[Ontbirds]Ross's Goose, Sora at Port Stanley sewage lagoons Nov. 19
Today, Sunday Nov. 19, at the Port Stanley sewage lagoons Jeff Atkinson and myself found a Ross's Goose amongst the Canada Geese on the berm between ponds 1 and 2. The goose seemed to have an injured left eye as it looked to be almost closed. Also, from the same viewing platform, there was a Sora feeding just 10 feet straight out from the NW corner of pond 1. As the Sora noticed us, it hurriedly waded back to the longer vegetation in front of the pond. To get there: Take Hwy 4 south to Port Stanley and turn right on Warren St. (at skateboard ramp), continue past the stop sign, up the winding road to Scotch Line. At Scotch Line turn right and go approx. 1 km. The viewing stands are on the left side of the road. Viewing stand for ponds 1 and 2 are the first you'll come to. Sorry for the late post, I tried earlier but must have messed it up! Mike Cowlard St. Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Ontbirds] Ottawa:Purple Sandpipers, Gr.White-fronted Goose, hybrid goldeneye
Hi Everyone Yesterday, November 19, birded various areas in Ottawa. The 3 Purple Sandpipers were still present at Britannia Pier at 1:30pm. Near the corner of Moodie Drive and Brophy Side Road we observed 1 Greater White-fronted Goose, 2 Snow Blue morph, 1000's of Canada's and 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. These birds were all on the south side of Brophy. At Dick Bell Park there was still 1 Brant feeding near the parking lot. At our final stop of the afternoon, we observed a hybrid Barrow's x Common Goldeneye at Remic Rapids. This maybe the same individual that has winter along the Rideau/Ottawa River the past few years. good birding Bruce Directions: Hybrid Goldeneye: take Parkdale Ave. north from Hwy. 417 to the Western Parkway and travel west turning right off parkway at Remic Rapids Lookout. You can view the goldeneyes in the rapids from the lookout. If you require additional information, please email me privately. Brophy Side Road: Take Hwy. 416 south Brophy Side Road and turn right. Follow to Moodie Drive intersection. Britannia Pier: Located along the Ottawa Rvier north of intersection of Carling Ave. and Greenview/Pinecrest Rd.. Follow Greenview north down hill to parking lot. 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/
[Ontbirds]No Razorbill - Niagara-on-the-Lake
Dear Fellow Birders, Myself and Jenn Sinasac searched for the Razorbill this morning to no avail, we met several other birders at Niagara-on-the-Lake who also had not seen it. In the area were Red-throated Loons and Horned Grebes amongst usual winter ducks. We also did a quick check of other spots along the river, Queenston, Adam Beck, the Whirlpool, the Control Gates and the Falls and struck out at every place for any interesting gulls. There were virtually no gulls above the falls this morning which was odd and in stark contrast to the what was seen on Saturday. Only Bonaparte's Gulls were seen along the river in appreciable numbers. Directions: Follow the QEW to Niagara Falls and exit at the 420 to Niagara Falls. All sites are located along the Niagara Parkway, take the Niagara Parkway south to reach the Control Gates and the Falls, and north to reach the Whirlpool, Adam Beck, Queenston and at the mouth of the river Niagara-on-the-Lake. Mike Boyd Long Point, Ontario From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Nov 20 18:39:45 2006 Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from BAYC1-PASMTP07.CEZ.ICE (bayc1-pasmtp07.bayc1.hotmail.com [65.54.191.167])by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A7F4263A2E for ontbirds@hwcn.org; Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:39:36 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Originating-IP: [64.228.129.110] X-Originating-Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from your55e5f9e3d2 ([64.228.129.110]) by BAYC1-PASMTP07.CEZ.ICE over TLS secured channel with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.1830); Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:45:57 -0800 From: Eleanor Beagan [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:39:36 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook, Build 11.0.5510 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 Thread-Index: AccM/SM6pLRUwMnpT1KltDNVbpgY2A== Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-OriginalArrivalTime: 20 Nov 2006 23:45:57.0609 (UTC) FILETIME=[06A59590:01C70CFE] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Black Guillemot still at Massey X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:39:45 - I just got a call from Jean Iron with the following message for Ontbirders. On Monday 20 November, Ron Pittaway and I arrived at