[Ontbirds]Yellow-headed Blackbird East of Ottawa

[Jerry Lazarczyk]

On Monday 1/16/06 at 11:15AM I saw the YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (YHBB)at the #23 
Manitatou address.  I saw 3 Starlings come from ON3 into the abrovitea (sp.?).  
Suddenly a Grackle appeared at the top of the abrovitea (sp.?).  When I put my 
binocs up, the YHBB was there for a few moments, long enough to call it a life 
bird.  Then it appeared a minute or two later in the platform feeder behind the 
trailer, easily seen from the street from the left of the house.  The YHBB 
stayed in the feeded for a minute or two, then flushed then returned for a few 
seconds and was gone.  I never saw the YHBB again, nor the Grackle nor the 
Starling although I stayed for another half hour.

I arrived at #23 Manitou at 8AM and did not see much except feeder birds until 
8:30AM.  Then I searched the neighborhood until 11AM, returning to #23 Manitou 
for a few minutes at 9AM and 10AM, what a waste.  Then I returned to #23 
Manitou at 11AM.  

I must mention that the police stopped me because of reports of me driving 
slowly around the neighborhood looking in houses with binoculars - I absolutely 
did not look into any houses but was searching the neighborhood for the YHBB.  
The officer was quite polite, quite curious and quite helpful.  I did have 
printouts of the OntBirds emails on the YHBB.

Incidently, is there a second YHBB near Trenton?  That email confused me.

Directions:
Take Hwy 417 east from Ottawa, take exit #79 and turn right (south) on Hwy 5 
(Limoges Rd.).  Turn left onto County Rd 3, after the Petro-Canada gas station, 
and proceed past Cambridge School. Turn right on Manitou which is the 4th 
street past the school.


Jerry Lazarczyk
Grand Island NY

[Ontbirds]Gordon Bellerby

[john black]

  

   Yesterday Gordon Bellerby died at his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake 
after some months of illness.  He was, for many years, an active member 
of the TOC and lived in Toronto.  After he moved to NOTL he became 
interested in Niagara River gulls, became a very helpful gull expert, 
and took many birders on gull trips along the river. A memorial service 
will be held at St. Mark's Anglican Church ( 41 Byron Street) in NOTL at 
3:00 PM on January 25.


John Black