Today, Celeste Morien, Betsy , and I went out on a quest for few birds. We started at Port Weller, where we walked all the way to the end of the east pier, then a little bit to the east, and had a nice views of the beautiful adult male HARLEQUIN DUCK. Directions: From QEW, exit at Niagara Street and head north on Niagara Street. Continue along Niagara until it ends at Lakeshore Road. Turn right onto Lakeshore Road and cross the Welland Canal at Lock 1. Drive until Seaway Haulage Road, turn left onto this road, and continue until you reach the recreation trails along the canal. Walk down the road or the path, till the coast guard station is visible across the canal. Look here as the bird was seen here last weekend. If not here continue to the end and head east a short ways and look north. This is where we saw the bird today. When not feeding, the Harlequin Duck was trying to hang out with the Buffleheads, who did not seem to want anything to do with him. Why, we could not understand - I mean, even I thought he was gorgeous.
After that we headed to Vineland, where the previously reported adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was pointed out by Ken Williams and his wife as we drove up. Thanks you two! And a big thank-you to Nancy Smith for posting this bird. Directions: QEW Niagara, exit Victoria Ave. Vineland ( Reg. 24 ) head south, up the mountain, turn right on Fly Rd. (stoplight) then left on Campden Rd. The house is on the west side of Campden Rd. (house # 3196), just south of Yonge Street. Finally, around 3:30, Tim Seburn led us to the Fort Erie race track where he had heard a Fish Crow on a previous day. It was not long before we were successful in hearing a FISH CROW among many American Crows but all the crows flew off shortly, heading east (no doubt to cross over to the US, a nightly ritual). We may have also seen it, or possibly just a small American Crow. We heard the Fish Crow call four times, a nasal single note call "ahh". Directions: Exit the QEW Northbound at Concession Road and turn right. Proceed to the end and turn right, then left into the large parking lot. Go to the other side of the parking lot and find your way onto a small access road that goes along the east side of the horse racing track. Good birding! Willie ------------------ Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com <http://www.betsypottersart.com/> _______________________________________________ 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/
