Windy days in Buffalo, New York can be quite exciting by the river. If the winds are blowing in just the right direction and are strong enough - and if the timing is right for jaegers to pass through the Great Lakes region on their migration journey out to the Atlantic, it's possible to see one - or THREE! Yesterday, everything fell into place and we were blessed with a few sightings of these unusual sea birds on the Niagara River. Several of us birders gathered at the Rowing Club in eager anticipation of what the winds might blow our way.
It didn't take long before I spotted an adult Long-tailed Jaeger flying our way from the under one of the supports of the Peace Bridge. This is a bird I've seen only twice before and at much further distances. The jaeger was pretty close - and my camera was still in the car - ugh! After enjoying the sight, I ran and got my camera with hopes of capturing one of these birds. When another came soon after, I was ready. It was a juvenile - and it gave spectacular looks! (You won't think so when you look through the photos - but it was super windy and rainy - I did the best I could!)
Jaegers tend to chase after gulls who are carrying food and try to force them to drop it to their advantage. They're rather bullies, actually. But we didn't observe this behavior at all this day. What we were observing was a very cool and seldom noticed migration journey. Some of the jaegers actually cut across towards land and flew eastward, which we found rather noteworthy.
Before the day ended, we had seen at least two more Long-tailed Jaegers and a couple of Parasitic Jaegers. It was a day to remember and a day for the record books. NYSARC (New York State Avian Records Committee) will be reviewing the photos and accounts of our sightings as the number of Long-tailed Jaegers is probably the highest count for the WNY area to date.