HOARY COMMON REDPOLLS by Newcastle
Greetings Fellow Ontario Birders, A HOARY 3 COMMON REDPOLLS at my feeder this morning Down by the lake a flock of 25 SNOW BUNTINGS, 10 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 2 BUFFLEHEAD, RED BREASTED MERGANSERS in the canal as well as my friends 2 TRUMPETER SWANS from Cooks Bay. Directions: Take exit # 410 off Hwy # 401 Mill St. S. My feeders are 500 m. before the lake. Markus J. Lise Newcastle, On Markus J. Lise [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Snow buntings at Hall's Road
Hi Folks, Went to see the snow buntings at Cranberry, and it truly is an amazing sight. There were thousands that flew up and down the fields. However, today the birds were better seen from Lakeridge Road rather than Hall's Road. Lakeridge is the road going South from Victoria, one block West of Halls. Directions: Directions to Cranberry: Halls Road is the first street east of Lakeridge Road and Victoria Street in Whitby. Victoria is the southern most east and west street in Whitby. Abel Zwart A. Zwart [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Snow Buntings, Redpolls and Wild Turkeys, Durham Region
Hello Birders Today Mary Schuster and I started the day off at Hall's Road, Cranberry Marsh to see the SNOW BUNTINGS. We were treated to a flock we estimated at 2000 at the very south end of the road near the lake. They were roosting in the trees to the west of the field, and periodically lifted off in a glittering white cloud in the sun. Fantastic. Mary was able to pick out 1 LAPLAND LONGSPUR amongst them. Also in the field on the west side of the road, Mary spotted a NORTHERN SHRIKE, sitting on a wire. At the feeders was the usual cast of characters, including COMMON REDPOLLS, RING-NECKED PHEASANT and our first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS of the year. (A note of caution, at least 2 cars went into the ditch on Hall's Road today and had to be towed out. The ditch is filled with snow and the road looks wider than it is) Next we headed out to Newcastle to look for the Hoary Redpoll at Markus Lise's feeders, with no luck. We did, however, have 12 species of birds there, not bad considering 2 of them were COOPER'S HAWK and RED-TAILED HAWK, which, along with 3 cats, were patrolling the yard. Next we headed up onto Durham's country roads looking for winter finches, waxwings or more buntings, but what we found instead were 76 WILD TURKEYS in a corn field on the east side of the 6th Concession, south of Goodwood Rd (Durham rd 21). They were feeding in the late afternoon sun, digging down through the snow. They were having trouble walking on the snow, and kept sinking to their bellies. We had watched them for about 15 minutes when an alarm call went up and they all ran or flew to the cover of the trees. Looking up to see what a turkey would be afraid of, we were amused to see it was a DARK PHASED ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. A pretty good way to end a very nice day of birding. Directions: To Cranberry Marsh: It is at the foot of Hall's Road, which runs south off of Victoria Street in Whitby, between Lakeridge Road and Brock Street. Exit the 401 at either Salem Road in Ajax, or Brock Street in Whitby, then head south to Victoria Street (called Bailey in Ajax). From Salem go east, form Brock go west to Hall's Road. To Markus Lise's house, as in his post earlier today: Take exit # 410 off Hwy # 401 Mill St. S. My feeders are 500 m. before the lake. To the Wild Turkeys: The 6th concession is the northerly continuation of Wesney Road in Ajax. The turkeys were south of Durham Rd 21 (Goodwood Rd). Good Birding Carol Carol Horner Toronto, Ontario, Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] remove NOSPAM to reply to this address Carol Horner [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Barrows Goldeneye at Stoney Creek
Early this afternoon I saw a drake BARROW'S GOLDENEYE approx. 150 m offshore just west of the foot of Fruitland Road in Stoney Creek (Exit 83 from the QEW). It was diving frequently and, after seeing it briefly several times, I lost sight of it and could not refind it despite several other birders joining me. The ducks today were dispersed all over the lake, as far as the eye could see, with greater numbers visible from Fruitland Road or Dewitt Road (a short distance west of Fruitland Road) than from Sayers Park near the foot of Gray's Road. -- Christopher J. Escott 1 Shouldice Court, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2L 2S3 Home phone: 416.444.8055 Cellular 416.788.8055 Chris Escott [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
all 3 scoters at Travelodge, Burlington-Feb.8
A brief report from the Pickering Naturalists outing along the lakeshore from Bronte to Burlington-Feb.8-- 80 TRUMPETER SWANS, many WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, several SURF SCOTERS, 1 BLACK SCOTER, COOT, 2 RING-NECKED DUCKS at the Travelodge in Burlington; Cormorant, several RUDDY DUCKS, 2 HOODED MERGS, SHOVELER, PINTAIL at Pier 25; 3 LONG-EARED OWLS (I prefer not to locate them here) among 34 species seen during the day. Doug Lockrey, Whitby Doug Lockrey [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Hendrie Valley Pair of Long -eared Owls
Evening All Greg Mayne myself observed a pair of Long-eared Owls at Hendrie Valley around 9am this morning They were located at the east end of the boardwalk where the trail breaks into a Y . We were able to get across the small creek to observe them face on about 20ft away. We were there for about 1/2 hour. Greg broke through the ice got two wet feet which I hope are not frozen. I have images that will be posted at OFO Bird Photos later this week Bill Morden [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Quinte Area Bird Report
