2011 Duck Count: The Lower Niagara

January 9

It was our third year of assisting John Black with the annual duck count in the Niagara Region. For our first count, we covered the Lake Ontario shoreline from Fifty Point Conservation Area to Vineland. Last year, we stopped at a number of locations between Vineland and the Port Weller west pier. This year we would cover an area that is not on the official MNR list, the lower Niagara River. Kayo's group was counting waterfowl from the east side of Port Weller to Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL).

Before going to NOTL; Dan, Paula, Jean and I accompanied John and the Vineland crew at the west pier. John's presence was necessary for the granted access to the west pier in Port Weller. En route to the Welland Canal, three cars containing birders turned around to get a better look at a bird perched on top of a brush pile. It was a Northern Shrike! Only the second observation of this species for Jean and I. Was this to be another count where the best bird was seen at the beginning of our day?

Only a few winter resistant Double-crested Cormorants perched in branches above the canal as we drove along the west pier. Many more can be found in the spring and summer.



Over 100 American Robins were feeding on berries.

I beared the cold long enough to tick White-winged Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser for my lists.

On the way to NOTL we stopped at the Niagara Lake Shore Cemetery, a spot we covered during the Niagara Falls CBC. In the field south of the cemetery we found a flock of approximately 200 Snow Buntings. It was an amazing sight, watching the flock feed and take off in one large mass then return to the ground seconds later. Quite the sound too.

Our group started moving up river upon reaching NOTL and at the marina we ran into Kayo's group and a Glaucous Gull. We scanned the river for waterfowl from Nelson Park, a spot from which Jean and I counted Bonaparte's and Little Gulls flying towards Lake Ontario during the Spring BOS count.

We stopped at a few sites along the Niagara River, observing a few hundred Long-tailed Ducks before reaching the small village of Queenston. Several Mute Swans and a few Bufflehead were observed as well. Interesting observations that were not of the duck variety included Belted Kingfisher and a total of 17 Great Blue Herons, all seen in one location on the riverbank.

At the Queenston boat launch, more Long-tailed Ducks, the usual gulls and a visiting birder from the D.C. area.

Continuing south along the river, we climbed the Niagara Escarpment. We no longer had access to the river. It's a sheer 60+ metre drop to the bottom of the Niagara Gorge.

Quick stops at Adam Beck and the Whirpool. This was a duck count so only a few minutes could be spent looking for gulls. Jean and I added Iceland Gull to the year list at Adam Beck. A couple of Greater Scaup were snuggled close to the U.S. side of the river at the Whirlpool but due to the large amount of ice, the Bonaparte's and one or two hidden Little Gulls were absent. We checked out a few more spots at overlooks before reaching one of the world's most popular tourist attractions.

No ice bridge below the American Falls yet. In the open water between the Falls and the Rainbow Bridge, we found Mallards, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye and an American Wigeon. We spotted a Common Loon where the Maid of the Mist boats carry tourists and the occasional rock band during the warmer months.

Hey, is that a Peregrine Falcon down there?

Where?

Yes. Another tick for the year, winter and January lists.

After counting ducks below the Falls we went searching for Purple Sandpiper near the engineerium.

A few ducks above the Falls.

The possibility for spotting Purple Sandpiper sounded promising. John and Dan observed the shorebird on New Year's Day and Paula found it two days later. She remarked that the water level was lower on the day of her observation. A few days had past since it was last seen and the rocks were layered with ice.

Looking through our scopes it appeared there was something present behind one of the rocks. A partial head and beak was all that we could see. There was definitely a bird there. Both Jean and John observed movement while looking through the scopes. If in fact it was a Purple Sandpiper, there's no way it was conclusive enough to tick it as a lifer for Jean and I. We tried setting up the scope at different locations but the views did not improve. A second attempt by Jean and I after a late lunch was no better. We have stood at this spot many times (including OFO trips) and have had no luck. Everyone else seems to find it. The reports on ontbirds have become rather annoying. This species can be rightly tagged as a nemesis bird! Not by this definition (parents strongly cautioned) but still a nemesis.

A great day of birding! 18 species added to our year list and only 4 were waterfowl, White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Duck and Gadwall. Jean and I surpassed last year's total for species observed in the region during the month of January and we still have some time to add a few more. The best bird of the day? Well turns out that the first sighting was it and without any hesitation, Northern Shrike was selected for my Bird-A-Day challenge. It's back to some quick birding for the next few additions during another work week.

