An overview of the species of gulls and terns that frequent Upstate NY, including “hot spot” birding locations to find these species, some identification tips including reference materials, and a few highlighted rarities that have been located in our area.

Brad Carlson was raised in Rochester, NY and started birding at a young age.  His early birding involved day trips with his father and brother along the southern shore of Lake Ontario at Braddock Bay, “Island Cottage Woods”, Oak Orchard and the Niagara River.  After graduating from RIT, Brad began birding all the major birding “hotspots” throughout North America.  Later, he expanded this further to bird on a global scale exploring parts of Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa.  In 1993, he took up bird photography, and subsequently has taken thousands of bird photos documenting his life list, recording rarities and developing a library of photos to utilize for bird slide shows for local organizations.