Massey around noon and met Erwin Meissner, who had seen the Black Guillemot at the bridge across the Spanish River in Massey at 7:30 a.m. We did not see it at the bridge but drove about 6 km south along the river to a boat launch, where we saw it close to the opposite bank. Later around 3:15 p.m. we saw it again from the boat launch as it dived and drifted downstream. Then it was seen at about 4:15 p.m. as it flew east past the bridge in Massey. It is regularly seen about 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the bridge in Massey. The bird is an adult in basic (winter) plumage. Massey is on the TransCanada Highway 17, west of Sudbury and Espanola. At the traffic lights in Massey turn south (left if coming from the east) and find the bridge, or call Erwin Meissner at 705-865-1970 for directions. Best wishes, Jean Iron Toronto Eleanor Beagan OFO Vice President Membership Secretary [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.ofo.ca [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Ontbirds]HSR: Holiday Beach (20 Nov 2006) 422 Raptors
Holiday Beach Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2006 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Turkey Vulture 61 2520 35621 Osprey 0 0111 Bald Eagle 7 27122 Northern Harrier 5396 1180 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1300 9813 Cooper's Hawk4162752 Northern Goshawk 2 12 26 Red-shouldered Hawk 16395471 Broad-winged Hawk0 2 7730 Red-tailed Hawk318 3003 4126 Rough-legged Hawk4 24 30 Golden Eagle 4 41 51 American Kestrel 0 4 2113 Merlin 0 5122 Peregrine Falcon 0 10113 Unknown29 40 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 3 Total: 422 6930 62424 -- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 9.5 hours Official Counter: Claude Radley, Jack Boxer Observers:Claude Radley, Jim McCoy, Steve Winiarski Weather: Mainly sunny with ligt N winds backing to WNW. Temps from -2 to 8C. Raptor Observations: A decent flow of Red-tailed once the daytime heating got some convective activity going. The flight height soon rose to the limit of binocular range and above. The flight abruptly ceased at 15:30. Non-raptor Observations: The passerine population in the park has decresed. Seven species of ducks where in the marsh. Predictions: Mostly sunny with light S winds becoming moderate SW. Low near -2 and high near 6. Report submitted by Claude Radley ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/
[Ontbirds]Razorbill Still At Niagara
The RAZORBILL was seen today from about 2:00pm until 3:35pm by myself, Hugh Currie and Pete Read. I arrived at the parkette (on the Canadian side) overlooking the mouth of the river at about 7:30am and was joined soon afterwards by Pete Read. Pete showed me to the viewpoint below Fort Mississauga from which we think yesterday's birders had close views of the Razorbill and we spent the next few hours there seeing more than half a dozen each of RED-THROATED LOON and HORNED GREBE but no Alcid. The NE wind was creating sizable waves, not to mention frozen fingers and toes, and two fishing boats were trawling back and forth along the rip line, as I call it - the band of chop and (in some spots) calm water where the river outflow meets the lake. The green buoy mentioned in yesterday's posts, about 150-200 m offshore and just slightly beyond the rip, was easily seen from this viewpoint. I thought I had seen the target bird in the early morning swimming just to the right of the green buoy, and later on in the morning Pete thought he saw it fly along the rip from left of the buoy to half way between the buoy and the U.S. side, but neither of us was really convinced. Pete headed off to check the gulls upstream around 12:30 and Hugh Currie joined me at the viewpoint below Fort Mississauga, making a coffee run an hour later. Just as he returned, shortly after 2:00pm, the RAZORBILL appeared from nowhere, sitting on the water about 50 m offshore from us and slightly left of the green buoy. Hugh and I had a couple of quick close-up looks as the bird bobbed up on the waves, and it was gone. Several minutes later I spotted it almost out at the rip just right of the green buoy. A few minutes after that it flew to the east/right, to about half way between the green buoy and the U.S. side, splashed down and disappeared. After trying in vain to relocate the bird for more than half an hour, Hugh headed up to the parkette where he met up with Pete. I arrived there around 3:15pm, a few minutes after they had just refound the bird mid-river just beyond the rip. We saw it again a couple of times in the next 20 minutes as it drifted to the left in the waves just beyond the rip, diving a lot and visible only briefly. I'd noticed earlier as some large balloons floated downstream that