Snowy Towhee

January 8

Ah, the weekend. No shortage of time to add birds to the year list or find that unique species for the Bird-A-Day challenge. During the shortened work week, I would leave work and zip over to a planned location for a quick find before the last of the afternoon daylight disappeared.

No hasty pick on the Saturday. At the feeders in St. Johns I could wait and wait, as the snow collected on my shoulders, for the Eastern Towhee to show up at the base of the feeder as it did on Christmas Day.





When we arrived at the property, the owner was filling the feeders with seed. He soon approached Jean and I and informed us the towhee had returned with the snow and that we could park at the bottom of the driveway.




From the car we could see the feeders and Jean spotted the male Eastern Towhee first but my view was obstructed by a birch tree. The bird left before I could adjust my position.

The snow started to fall heavily so we stepped out of our vehicle to observe the birds visiting the feeders and flitting in the trees.

Some good birds were seen. Both species of nuthatch, American Tree Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse and a Pine Siskin. When the Eastern Towhee returned, I was standing in a much better position. A great tick so early in the year.

Three species were added to the year list and I picked the Eastern Towhee for my Bird-A-Day challenge. The next day was the duck count. Maybe this time I would be able to choose a waterfowl species but a lifer Purple Sandpiper would certainly have me changing my mind once again.

2010 Port Colborne CBC

Since 2008, Jean and I have assisted with two of the four Christmas Bird Counts held in the Niagara Region. Due to timing and prior commitments, we have been unable to attend the count centered near the shoreline of Lake Erie. On Sunday January 2, we participated in our first Port Colborne CBC.


Unlike the St. Kitts and Falls counts, participants gather at a set location and are assigned a section the day of the count. Compiler Drew Campbell (co-writer of the Hotspots and Day Trips in Niagara section in the recently published Niagara Birds) gave Jean and I our own section. Section 9, an area west of Port Colborne in the Township of Wainfleet, is very similar to the area we cover on the St. Catharines CBC.






Rural roads, fields and bird feeders.

Species were limited at the first feeder but as we continued down the side road, Side Road #20 actually, we spotted a Rough-legged Hawk (light phase) perched in a tree. As we drew near, the raptor left its perch, displaying the tell-tale makings underneath the wings while in flight. Nearing the end of the day, we observed a second Rough-legged Hawk, this time a dark phase of the species.

At a feeder near Highway 3, we added Red-bellied Woodpecker to our section's list.

Jean found 2 American Tree Sparrows on the north side of the Feeder Canal. A few were seen at feeders as well.

The Feeder Canal was built in 1829 to provide water from the Grand River to the first Welland Canal and until the 1920's was used as a shipping canal.

Following the Feeder Canal westward on Feeder Road takes you to the town centre of Wainfleet. During the Labour Day weekend, the Marshville Festival attracts many visitors. I always scan the canal for herons after a day of eating apple fritters and touring the sawmill.

Jean and I covered Section 9 in just under 4.5 hours and observed a total of 22 species. If not for homeowners keeping their feeders filled, the list surely would have been disappointingly low. Snow Buntings were not ticked and though we left no field unchecked we did not find any Horned Larks. Returning to some spots in the afternoon proved to be valuable. We watched 4 Eastern Bluebirds take turns dropping into a ditch from a tree branch and then disappear into a hole to drink from the small pools of water that lied beneath the thin sheet of ice.

After the count, Jean and I headed over to Sugarloaf Harbour to look for a pair of Peregrines that were observed by another group earlier in the day. Through snow flurries, we could see Rock Pigeons flying above the grain elevators but the falcons were absent. Gulls were resting on the ice near the marina and we added our last birds of the day to the year list, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. Only two days into the New Year and we are well ahead of last year's pace. Though the CBC's are done until next December, we still had one count remaining, the duck count. But before we searched for waterfowl on the lower Niagara, Jean and I went looking for the January 3 bird for my Bird-A-Day challenge (to be discussed on a future post) on the upper Niagara.

A Wet and Mild New Year

It was not your normal New Year's Day in southern Ontario. A combination of unseasonably warm temperatures and rain melted the snow cover overnight.




The first bird observed for in 2011 was a Black-capped Chickadee at our feeder.


