A cold but beautifully sunny day (between lake-effect flurries) today, Monday, on the river between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. Our highlight was a gorgeous adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK at Service Road 17 (about 1 mile north of Black Creek) that allowed me to digiscope him from a close distance (from the car with a window-mount). The drake HARLEQUIN DUCK was still in Fort Erie, between the second and third pulloffs north of the Chinese Restaurants. At one of these pulloffs, a shorebird flew within a couple feet of me along the icy shore. It continued flying south along the shore acting as if it would land shortly, perhaps just around that next little bend. Of course, that was the last I saw of it. It was too pale to be a Purple Sandpiper and it had a noticeable wingstripe. I only got my bins on it just before I lost sight. I am fairly certain but not positive that it was a DUNLIN. We also had an adult and an immature BALD EAGLE. The number of ducks south of the Peace Bridge makes for an awesome spectacle though we had nothing unusual among them.
Good birding! Willie -------------- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Niagara Falls, N.Y. [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Willie D'Anna & Betsy Potter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
