It was another stellar day at Hamilton's Van Wagners Beach for those who put in the time. The winds were moderate NE all day and skies clear. The group of us viewing from the Lakeland Centre had three jaegers between 10:00 and 11:00, one a very dark juvenile Parasitic that flew inland closeby towards Hamilton Harbour, and two more distant birds an hour apart that were possible Long-taileds. Between 1:30 and 2:00 an intermediate/dark morph juvenile Parasitic Jager made a couple of close passes and harassed gulls and terns near the beach. A couple of more distant jaegers frequently appeared along the horizon for most of the afternoon. At about 5:00, a striking second or third alternate Long-tailed Jaeger flew in to the beach over our heads then back out for a pass up the beach and a nice study. About 15 minutes later another dark morph juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger made a pass not too far out. Other birds of note included: 1 Forster's Tern, 2 juv. Great Black-backed Gulls, 2 Common Loons, 1 Horned Grebe, and 10 Sanderling.
Directions: To reach Van Wagners Beach, take the Centennial Parkway (Hwy. 20) exit from the QEW in east Hamilton and proceed north to the North Service Rd., turn left and continue west as it turns into Van Wagners Road. Continue to the parking lots at either Hutch's Restaurant or the Lakeland Centre viewing tower and view the lake anywhere near here. Rob Dobos Dundas, ON [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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