Ring-billed Gulls at Maumee Bay State Park

Ring-billed Gulls ruled the roost at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge while we were there the first week in November. Other gulls and terns were present too, such as large numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls, Herring Gulls, and few Caspian and Common Terns, but Ring-billed Gulls were everywhere.  The handsome birds had become habituated to humans and almost seemed to pose for the camera...

Ring-billed Gull at Maumee Bay State Park in Toledo, Ohio (adult, non-breeding)

The pale yellow eye and the complete ring around the bill are great field marks to look for when identifying Ring-billed Gulls.

From a distance, a Ring-billed Gull might look bland, but their pale yellow eyes rimmed in black are striking. During breeding season, the orbital ring is red.

The tips of the primaries on the wings are black...another field mark to look for.

It's easy to see the black-tipped primaries in flight. 

First and second-year Ring-billed Gulls do not look like adult Ring-bills. Click here for an article with photos by Cornell on how to identify young Ring-billed Gulls. How long can Ring-billed Gulls live? According to John Eastman in his book Birds of Field and Shore, if Ring-billed Gulls live beyond their second year, they have a good chance of making it 20 years or more (Eastman, pg 89)!

Are you going to eat all of that?

Birding Longboat Key, Florida

...continued from the American Brown Pelican post.

This young American Brown Pelican had to fight for every fish he caught, but he was strong willed and did not lose one fish to the pesky gull trying to steal them away! The gull would sit on top of the pelican's head and wait for the water to drain out of the pelican's gular pouch hoping to nab a fish as the pelican opened his bill to swallow his catch down, but this pelican was very patient, and he would sit in the water with his bill closed until the gull was far enough away, then he would tip his head up and swallow the fish down!

...such a patient little pelican...and the thieving gull was patient too, never losing hope of stealing a fish out of the pelican's gular pouch!

You could see the fish moving around in the pelican's gular pouch, but he refused to swallow them until the gull was out of stealing range!

Lakeside, Ohio and the Midwest Birding Symposium...I made it!

This sign greets you as you walk out on the boardwalk of Lakeside, Ohio, a beautiful little town established in 1873 on the shores of Lake Erie. About half way between Toledo and Cleveland, the town is filled with historic places to stay. I wanted to stay at Hotel Lakeside, which in addition to being a National Historic Landmark built in 1875, is brimming with birders, but the joint was booked. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure I could make it to the symposium until last week, so when I called for a reservation, I found slim pickings. Luckily, an efficiency apartment in an equally old three-story house (with very impressive woodwork) became available...and I can see Hotel Lakeside from the back deck! I'm within walking distance to Hoover Auditorium and a block from Lake Erie, so it's all good.

Lake Erie at Marblehead Lighthouse...if I didn't

know better, I would think I was at the ocean.

...just beyond the Marblehead Lighthouse, the waves

were huge! Lake Erie is our shallowest Great Lake,

and can get rather choppy from what I hear...

I can't wait to meet lots of birders tomorrow and listen to all the wonderful speakers. It's so exciting! My mom and dad drove up behind me today and are staying with me tonight before moving on tomorrow. Rick and Matty...poor souls...will be spending a perfectly gorgeous day in Cincinnati in an ice rink where Matty will be playing hockey, so I'll be a solo birder. Although with all the birders around here, I'm sure I'll find someone to bird with. This evening I already met up with Heather, from Heather of the Hills, and her husband (remember my trip to Hocking Hills this summer where I visited with Heather?). I also briefly met Donald, from Donald the Birder, another Cincinnati birder!

Oh...Oh...a Lake Erie gull! Beautiful...

and flying right over my head!

Oh...Oh...a Lake Erie Cormorant! I saw lots of

these guys, and I love them. At one point a flock of

about 15 flew past...very fast...and very blurry.

Hopefully I'll find some nice birds to photograph tomorrow...or at least some nice birders talking about them!