Saturday, January 30, 2021
The Niagara River is an imposing force and a dominant feature of the geography of the Niagara Peninsula. But it is not just tourists that travel here to view the spectacle of Niagara Falls - indeed, gull-watchers from around North America visit the Niagara River to witness the avian spectacle. Some have christened the Niagara River as the gull capital of the world, and it is hard to argue with this. A total of 18 species of gulls have been reported here, and most winters see 10-13 species recorded. Many excellent overlooks along key areas of the Niagara River provide excellent gull-watching opportunities.
The prime gull watching season begins sometime in November and continues until late December, or some years, January and February. As gulls are a passion of mine and I live locally, I will be running weekend gull-watching trips throughout the prime season. I am available during the week as well, so if you would like to book a private tour on a different day, send me a message (joshvandermeulen@live.ca) and we can discuss!
Before I delve into the details of what the tour will entail, a brief word about what gulls can be expected throughout the season. November and the first half of Decmeber is a great time of year to see the thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls that stage in the Niagara River, taking advantage of the plentiful shiners and other fish along the river. It is with these flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls that one may find Little Gull in small numbers. Sometimes other gull species appear with the Bonaparte's, though they are still very rare and should not be expected. These include Franklin's Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull and Sabine's Gull. Finding one of these beauts is the goal of many a gull-watcher along the Niagara!
As the days grow colder and winter's icy grip takes hold, the small gulls decrease in number but the Niagara River sees an influx of larger gulls. Herring Gulls are the dominant species, but Great Black-backed Gulls are also regular along with a smattering of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Eventually some Iceland Gulls will trickle into the river, including the Thayer's Gull subspecies. Glaucous Gulls can be scarce earlier in the season but usually by late December or January there are a few individuals along the river (and some years see big numbers of them).
This particular tour will start at 9:00 AM at the Adam Beck Power Generating Station, located just upstream from Queenston. We will spend some time scoping the gulls roosting here and flying around the power station, and then walk up to the nearby "roosting rocks" if the conditions are suitable. From here we will check out The Whirlpool, which can often be an excellent location to scan through Bonaparte's Gulls. We will make our way to Niagara Falls where, after a restroom break, we will spend an hour or two at the Falls. There are numerous vantage points to scan the river here and it can be a dynamic birding location. Dufferin Islands, where we will park, provides us with a chance at observing landbirds, while the Hooded Mergansers are often quite confiding and photogenic.
Following a lunch break in Niagara Falls we will head back downriver, perhaps stopping again at The Whirlpool or Adam Beck if conditions warrant it or if something rare has been spotted there. We will spot at a few locations near Queenston in search of Black Vultures as they have become regular in recent years. Often the vultures are very distant on the US side of the river, but occasionally they can be found roosting on "our" side. The Queenston boat docks are a fantastic location to have eye-level views of the Bonaparte's Gulls, and this is usually one of the more reliable locations for Little Gull. As the afternoon turns into evening, we will finish up at Niagara-on-the-Lake to witness the famous flypast of Bonaparte's Gulls, streaming out into Lake Ontario to roost for the night. Little Gulls can sometimes be found mixed in with the Bonaparte's Gulls during the flypast. If there is a rare small gull on the river they may fly out with the Bonaparte's as well. I have seen Franklin's Gull, Black-headed Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake doing this over the years.
During the course of the day we will be on the lookout for all the gull species that are known to be on the Niagara River. We may switch the order of the locations visited if it means we have a chance to see an unusual or rare species. Of course, a day of gulling along the Niagara River is so much more than just ticking off all the gull species. We will spend time working on ageing gulls, discussing ecology, and practicing our identification of other birds we come across as well. In short, I hope the day is informative and diverse!
What to bring: Cold-weather clothing, optics, spotting scope (if you have one - I will have mine with us as well), lunch, snacks, water, face covering/hand sanitizer. As far as what to wear, the weather at this time of year can be quite variable but warm clothing is a must. Standing still while birding can make it hard to stay warm, and so I recommend wearing long johns and having foot/hand warmers present as well. We will always be close to our vehicles and can warm up if necessary.
Washrooms/lunch: I will plan for a bathroom break every 90-120 minutes. At lunch we will be stopping at the Tim Hortons in Chippewa. You can either bring your own lunch or purchase lunch here (there is a Subway across the street as well).
Meet up time and location: We will meet at 9:00 AM at the parking lot at the south end of the Adam Beck #1 Generating Station (see map below). This is located along the Niagara River, and the parking lot is titled Niagara Falls Power Generating Plants Lookout on Google Maps. The co-ordinates for the meet-up spot are 43.143745, -79.044752.
Vehicles/parking: Most of the locations that we stop have free parking, however Dufferin Islands has pay-and-display parking, with an hourly rate of $5.00. An annual pass for Dufferin Islands is $30.00, and $75.00 for all of the Niagara Parks pay-and-display lots (good for two licence plates).
Due to Covid-19 concerns we will have to take our vehicles separately. We will be close to our vehicles for most of the day, other than 1.5-2.0 hours around mid-day when we walk towards the Falls from Dufferin Islands.
Duration: Full day of birding from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Guests can also sign up for a half day, which will be from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM.
Cost: Full day is $125 per person (inclusive), while the half-day option is $80 per person (inclusive). Maximum 6 people. Payment can be sent via e-transfer (joshvandermeulen@live.ca), or by cheque or cash in person at the start of the tour.
