Little Gull at Windsor Lake (Weld) on 2Dec2012

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

After receiving a message via Eric DeFonso (thank you) that Nick Komar and his field trip participants had found a Little Gull at Windsor Lake (thank you), I trusted the Broncos would win without me (they did), and headed out.  I hoped the bird was an adult and would have dark underwings.  In actuality, when finally located, it was something younger than that and its wings in flight were distinctly darker on the top side than the underside (showed the dark "M" across the wings and mantle mentioned in most accounts of young Little Gulls).  As seen from the west side, it was closest to the eastern side near the bridge that spans the outlet/inlet canal (whichever it is).  Just out from this bridge on the east side is a buoy.  The bird mostly foraged in a big circle around this buoy, picking small gizzard shad from the surface.  It's usual routine after spotting a fish was to circle, plunge, then sit on the water and quickly eat the fish, before resuming flying.  I was there from about 2:30 to 4:30pm and the lighting from the east side looking west was problematic for photography but I got some decent shots.  There is no easy, legal way to get to the east side short of parking either at the south end of the lake in the designated parking lot, or the northwest part of the lake in the designated parking along SR257, and walking a mile or so (distance from either of the two parking situations about the same) to the bridge on the east side.

If anyone wants to see the photos, email me.  I don't have a site.  I would call the bird in transition from juvenile to 1st cycle.  Mostly it resembles a 1st cycle, but the lower back is dark like a juvenile.  Cool little creature.  Thanks again to Nick and Eric.  I did not really check out the other waterfowl, but as Nick says, there are thousands of birds (no doubt because of those little food fish).

I should add that the bird settled briefly at last light with 16 Bonaparte's Gull in the north part of Windsor Lake, then they all headed off to the northwest (presumably to the Weld County Landfill on SR14 between FC and Ault).  

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

[The "Nunn Guy"]

Hi all

I was unaware of the Little Gull when I was at Windsor Lake (10AM-ish) ... darn ... that being said there were "zillions" of waterfowl primarily Common (boat load), Red-breasted (3) and Hooded (2) Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes and Ruddy Ducks on Windsor Lake.  Unfortunately I was looking mostly at the loafing gulls on the ice shelf across the street on the west pond (west of Hwy 257)-hundreds.  I could only make out Ring-billeds, Californias and Herrings.

FYI Drake Lake which usually hosts the Weld County Landfill gulls did not have any birds yesterday though it did have some ice for gulls to land on.

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn
http://coloradobirder.ning.com/
http://coloradobirder.ning.com/m


On Sunday, December 2, 2012 8:21:11 PM UTC-7, Dave Leatherman wrote:

After receiving a message via Eric DeFonso (thank you) ....

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins