Hello Fellow Birders, The last couple of days have been excellent for bird watching even though the November chills were a stark reality.
On Saturday as I bicycled my way from Newcastle to Port Hope I sighted 74 Red Tailed Hawks gliding and flapping overhead & 4 Red Shouldered Hawks. I did have my binoculars and had to stop several times to take in the beautiful birds. Another high light were 3 Wild Turkeys and 1 Pileated Woodpecker. It was nice to have a sun roof over my bike so I could take in the beauty of the sky. In the lake itself I sighted 32 Buffleheads, 44 Red Breasted Mergansers, 4 Common Loons, 3 Red Throated Loons. When I started out from my home on Mill St. I sighted 1 Red Bellied Woodpecker (m.), 6 Blue Jays, 2 Northern Cardinals (m.), 1 White Breasted Nuthatch, 24 American Goldfinches, 5 House Finches, 1 Brown Headed Cowbird, 1 Common Grackle, 1 Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker, 6 Black Capped Chickadees. Today several members of the Clarington Older Adult Association taking my Bird Watching course met on the Bluffs to once again see all the sea ducks I mentioned above. Our destination was to Bird along the way on the Lakeshore Rd. and visit the Long Tailed Ducks in the Cobourg Harbor. We were not disappointed. We car pooled with each other which helped to keep warm. We did see a Wild Turkey along the way but the climax of the trip was yes: LONG TAILED DUCKS (formerly called Oldsquaws). One of the most elegant ducks in winter. Long-tailed and shining white, the males are certainly among the most elegant. There was a large flock of them in the Cobourg Harbor. They were baying softly like a distant pack of hounds. Ha-ha-way, the Indians named them for their distinctive calls. Their English moniker is perhaps not a kind one, and their Latin name is even more direct: "winter noise". The Long Tailed are indeed the most garrulous of our ducks, but few returning fishermen have not welcomed their chatty sounds as a sign of land nearby. I shared with the group to look for the pink on the beak of the male. Fortunately I had my spotting scope with me which was not working the greatest. One had to be quick and patient while the birds demonstrated their diving abilities as well as their exceptional voice and plumage. They've been known to reach depths of more than 200 ft. Mollusks and crustaceans are the real attraction but perhaps it's quieter down there too. While the waters are still open I want to encourage you to take in the beautiful sight. As soon as the harbor freezes over they move further out into the Lake. We also sighted 2 mystery birds among the Mallards. At first I thought we had 2 Ruddy Ducks but they were albino Mallards. We think. If any one wishes to challenge us on that send me an e-mail. Directions: Take 440 exit from 401 on Mill St. by Newcastle and drive straight south to the Lake and follow Lakeshore to Cobourg. My airmail box # is 590, 500 m. before the lake. Markus J. Lise Newcastle, On
