the Fish Crows in Fort Erie, Matt Timpf and I merely had to pull up to the first parking lot we saw and look up, this time we had to work for them since Mark was there. Hands cupped by our ears and heads craned out our windows, we drove back and forth on residential streets for so long that the local police department was starting to get concerned phone calls. Finally Mark saw a suspicious-looking crow in a front lawn but it flew just as I jammed on the gas to get as close as I could to the bird. Backing away from the smashed front porch, we drove after the rascal. Mark begged me to stop taking out lawn gnomes but we just needed to hear this bird and then we could get to the California Gull already. Sure enough, the crow called and Mark was right. Mark looked over. "Awesome, my first Ontario Fi...", but I never heard the rest as he was drowned out by the roar of the engine. We were headed to Adam Beck.

On our way, we flirted with the idea of trying for Tufted Titmouse on Dufferin Islands but with hours already running out in the day, we decided it best to just get the California Gull out of the way so we could get to the Black Vulture spot and then finish with great looks at King Eider.

And that is when things started to go wrong. We arrived at Adam Beck, expecting to look down and immediately see the California Gull on its favourite rock fly up in the air, swoop on over to the Ontario side of the river, then glide back to its favourite rock again for our viewing and ticking pleasure. This would all happen before we even had our tripod legs extended and we could hop back into the car and go for all the rest of the birds Mark needed for his year list.

It started off hopeful. We thought we had a California based on the extent of black on the primaries of a bird we had in flight until we realized that there were 2 or possibly 3 of them. Then we figured out we were looking at second winter Ring-billed Gulls. An hour passed. We continued to search. Another hour passed. We continued to search. I discovered a gray hair. We continued to search. We were now into tomorrow. I continued to search.

Desperation sunk in and I became delusional. Our remaining conversation went something like this:

Me, excited: “Ok, I think I’ve got it.”

Mark, gently, “mmm, that’s a Herring Gull. It does have a black spot on its bill though.”

“Yeah, you’re right…but if I could just turn its legs yellow. Hmmmpphhhhhhhhh.”

“You’re physically trying to change its legs yellow?”

“Yes. Just you watch….hmmmmmpphhhh.”

“………………………”

“Ok, how about this one?”

“That’s just a Ring-billed Gull. It’s the same size as all the other Ring-billed Gulls around it.”

“And this one…?”

Mark placed his hand gently on my shoulder, “That’s a stone.”

“Ah.”

“Perhaps we should go.”

“Ok…..hmmmmmpphhhhhhhhhhhhh.”


I’m sure that the entire time in Mark’s head, he was cursing me for spending so much darn time scanning the same birds over and over again for California Gull. In his head, he was thinking about the Black Vultures, the King Eider, the other great species we could be seeing if I wasn’t such an idiot. Ok, that’s a lie…he more likely just felt pity for me and was considering a therapist referral.

I guess I should write something remotely positive in this post. We did end the day with a fleeting glimpse of Short-eared Owl on the drive home where something like 100 individuals had been reported the day before. To blatantly steal a line from Hugh Currie in Richard Pope’s big year book, ‘it’s a tick!’

Now, hopefully, Mark knows me well enough to know that this post is purely in jest. The reality is I have a great time birding with him, and missing a year bird, no matter what the species, will ever change that.

Unless of course that species is a Smew.