American Crow

American Crow taking a bath in the frigid (38°F) water of Lake Erie.

 

October Sky over Lake Erie

 

Lake Erie Sunset

 

Lake Effect Snow Squalls

 

Great Black-backed Gull

The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest Gull in the world.

 

Purple Sandpiper

 

Iceless Lake Erie

In 30 years of living on the Chautauqua Ridge overlooking Lake Erie, we have never seen the lake without ice this far into the winter.  Climate change is real!

 

Tundra Swans

 

Black-legged Kittiwake

 A vagrant juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake on Lake Erie with two Ring-billed Gulls.

Atlantic Brant

I was lucky enough to see an uncommon visitor along Lake Erie today.  The last time I saw a Brant in Dunkirk was in 2012.

The Snowy Owl Irruption

Continues...

Another Snowy seen on the beach today.

Snowy Owl

A young (most likely female) Snowy Owl perched on and hunting from driftwood on the beach during the early hours of the day.  

Glaucous Gull

The Glaucous Gull is a large gull of the far north which breeds in the high Arctic and heads south for the winter.  This handsome juvenile was seen this morning on a Lake Erie beach in western New York.

Red-breasted Merganser

Horned Grebe

Sabine's Gull

A Sabine's Gull near the base of the American Falls at Niagara.  These arctic gulls breed in Alaska and Nunavut and head out to open tropical waters on the ocean for the winter.  It's always a thrill to see one of these striking gulls show up on the Great Lakes during migration.