If interested, please send me an email: joshvandermeulen@live.ca
The Niagara River is an imposing force and a dominant feature of the geography of the Niagara Peninsula. But it is not just tourists that travel here to view the spectacle of Niagara Falls - indeed, gull-watchers from around North America visit the Niagara River to witness the avian spectacle. Some have christened the Niagara River as the gull capital of the world, and it is hard to argue with this. A total of 18 species of gulls have been reported here, and most winters see 10-13 species recorded. Many excellent overlooks along key areas of the Niagara River provide excellent gull-watching opportunities.
The prime gull watching season begins sometime in November and continues until late December, or some years, January and February. As gulls are a passion of mine and I live locally, I will be running weekend gull-watching trips throughout the prime season. I am available during the week as well, so if you would like to book a private tour on a different day, send me a message (joshvandermeulen@live.ca) and we can discuss!
Before I delve into the details of what the tour will entail, a brief word about what gulls can be expected throughout the season. November and the first half of Decmeber is a great time of year to see the thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls that stage in the Niagara River, taking advantage of the plentiful shiners and other fish along the river. It is with these flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls that one may find Little Gull in small numbers. Sometimes other gull species appear with the Bonaparte's, though they are still very rare and should not be expected. These include Franklin's Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull and Sabine's Gull. Finding one of these beauts is the goal of many a gull-watcher along the Niagara!
As the days grow colder and winter's icy grip takes hold, the small gulls decrease in number but the Niagara River sees an influx of larger gulls. Herring Gulls are the dominant species, but Great Black-backed Gulls are also regular along with a smattering of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Eventually some Iceland Gulls will trickle into the river, including the Thayer's Gull subspecies. Glaucous Gulls can be scarce earlier in the season but usually by late December or January there are a few individuals along the river (and some years see big numbers of them).
This particular tour will start at 9:00 AM at the Adam Beck Power Generating Station, located just upstream from Queenston. We will spend some time scoping the gulls roosting here and flying around the power station, and then walk up to the nearby "roosting rocks" if the conditions are suitable. From here we will check out The Whirlpool, which can often be an excellent location to scan through Bonaparte's Gulls. We will make our way to Niagara Falls where, after a restroom break, we will spend an hour or two at the Falls. There are numerous vantage points to scan the river here and it can be a dynamic birding location. Dufferin Islands, where we will park, provides us with a chance at observing landbirds, while the Hooded Mergansers are often quite confiding and photogenic.
Following a lunch break in Niagara Falls we will head back downriver, perhaps stopping again at The Whirlpool or Adam Beck if conditions warrant it or if something rare has been spotted there. We will spot at a few locations near Queenston in search of Black Vultures as they have become regular in recent years. Often the vultures are very distant on the US side of the river, but occasionally they can be found roosting on "our" side. The Queenston boat docks are a fantastic location to have eye-level views of the Bonaparte's Gulls, and this is usually one of the more reliable locations for Little Gull. As the afternoon turns into evening, we will finish up at Niagara-on-the-Lake to witness the famous flypast of Bonaparte's Gulls, streaming out into Lake Ontario to roost for the night. Little Gulls can sometimes be found mixed in with the Bonaparte's Gulls during the flypast. If there is a rare small gull on the river they may fly out with the Bonaparte's as well. I have seen Franklin's Gull, Black-headed Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake doing this over the years.
During the course of the day we will be on the lookout for all the gull species that are known to be on the Niagara River. We may switch the order of the locations visited if it means we have a chance to see an unusual or rare species. Of course, a day of gulling along the Niagara River is so much more than just ticking off all the gull species. We will spend time working on ageing gulls, discussing ecology, and practicing our identification of other birds we come across as well. In short, I hope the day is informative and diverse!
What to bring: Cold-weather clothing, optics, spotting scope (if you have one - I will have mine with us as well), lunch, snacks, water, face covering/hand sanitizer. As far as what to wear, the weather at this time of year can be quite variable but warm clothing is a must. Standing still while birding can make it hard to stay warm, and so I recommend wearing long johns and having foot/hand warmers present as well. We will always be close to our vehicles and can warm up if necessary.
Washrooms/lunch: I will plan for a bathroom break every 90-120 minutes. At lunch we will be stopping at the Tim Hortons in Chippewa. You can either bring your own lunch or purchase lunch here (there is a Subway across the street as well).
Meet up time and location: We will meet at 9:00 AM at the parking lot at the south end of the Adam Beck #1 Generating Station (see map below). This is located along the Niagara River, and the parking lot is titled Niagara Falls Power Generating Plants Lookout on Google Maps. The co-ordinates for the meet-up spot are 43.143745, -79.044752.
Vehicles/parking: Most of the locations that we stop have free parking, however Dufferin Islands has pay-and-display parking, with an hourly rate of $5.00. An annual pass for Dufferin Islands is $30.00, and $75.00 for all of the Niagara Parks pay-and-display lots (good for two licence plates).
Due to Covid-19 concerns we will have to take our vehicles separately. We will be close to our vehicles for most of the day, other than 1.5-2.0 hours around mid-day when we walk towards the Falls from Dufferin Islands.
Duration: Full day of birding from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Guests can also sign up for a half day, which will be from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM.
Cost: Full day is $125 per person (inclusive), while the half-day option is $80 per person (inclusive). Maximum 6 people. Payment can be sent via e-transfer (joshvandermeulen@live.ca), or by cheque or cash in person at the start of the tour.
If interested, please send me an email: joshvandermeulen@live.ca