Hey Folks, Kyle Holloway and myself had an interesting day today in the Fort Erie/Niagara Area. We first started on Bowen Rd at about 9:00 AM and couldn't locate any Fish Crows reliably - there were many crows but very few were calling. We then heard one calling FISH CROW in a sizable aggregation of crows at the golf course off Dodd's Ct, which is off Phipps St. This is south of Bowen Rd off the Niagara Parkway.
As it was snowing pretty heavily and viewing was terrible, we made our way along Niagara Blvd towards the falls, noting many CANVASBACK amongst other common waterfowl. We had the following gulls from the Chippewa Breakwater to the Queenston Boat Docks: RING-BILLED HERRING BONAPARTE'S GREAT BLACK-BACKED - Many of these today. LESSER BLACK-BACKED - Two at the Breakwater, at least two at Adam Beck and one at the Queenston Boat Docks. These were all adults. THAYER'S - Great look at an adult bird perched on the rocks at Adam Beck, and earlier Kyle had an adult flying around - perhaps the same bird. GLAUCOUS - One first-year bird at the Breakwater, and another first-year and an adult bird at Adam Beck. KUMLIEN'S - There were at least ten birds of varying ages at Adam Beck. LITTLE - We had one at the Queenston Boat Docks. As it was sunny by this time we chose to go back to try for the other gulls and Fish Crows again at Fort Erie. By the time we got to the foot of Bowen Rd, the conditions reverted to being almost identical to the morning - we couldn't see anything due to blowing snow! We decided to drive down Bowen Rd. again for Fish Crows and heard and saw one bird well, calling from the top of a spruce with the distinctive call posture with fluffed out throat feathers, looking like a miniature raven. Two more were also heard distantly. This was at about 2:45 PM. As we were happily chatting to other birders at the scene, Kyle's car died. After a while we somehow managed to make it crawl to the Black-headed Gull spot at the intersection of Bowen Rd. and Niagara Blvd, deciding that we'd call the tow truck after we see the gull. The following highlight gulls were had - LESSER BLACK-BACKED - One adult. GLAUCOUS - One first-year bird LITTLE - At least one adult and one first-year bird were amongst the swarms of Bonaparte's. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE - Kyle and a couple of others had this bird flying around near the Marina on Squaw Island with the bonies. I never got on it, unfortunately. BLACK-HEADED - After about an hour, I saw the bird fly out of the marina canal out on Squaw Island, and attempted in vain to get whoever was present on the bird. Unfortunately, it retreated back into the canal after a few short seconds before anyone else could get on it. It flew out again a short time later, but again retreated almost immediately. After this, a whole bunch of Bonaparte's flew downstream and nobody ever saw it again. Thanks everyone on site for your concern about our welfare - we ended up calling the tow truck after it got somewhat dark. We ended up getting home late (and some of us with a new nemesis bird...) but safe. What an adventure! Good Birding, Lev Frid Directions (Courtesy Geoff Carpentier) Fort Erie: from the source of the Niagara river travel north on the Niagara River Parkway past the railway bridge that crosses the river. Watch for Bowen on your left hand side. From here you can scan the American side and see the swarms of gulls by the marina (this is actually Squaw Island which doesn't look like an island, but rather a concrete pier). Patience should yield the Black-headed, Kittiwake and Little Gulls. Most people see the Fish Crows somewhere along Bowen Road. They move around. Listen for their calls - we even heard one while watching the gulls. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