In the afternoon it continued to rain so we decided to check out a few feeders, including the St. Johns feeder that had the Christmas Day Eastern Towhee. If it was still there, it would be a nice New Year tick and a great start to the Bird-A-Day challenge (more on that later).


The annual St. Catharines Cycling Club New Year's Day ride looked to be a wet one. Driving to west St. Catharines we saw club member Marv Srigley on his way to the fish and chip shop (the traditional start for cycling club rides). Despite the rain, he smiled when I honked the horn and waved.


The feeders on 5th Avenue were gone. Hopefully it's only temporary. All we found were House Sparrows in the tangle of branches by the roadside.





Nothing unusual at our first stop in the Town of Pelham. Continuing on to the next feeder and still hoping for Northern Shrike, we ticked a Northern Harrier as it flew over a field to our left and Northern Mockingbird (2) in the trees to our right.

Wild Turkeys were front and center at the feeders near Short Hills Provincial Park.

In St. Johns, we parked our car at the front gate of the conservation area and walked to the spot we viewed the feeders from on Christmas Day. We could see a birder viewing the feeders from his car. As he was leaving we discovered it was our friend Kayo (Niagara Falls CBC compiler). My posting of the Eastern Towhee on ontbirds sent him after the bird late last year and he was successful in finding it. Kayo has provided some great tips to Jean and I so we were glad we were able to return the favour. Unfortunately, neither Kayo or Jean and I ticked the towhee on New Year's Day.

Though the towhee was absent, Jean and I observed a worthwhile substitute. Approximately 24 Common Redpolls landed at the top of a deciduous tree on the property before quickly moving on.

With a day time high of 12 degrees Celsius, streams and small creeks were flowing freely.

After looking at feeders, we moved on to the small bodies of water in my home town of Thorold. At Lake Gibson, Mute Swan (2) and Common Merganser (1) were observed south of the Beaverdams Rd bridge. With my back turned, Jean chased after a bird she spotted in the brush.

Jean? Where you going? What did you see? Something but we could not find it again.

Not many waterfowl at all in the open spots of Lake Gibson. North of the bridge, all we could find was one male Bufflehead.

The water from Lake Gibson flows through a hydro channel to Lake Moodie and we found a variety of waterfowl on the man-made lake. Hooded Mergansers, Canvasbacks and Ring-necked Ducks were the highlights.

In the background of the image below is Brock University's Schmon Tower. The crane to the right of the tower is used in the construction of the the new Brock Health and Bioscience complex. The campus has certainly changed since Jean and I walked along the Thistle corridor.

At the Morning Star Mill it was evident that there had been a considerable amount of rain. The water from Lake Gibson was flowing high at Decew Falls.

Though wet, the first day of 2011 produced some good birds. More were to come. On January 2 we participated in the Port Colborne Christmas Bird Count for the first time. We just might obtain a personal best for our winter list.

Plus One

January 31

It was the last day of January and I set some time aside for a final attempt to add birds to the January list. The previous day Jean and I ticked 11 species, setting a new total for the list. Rather than rest on my laurels, I thought it would be worthwhile to add a couple more species. This would make next year's list all the more challenging.

There was one bird still remaining off the list that we should have ticked by now. A Mute Swan. Yeah, hard to believe. A pair can usually be found in Port Dalhousie but the two times we were there earlier this year, no Mutes.

Thinking it would warm up a few degrees, I left our hunt until the afternoon. Well, that didn't happen. It was still bloody cold. Our first stop was Jaycee Park on the south side of Martindale Pond. The pond was mostly ice and I used the scope to scan the open water near Rennie Park in Port Dalhouise. Only Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gulls and frozen chickens being tossed across the ice (And they think birders are odd!).

At the marina in Port Dalhousie (Martindale Pond empties into Lake Ontario here) similar results to our visit during the duck count. No Mute Swans.

There was another open body of water that could possibly produce the swans. Up to my home town of Thorold we would go. The waters of Lake Gibson are channeled to the Decew Hydro Generating station and a few spots remain open during the winter months.

Looking south of Beaverdams Road we found our quarry. A pair of Mute Swans.

Further south on this section of the lake we spotted a third Mute Swan. We then walked along the old railway line on the causeway to get a view of the open waters north of the road. More swans but this time a pair of Tundra with a juvenile. A few more species were observed during our time in Thorold but only the bird I sought was added to the regional list.

