Gulls and more gulls

Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed and Glaucous gulls, E. 72nd St.

Our avids trip on Saturday was focused on the Cleveland lake front, where large numbers of gulls are concentrating. Ducks were conspicuous by their relative absence; only 1(!) Red-breasted Merganser for the day, when normally tens of thousands are present. A strong south wind may have had some effect on waterfowl numbers.

But gulls were good. The hot spots were E. 55th Street Marina and the hot waters at the E. 72nd street power plant. We saw seven species of gulls, including at least four Iceland Gulls and at least 7 Glaucous Gulls. Additionally, we probably had at least 300 Great Black-backed Gulls for the day. Herring and Ring-billed Gulls numbered in the thousands, and we had a couple Lesser Black-backed gulls and a handful of Bonaparte's Gulls as well.

Iceland Gull, E. 55th St.

Glaucous Gull, E. 72 St.