One Down, Two to Go.

November 20

After ticking a Red-throated Loon and a lifer Razorbill (an extremely rare visitor to Niagara) recently, reaching a new personal best for the Ontario year list appeared to be within reach. This late in the year though, the list for possible additions is a short one. Gulls and waterfowl, specifically Black Scoter, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Thayer's Gull are the most likely to be observed before the end of the year (both species of gulls were reported on the 20th). There are other possibilities. California Gull, Cackling Goose, Brant, and even Black Vulture (the species has been observed at the Niagara Gorge over the last two weeks) could be added before the list resets itself on New Year's Day.

Scrutinizing the head, wings and tail of vultures soaring above the lower Niagara River can wait. Hopefully this was the right choice.

It has been almost a year since Jean and I attended our first Peninsula Field Naturalists (PFN) meeting and on Sunday we attended the Niagara Falls Nature Club 'Lake Ontario Ducks' trip with our fellow members of the PFN. There had to be one Black Scoter somewhere along the shoreline of Lake Ontario between Vineland and Hamilton.

At the first stop in Vineland, ducks were sparse, but as we moved west towards Hamilton, the numbers increased greatly. There were hundreds upon hundreds of Common Goldeneye and Long-tailed Ducks and somewhere in these large rafts were scoters.

A few White-winged Scoters were spotted while standing at the end of Fruitland Road. Public access to the Lake Ontario shoreline is in short supply and to view ducks on the lake, dead-ends are a required substitute. Fifty Point Conservation Area in Grimsby is one of the few public spaces for viewing waterfowl and for those lucky enough, our nemesis bird, but for this trip, our stay would be short and would not justify the entrance fee.

From the roadside where we observed our lifer King Eider (female) in December 2008, we spotted the patches of white on the forehead and nape of a male Surf Scoter. Scoping the other dark waterfowl before they disappeared between waves revealed some scoters with a large orange knob at the base of the bill and no white patches in their wings. In total, 2 male Black Scoters were observed. We had some great views of 2 female Black Scoters at Sayer's Park (a tiny patch of green in a residential neighbourhood) before continuing on to spots along Hamilton Harbour.

Due to dredging at the Windermere Basin, the open waters no longer exist. The small channel that remains holds only a small sample of the migrating waterfowl that could be observed in the past.

At the Burlington lift bridge and ship canal, a large number of Long-tailed Ducks were at the east end of the canal.

The resident Peregrine Falcon was spotted when we heard its alarm call and it quickly disappeared from my view after flying through the arch of the skyway. It returned and came to a rest at the top of a hydro tower, south of the lift bridge.

The group's last stop was LaSalle Marina on the north side of the harbour. A great spot for waterfowl, but unfortunately the Ross' Geese observed a week earlier were no longer present and there was nothing new for Jean and I. The highlight for a few of us was spotting a Little Brown Bat as it skimmed the water and then flew above us with the sunlight emphasizing the reddish-brown colour of its fur.

With the trip concluded Jean and I headed back to St. Kitts with one more stop planned. During the week of November 7, a Cackling Goose was observed on the lawn of the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. Though a number of days had past since the sighting, it would be unwise not to stop at the centre. The lawns had a few small flocks of geese, but none contained the much smaller Cackling Goose.

With Black Scoter (#208) safely ticked, my attention can now focus on the Niagara River. A gull or possibly even a vulture may be the next species to appear on the 2011 Ontario list. Which ever one it is, a new bench mark will be set.






  

Around the Bay

March 27

Only a few days had past since the attempt to tick Mountain Bluebird for my provincial list. With the lack of positive reports on ONTBIRDS, another try did not seem worthwhile. A report telling of the avian activity at La Salle Marina in Burlington caught my attention though. There were two species present that were not yet on the year list. So on Sunday, instead of exiting at Fifty Road to reach a winery where the only sky-blue observed was the sky itself, Jean and I continued along the QEW until we reached the marina on the north side of Burlington Bay in Halton Region. Travelling around the bay was left to those brave enough to run the 30 KM course on the sunny but freezing day.