With birding officially done for the month of January, Jean and I observed a total of 57 species within the region of Niagara. A new personal best. Having missed a Bonaparte's and Little Gull, I know it is feasible to obtain 60+ species next year. I already have my itinerary mapped out in my head. In addition to continuing the tradition of a January regional list I will also take on the Bird-A-Day challenge. Yes, the lists are ever growing.

Basically one bird is added to the list per day, no repeats or skipping days allowed. Looking at my lists from this year, the Bird-A-Day challenge would have quickly ended on the 4th of January.

January 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk

January 2 Northern Cardinal

January 3 American Tree Sparrow

I did not enter any lists on eBird Canada for January 4 but I did see House Sparrows as they waited for me to fill the feeder in the back yard. No further lists until January 9. Looks like I skipped a few days so obviously I'm out.

I'll be prepared next year. Who knows, may be I'll even keep pace with a certain Carolinian birder that has yet to miss a day.

Last Chance Weekend

January 30

The first month of 2010 was quickly coming to an end and as some of you may know, I am attempting to tick as many birds as possible during the month of January but with an added challenge. All observations have to be within the Niagara Region. During the previous weekend Jean and I added 8 species to the list bringing the total to 45 species. Five more and I have set a new personal best. On January 30, Jean and I continued birding along the Niagara River with some spots in mind that would hopefully have positive results.

Our first stop was the Whirpool. I was anticipating to find Bonaparte's Gulls along this section of the river and if lucky enough, a Little Gull as well. The January deep freeze was in full effect. No Bonaparte's were found. Three to four dozen Herring Gull with a few Ring-billeds were all that we observed at first. As we scanned the gulls flying over the Whirpool, 2 oddities caught our attention. Both gulls were immatures and one was slightly whiter than the other. It was considerably smaller than the second juvenile which had a bicoloured bill. The size difference led us to conclude we had 1 Glaucous Gull and 1 Iceland Gull. Though we found no Bonaparte's or Little Gulls, we left the Whirpool with one species added to the regional list, the immature Glaucous.

Next stop, Dufferin Islands. Our plan was to hike through the natural area and then cross the parkway to view gulls and waterfowl above the Horseshoe Falls. Perhaps we would find our Bonaparte's there.

Walking along the wooded trail we ticked some surprising birds. The first to catch the attention of Jean and I was the call of a Belted Kingfisher. We soon spotted it flying up the creek that empties into the pond at the west end of the natural area.

Walking to the pond we scattered seed on the trail, on tree stumps and even offered some handouts.

At the feeders near the pond we observed another surprise feeding with the juncos, cardinals and tree sparrows. A female Red-winged Blackbird!

Song Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet (cheers for breaking the 49 species mark) and Brown Creeper were also added to the January list while at Dufferin Islands. The total now stood at 52 species and like any lister I was looking for more.

Above the Falls we had the same result as the Whirpool. A large amount of ice (it was January after all) and hardly any gulls. A few Herring Gulls in flight and a lone Great Black-backed Gull sitting on the ice.

All was not lost though. There were a few waterfowl in the fast flowing water, including a male Canvasback (#53). The lack of gulls, -10 degree temperature and bone-chilling wind shortened our stay at this location. Before heading to Chippawa to seek out Tufted Titmouse visiting residential feeders, we stopped at the control gates.

Again, gulls were limited (no waterfowl either). Nowhere near the number we observed during the OFO trip in late November last year. 20+ adult and immature Great Black-backed Gulls were resting on the breakwall.

The feeders would not only produce the required Tufted Titmouse but also a large number of Brown-headed Cowbirds. Six cowbirds were feeding from the feeder but when we looked up into a nearby tree, we observed an additional 100.

Our last stop was at the village's boat ramp on the Welland River. In December 2007, Jean and I ticked our lifer Ross's Goose at this location. On this day, 500+ Canada Geese sat on the opposite bank. Amongst the waterfowl on the river, we ticked 4 Redhead.

We required only 5 species to reach a new total for our January regional list. We finished the day with an addition of 11 species. The new total stands at 56 birds and with one day remaining, there is still a chance to add more birds before turning my attention to an upcoming OFO trip and the Great Backyard Bird Count. Would additions continue on the last Sunday of January?