I saw the previously reported Great Egret in the back of the wetland off
Valley Inn Road at the beginning of the Hendrie Valley Trail. All three
Scoters at Sayles Park, Stoney Creek (in subdivision on east side of Grays
Road).
Niagara River gull numbers are building. The viewing platform at Adam Beck
provides lots of interesting birds, including the California regularly
perched on the rocks at the north (downstream) side of the US power plant,
Iceland, Glaucous, Lesser-blacked, Thayer's and an oversized Nelson's type
(hybrid Herring and Glaucous). No Little Gulls seen anywhere. It was
verbally reported that two were seen at the Whirlpool. I also heard
rumours of Saturday sightings of the Black-legged Kittywake.
Easily (bins - scope a lot easier) saw a Purple Sandpiper on a large
solitary moss-covered rock 100 - 150 meters offshore 150 meters upstream
from Barge. Reported female Harlequin and male European Common Teal
(Green-winged Teal with horizontal white bar in folded wing) were not seen.
Awesome Rough-legged Hawk and Northern Harrier activity on Airport Road in
Vineland.
The Rufous Hummingbird continues. I believe the hosts of the bird ask
birders to wait until 9 am before visiting.
Directions:
Rufous Hummingbird
Take the QEW to the Thorold Stone Road exit in Niagara Falls. Now turn left
(east) to Dorchester Road, then right (south) one block to Pettit Avenue.
Take a left here and continue for about 1/2 km to Sherwood Road (directly
across from First Baptist Church on the right hand side). Turn left and
proceed one block to Peach Avenue to 4579, the second or third house on
your right.
Great Egret - Valley Inn - from Plains Road and Highway 403 - west on
Plains Road (maybe called York after Highway 6). Less than 1 click turn
left off 'Plains' onto Valley Inn Road after crossing single-lane bridge
turn left and cross second single-lane bridge. Park at closed gates to Rose
Garden. Walk Hendrie Valley Trail 70 meters to lookout.
Niagara River - including Adam Beck - QEW to Highway 405 (and Lewiston
bridge to USA). Highway 405 EXIT at STANLEY St. Cross overpass and turn
right and follow first east to river and a new round-about. Right to Adam
Beck and Niagara Falls. Around and downhill to Queenston (sand docks off
Dumfries Road) and Niagara-on-the-Lake (aka NOTL). The Barge is upstream
from the Falls. Free (seems to change day-to-day) parking was at the
Greenhouse across from the Barge and south of the $10 parking lots.
Airport Road Vineland - (I need a map atlas) - from Hamilton heading to the
River - exit first road past Welland Ship Canal and follow road to
Niagara-on-the-Lake cross highway left at lights then right at next lights.
Inspect weedy fields just below a secondary escarpment bench (bad geology
talk) both sides of road.
---
Mark Cranford
ONTBIRDS Coordinator
Mississauga, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
905 279 9576
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From: "Bruce Di Labio" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "ontario birds" <ontbirds@hwcn.org>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2004 11:36:20 -0800
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Subject: [Ontbirds]Amherst Island Birding
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Hi Everyone
Spent yesterday, December 4th birding Amherst Island. Overall, very =
quiet, with few hawks and a small number of owls. In the "Owl Woods" =
found two roosts of Long-eared Owls, 6 and 4 birds and no Northern =
Saw-whets. On the KFN property at the east end 2 Snowy Owls were =
observed sitting in the fields, one close to the road and the other near =
the first pond. Drove around many of the roads and counted only 3 =
Rough-legged, 1 Red-tailed, 2 Northern Harrier and one Northern Shrike.
The biggest surprise was a Turkey Vulture along the Southshore Road =
sitting low in a tree sheltered from the strong winds.=20
good birding
Bruce
Bruce Di Labio
400 Donald B. Munro Drive
P.O.Box 538
Carp,Ontario,K0A 1L0
(613)839-4395 Home (613)715-2571 Cell
Di Labio Birding Website
Courses and Field Trips
http://www3.sympatico.ca/bruce.dilabio/
Directions: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit =
593 (County Road
4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right =
on Hwy. 33 and
drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. =
The ferry (20 minute
trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the =
hour. Cost is $5.00
Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. The East =
End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island. Enter =
through the gate at the south end of the Lower Forty-Foot Road.
To reach the Owl Woods, turn left (east) at the four-way stop sign =
by the general store and drive 3.4 kilometres along Front Road to the =
(seasonal) Marshall Forty-Foot Road. Marshall Forty-Foot Road is across =
the road from house #2320. Drive along Marshall Road to the mid-way =
point, where there is an "S" in the road (1.2 kilometres , look for the =
K.F.N. kiosk). Park in the gravel lane or off the road edge. The small =
ferry is still in use till Dec.20th. Capacity 18 vehicles.
