Today, Friday December 28th, my parents and I completed a 'top of the escarpment loop' birding trip to Guelph, Brantford and Stoney Creek. We started off at the Guelph Arboretum in the morning, where we initially found 3 female Pine Grosbeaks feeding along the S. side of the "old" entrance road to the arboretum that runs from the W. border to the visitor's center. After some patience and a cruise around all of the available roads, a brief hike around the center itself yielded good views of a flock of about 75-125 Bohemian Waxwings which flew in from the N at about 11am and stayed for about 5 minutes before disappearing to the SE, not to be located again. Good luck is definitely required to see these birds, as other observers have previously suggested.
We then headed south to Brantford Airport to look for the Gray Partridge which had been well-seen several times over the last week. En route we were paralleled for some distance along the Grand R. by an adult Bald Eagle which essentially kept pace with the car (about 45-50km/h average) from just south of Glen Morris all the way to the center of Paris. At Brantford Airport we quickly found the partridge flock of 4 birds (3 males and a female) in the York Rd./Airport Rd. loop, initially just south of the road in the open space that forms the north end of the loop, and then across the road under some small trees in the area between the large commercial grey building with red trim and the wooden building behind which the two de-engined DC-3s are parked. They offered very good views out in the open about 50 feet north of the road, but are virtually impossible to spot from some angles when they hide in the leaf litter under some of the trees in the area. A subadult Bald Eagle flew directly over the partridge flock while we watched them. Finally we headed to Stoney Creek to see the Northern Hawk Owl along 10th Road E. The bird showed extremely well from around 230-330 about 250m W of the road and just north of the railway tracks, and was still in that general vicinity when we left. Also in this area, just to the south along 10th Road were 1-2 Short-eared Owls which were very actively and successfully hunting on both sides of the road at 230. At this same time a Northern Shrike was in the small trees just to the east of the road and south of the railway tracks. All told, a very successful day's birding. Directions: Guelph Arboretum - From the 401, take Highway 6 north to Guelph. Turn right onto College Avenue. Go through the University of Guelph campus, past the stadium and towards Victoria Road. Just before Victoria Road (and just before College Avenue ends) turn right into The Arboretum (note: this is our new entrance and doesn't have a new sign yet). The center is a short distance south along this road by the parking lots. This is where the birds were seen today. Brantford Airport - from Hwy 403 just west of Brantford, exit at Rest Acres Rd (Hwy 24), head south to Colborne Rd (Hwy 2) and turn left/east. Watch the fields all around here as the partridge range about. The airport terminal is north of Colborne Rd, turn at York Rd (or Airport Rd. the 2 basically form a loop) and look all around this area. Today the birds were a bit east of what I think could be considered the intersection between York and Airport. 'The Hawk Owl Spot' - Take the QEW to Niagara / Stoney Creek area, and take Fifty Road South to the escarpment top., Turn right at the stop sign at Ridge Rd., and go less then 1km to the first street on the left, 10th concession., turn left and go to the RR tracks. Today the bird was west along the tracks about 250m or so, while the Short-ears and Shrike were just past the tracks if you're coming up from the QEW. Good birding, Chris Kimber Queen's University Kingston, ON/Toronto, ON _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