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, February 08, 2004 A fairly slow week in the Prince Edward County and Quinte area, but accented by a few interesting sightings, mainly at bird feeders. SNOW BUNTINGS were off to a slow start earlier this winter, but flocks, often numbering 100+ in many cases, are now turning up throughout the area. The increase in snow depth has also resulted in a few stragglers finding their way to bird feeders. Two appeared yesterday at a feeding station at 23 Sprague Road, and 6 are coming to a feeder in the Pleasant Bay area. Also on Big Island, a FOX SPARROW is a regular visitor at a feeder at 1831 North Big Island Road. The bird apparently has been coming for at least two weeks and the feeders which it visits can be seen from the side of the road. As the snow continues to fall periodically, bird activity at most feeders continues to increase with higher than usual counts of many species. Our feeder currently has a high of just under 30 BLUE JAYS, 40 TREE SPARROWS, 60 HOUSE FINCHES, 30 MOURNING DOVES and 60 HOUSE SPARROWS on peak days. Twenty COMMON REDPOLLS continue to come to a feeder east of Lake-on-the-Mountain, but there are few reports of them at feeders elsewhere in the county, except for singles here and there. There are 30 at a feeder in the Stirling area where there has also been a flock of a dozen or more WILD TURKEYS. A group of about 9 WILD TURKEYS can be seen most days on Gomorrah Road, near Demorestville, where yesterday they were wandering about the road near the creek crossing, and others perched on the bridge railing and in the roadside trees. Another 9 were seen at Cressy Lakeside on Thursday, and another group, or possibly the same group, was observed west of Kaiser Crossroad along County Road 7 during the week. A female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD is coming to a feeder at Waupoos and a flock of about 50 PINE SISKINS settled in a tree at Prinyer's Cove just this weekend. Numbers of wintering AMERICAN ROBINS don't appear to be as high as in previous winters, although isolated pockets of them still occur here and there. There were 100 milling about on Doxsee Road today and six were seen east of Lake-on-the-Mountain. Also in that area, near Bongard Crossroad this past week, were PILEATED WOODPECKER, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and an adult BALD EAGLE, the latter a regular in the Adolphus Reach area. Another adult BALD EAGLE was seen along Cressy Lakeside, and could possibly be the same bird. Birders from the Peterborough area attempting to track down a few of the rarities in Prince Edward County and area today reported no success in their attempt to locate the YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER at a Trenton feeder, alhtough the BROWN CREEPER was happily feeding on a suet log at the same address. The Rednersville Road BOREAL CHICKADEE was very cooperative, showing up three times in the time they were there looking for it, but only after the observers had retreated to the car and observed from there. The party of observers had no success either finding the Duetta Road HERMIT THRUSH although a single TURKEY VULTURE, one of several wintering this year in the county, was seen at the east end of Royal Road. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Stephanie Collins, Susan Shipman Carmen MacDermaid, Ken Shirley Joyce, Laura Pierce, Nancy Fox, Doris Lane, Joe Victor, Tony Bigg, and Sergio deSousa for their contributions to this week's report. This report also appears weekly on The Birding Page at www.naturestuff.net . Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net Terry Sprague [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Port Weller Tufted Duck - No; TV in Fort Erie
I looked for the Tufty between 8:30 and 9:00 and between 3:00 and 4:00 but had no luck. I did talk to a woman there who says that she saw it yesterday. A Turkey Vulture flew over the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, then emigrated to the US without going through Customs. Good birding! Willie -- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Niagara Falls, N.Y. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
KFN Algonquin Trip
Twelve KFN members travelled to Algonquin Park for the day and observed the following birds. Spruce Bog Boardwalk (km. 42.5) 3 male SPRUCE GROUSE, 1 RUFFED GROUSE, 2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS Feeders at Visitor Centre (km. 43) 20 PINE GROSBEAKS, 2 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 50 COMMON REDPOLLS - there was a PINE MARTIN visiting the feeder periodically throughout the day, which our group missed. Mew Lake Campground (km. 32) 6 GRAY JAYS - campsite #43 Arowhon Road (km. 15.4) 1 GRAY JAY, 5 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS - near old rail line about 5 km. along Arowhon Road. Good Birding Bruce Ripley 613-544-2872 Algonquin Park is located on Hwy. 60, east of Huntsville. Maps showing specific locations are available at the entry gates. Bruce Ripley [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Point Pelee and area
Hi All! While enduring yet another icy week, it has been a really good time in the Pelee Birding area for observing owls. In the park, there is a pair of Great Horned Owls, just north of Blue Heron picnic area on the edge of the marsh that have been present and visible during the day, most days this past week. There is also an Eastern Screech Owl along the main road, roosting in a hole in a Hackberry tree, north of Dune picnic area - you can either park there or at the boardwalk and walk the bicycle trail to the bench between the two locations - look across the road for the hackberry tree with the hole and you should be able to see it. I also had a Short-eared Owl just outside the park on Friday evening. It was hunting over a field on Bevel Line, just north of the Pelee Days Inn, before the go-kart track and mini-golf place. This is the first short-eared that I have seen in the area this winter. Our feeder continues to be a hopping place - in the last week and a half we have had a regular Fox Sparrow, Eastern Towhee and occassional visits from a Hermit Thrush and Grey Catbird. There has been a couple of sightings of Brewer's Blackbirds this winter and there were Rusty Blackbirds present on the weekend. The feeder will continue in front of the Visitor Centre until March, when we finish up our participation in Project Feederwatch. Point Pelee National Park of Canada is located 5 km south of Leamington. Bevel Line can be reached from Leamington by following Erie Street (Hwy 77) south to County Road 20 (Seacliff Drive). Turn left at this intersection and continue on Cty Rd 20 for approx 1 km - you will see a road veering to your right - this is Bevel Line and it will lead you directly to the park gate. Good birding! Sarah Sarah Rupert Leamington, Ontario Sarah Rupert [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
Lapland longspur
Greetings there was a Lapland longspur banded by Barry kinch of the timiskaming banding group today just outside of Elk Lake today. It came in with a number of snow buntings. A photo is available upon request. bird on!! Bruce Murphy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
