Please excuse the late posting. On Thursday Mar. 4, my friend and I birded along the Ontario side of the Niagara River from Fort Erie to Niagara on the Lake and also Jordan Harbour. Just south of the Peace Bridge were a number of RED BREASTED MERGANSERS, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS and a few LONGTAILS. Along the river we found more RED BREASTED MERGANSERS and two TRUMPETER SWANS ( no visable tags or leg bands). Near Service Rd. 23 we came upon 18 TUNDRA SWANS( juvenile and adult) calmly feeding along the shore. There was also the occasional COMMON MERGANSER in the river. We detoured into Dufferin Islands above the falls where there were a number of somewhat tame MALLARDS including a black domestic one. There was also what appeared to be a hybrid MALLARD x ?. It seems to have paired up with a male MALLARD. This bird is larger than the male, has a white eye ring, white neck, orangey mottled chest and light breast. if anyone else has viewed this bird and can tell me what type of hybrid this is please contact me at my e-mail address. At Niagara on the Lake we found a few LONGTAILS and BLACK-BACKED GULLS. Nearing home we stopped at Jordan Harbour and in the Marina found 3 MUTE SWANS, COMMON MERGANSER and GOLDEN EYE. Barb Wright
Beamsville,ON [email protected] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
