Though not as well publicized as its gull-watching, the Niagara River can be just as outstanding for ducks. Between the ice boom at the river's source (about a mile south of the Peace Bridge between Buffalo and Fort Erie) and the southern tip of Grand Island, there were multi-thousands of ducks today. Between the Peace Bridge and the ice boom (a long chain of RR ties between Ontario and NY), it was particularly impressive with large flocks of ducks constantly flying by as thousands drifted and fed on the water. In this area I had three brief views of a HARLEQUIN DUCK which appeared to be an adult male. Jim Pawlicki had a male hybrid COMMON GOLDENEYE X HOODED MERGANSER and a probable female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE. There are several areas to park and look from on the Fort Erie side. Perhaps the best spot for seeing the spectacle is the parking area directly across the street from the old fort. We had all three of the above from there and also had an adult PEREGRINE carrying what appeared to be a Bufflehead. This bird flew to and landed on the Peace Bridge where it ate its meal. Later we had a juvenile PEREGRINE put on an amazing show, coming very close to nailing several ducks before they dropped into the water just beyond the reach of its talons. This bird then got into it with the previously sighted adult for more fun and excitement. I had a third PEREGRINE from the Buffalo side at the foot of Hertel Avenue (possibly the same individual), appearing to go after Bonaparte's Gulls. The most abundant birds in the area were Bufflehead, Goldeneye, Common Merganser, and Greater Scaup with many thousands of each species.
One adult BALD EAGLE was perched among the cormorant nests on Strawberry Island (a little upriver from Grand Island). Above Niagara Falls, there were lots of large gulls though we arrived a little late for much study. There were a few GLAUCOUS, ICELAND, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS here. At the power plants from the Adam Beck overlook, we could only come up with one ICELAND and one second-basic THAYER'S GULL among the relatively few large gulls here. There are still many thousands of BONAPARTE'S GULLS on the river - in the Buffalo-Fort Erie area and the Lewiston-Queenston area. Good birding! Willie ---------------- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY [EMAIL PROTECTED]
