Margaret Bain, Hugh Currie, Andrew Don and I birded Oakville to Niagara yesterday. The Sedgewick five are down to three: Orange-Crowned (both the bright and the dull bird), Bay-Breasted, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. At the foot of Creanona, there were 2 adult drake Harlequins and 2 females in close in calm water. Behind (south of) the hospital on 4th Louth Road were 2 Snowy Owls, of note because one is a smallish all-white male a striking bird. We had 10 and possibly 11 gull species on the Niagara River: Great Black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed, Bonapartes and Little Gull at Queenston (plus scores of Turkey Vultures); Iceland (about a dozen), Glaucous, and Thayers (adult) at Adam Beck; Laughing Gull (first winter; about the size of the Ring-billeds; most visible features were long thin all dark bill, dark mantle and long darkish pointed wings and underwings in flight, snow-white tail and thick black terminal band) above the barge on a rock shelf; Lesser Black-backed at the Control Gates (and elsewhere). At the pull-off lookout below the Control Gates, way over on the American side by a stranded log, we had what we are pretty sure was an adult Slaty-backed, though we never saw it fly and when we came back from Dufferin Island where the Tufted Titmice landed on Hughs hand at the feeders, the bird was gone. There were Herring, Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed nearby, so we are sure the size of our bird was right. The mantle colour was right as was the leg colour. It also appeared thick-chested and had a very broad tertial crescent. The white head appeared lightly streaked, especially around the eye. We waited 20 minutes and it never stretched a wing. While we waited we saw 2 Peregrine Falcons behind us, making 3 for the day (7 for Andrew in 2 days). Cheers, Richard Pope
Directions (provided by Andrew): Sedgewick Park. From QEW take the Third Line exit, go south towards the lake to Hixon Drive and turn left (east), follow to the end and the park entrance is here; follow the trail through the woods towards the lake. Creanona Road( or Blvd) is reached by taking Qew Niagara to Fifty Road exit, go North to the North Service Road and turn left, take the first right Baseline Road and then you will see Creanona Blvd is first intersection. Turn right and follow to the lake. Fourth Avenue in St Catharines is reached by taking QEW Niagara to the 406 and the first exit will be Fourth Avenue; turn right towards Hamilton and follow to 1st street Louth, turn by the new Hospital, and the owls were seen south of the hospital just past the railway line. Dufferin Island is just above the falls; park in the parking lot west of the main road and the titmice come to feeders right by the bridge. The Laughing Gull was seen by the barge almost opposite the park. Cheers, Richard Pope _______________________________________________ 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/