there seems to be a counter-clockwise current west/left along the rip then back upstream along the Canadian side -- it seemed like the bird was going with this flow in the waves just beyond the rip, maybe curling in closer to the Canadian shoreline, then flying back towards the U.S. side to start all over again. We last saw it at 3:35pm. On the water, the Razorbill's colouring is dramatic - very black on the back, neck and top half of face, and very white on flanks, chest, throat and lower half of face. Pete noted similar contrast when the bird flew, black above and white below. Even at long distance this colouring is striking. Directions: The parkette overlooks the mouth of the river a short distance upriver from the golf course -- this is where most birders stop on a Niagara River day. The viewpoint below Fort Mississauga can be found as follows: From the golf course clubhouse (at the south end of the golf course, nearest the parkette) drive north beside the first fairway until the road turns left, and park there. Look for the signboard and gravel path leading to Fort Mississauga (the red brick boxy structure at the far side of the golf course, where the river enters the lake). Before reaching the fort, walk over the grass to the right, behind the putting green for the first hole, and look for a gravel ramp down the wooded slope to the walking trail at the water's edge. Half way along this trail (about 50 m) is a wide gap in the trees where you get a great view of the green buoy (if you get to the pink wing-backed chair another 50 m further on, you've gone too far!). This is where we had brief close-up views of the Razorbill. -- Christopher J. Escott 1 Shouldice Court, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2L 2S3 Home phone: 416.444.8055 Cellular 416.788.8055
[Ontbirds]HSR: Cranberry Marsh (20 Nov 2006) 127 Raptors
Cranberry Marsh Whitby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2006 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 1 11 2237 Osprey 0 0158 Bald Eagle 0 1 56 Northern Harrier 0 26221 Sharp-shinned Hawk 18 54 1794 Cooper's Hawk0 11162 Northern Goshawk 0 1 17 Red-shouldered Hawk 5 12 68 Broad-winged Hawk0 0974 Red-tailed Hawk 94975 1616 Rough-legged Hawk6 24 28 Golden Eagle 2 13 17 American Kestrel 0 0659 Merlin 0 2 30 Peregrine Falcon 0 4 19 Unknown 1 5101 Total: 127 1139 8157 -- Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 13:30:00 Total observation time: 5 hours Official Counter: Dan Kaczynski Observers:Geof Burbidge, Jim Munroe, John Stirrat, Joyce Collier-Brown Visitors: I thank the 10 or more who came to take over after my 2-hour stint Weather: medium N wind; rising BP; TUV=2; 0-3C; full sun turning to overcast by mid-morning Raptor Observations: 1 TV; 18 SS; 5 RED-SHOULDERED; 94 RT; 6 RL; 2 GOLDEN EAGLE; 1 UB Non-raptor Observations: N.Shrike Report submitted by John Douglas Lockrey ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Cranberry Marsh information may be found at: http://www.torontobirding.ca/~gtrw
[Ontbirds]HSR: SMRR- Lake Erie Metropark (20 Nov 2006) 431 Raptors
SMRR- Lake Erie Metropark Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2006 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 49 3846 73130 Osprey 0 1225 Bald Eagle 6 19197 Northern Harrier 1239 1001 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1277 8401 Cooper's Hawk 16152737 Northern Goshawk 0 1 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 53780 1022 Broad-winged Hawk0 0 67956 Red-tailed Hawk294 4152 6324 Rough-legged Hawk2 20 27 Golden Eagle 9 86105 American Kestrel 0 8 1861 Merlin 0 3 45 Peregrine Falcon 0 6 47 Unknown Swainson's Hawk 0 0 9 Short-eared Owl 0 1 1 Total: 431 9591 161095 -- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Calvin Brennan Observers:Ron Harkness, Terry Angevine Visitors: Allen Chartier Cathy and Steve Varkoly Weather: Today was a rare sunny day with just a bit of cumulous buildup in the afternoon. Winds were for the most part light and varying from west to north. Raptor Observations: A steady movement was recorded throughout the day, although with the light winds the flight was spread over a very broad front, making for diligent scanning in the mostly blue skies. Highlighting the day was the late day push of Golden Eagles, several of these spectacularly lit up in the late afternoon sunlight. Bald Eagles were particularly evident as well today, in fact both species were in view at once on more than one occasion. Also two Rough-legs were noted, one of each morph, noteworthy because of their infrequency this fall. Non-raptor Observations: Report submitted by Calvin Brennan ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) SMRR- Lake Erie Metropark information may be found at: http://www.smrr.net/