At the beginning of the week, I listened to the local TV weatherman discuss the future forecast for the Around the Bay Road Race and then quickly forgot about the event until I approached the Burlington Skyway. "Northshore Boulevard closed?" "Oh yeah. The Around the Bay race." We had to cross the boulevard to reach the marina but it did not take that long for a gap to appear between the runners and we quickly crossed after getting the OK from a police officer.

I had not even stopped our vehicle when Jean called out the first of our two target species. "Horned Grebe straight ahead!" We were still in the car and Jean called out the second species. "...and Ruddy Duck over there."

Well, that was easy. What do we do now? There were a few Horned Grebes in the water near the boat launch and west of it, even more. The diving grebes proved very difficult to digiscope.

A male Ruddy Duck was more cooperative.

After viewing Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye and a couple of White-winged Scoter we scanned the always present gaggle, east of the marina.

We walked along the Waterfront Trail and observed a few more species before calling it a day. Ticking our target species, especially the grebe, helped keep us ahead of last year's pace. Horned Grebe was not observed in 2010.

Later that evening, I checked e-mails and read a report posted by our birding friend Kayo that caught my interest. No, it was not the Mountain Bluebird. This was for a finch species that we have only observed once and was another bird that remained off of last year's list. 210+ in 2011 is starting to look good.

Finding #200

October 24: La Salle Marina & Park

After ticking a Fox Sparrow in the Hendrie Valley, Jean and I stopped at the LaSalle Marina before returning to St. Catharines. The marina sits on the north shore of Hamilton Harbour at the west end of Lake Ontario and is an excellent location for viewing waterfowl. Marina employees were busy putting the last of the boats away to mark the end of another sailing season but the large number of waterfowl usually seen here in the winter had yet to arrive. Less than a dozen Trumpeter Swans were found east of the marina.

In March of 2007, we viewed our lifer Eastern Towhee (#154) at the feeders near the public parking area. A day Jean and I still laugh about. We were standing with a group of photographers, all waiting for the reported towhee to make an appearance on the brush covered slope. During the winter months this species should be wintering in the southeastern United States so it had attracted a number of interested onlookers. House Sparrows were a plenty as we waited quietly. An older gentleman exited from a nearby port-o-potty, its spring-hinged door slamming shut as he approached the group. "What you looking for?" he asked in a loud voice. "A towhee." replied one of the photographers. "A what?" "A towhee." "There it is!" exclaimed the inquisitive senior. "No, that's a sparrow." the photographer responded.

The Eastern Towhee did not show itself while we stood with the photographers but as Jean and I started our walk along the Shoreline Trail, we briefly observed it visiting the feeders at the side of the trail. Since then, I think of this day every time we drive by the portable toilet when visiting LaSalle Marina.

Returning to present day, Jean and I strolled along the Shoreline Trail towards the eastern most point of LaSalle Park. No towhee at the feeders this day but we found Yellow-rumped Warbler (1), White-crowned Sparrow (1), White-throated Sparrow (5) and Song Sparrow (2) while birding the gravel path near the marina.

To get back to the parking area, we walked through the wooded section of LaSalle Park. At the west end of the park, I scanned a flock of Canada Geese with hopes of finding a Cackling Goose. None in this flock so at the end of the day we still stood at 199 for 2010.

A monument to commemorate French explorer Sieur De La Salle's landing in September 1669.

November 6: Jones Beach & the Port Weller East Pier


The first weekend of November, we birded the area immediately east of the Welland Canal.

Last November, we observed a Brant at Jones Beach and a lifer Red-throated Loon while walking on the Port Weller East Spit. This year all we found amongst the Canada Geese were a few hybrids.

Adult and immature Herring Gulls at Jones Beach.

We walked the 2.5 kilometre trail to the beacon. Many Common Mergansers were on the move and we spotted a distant Red-necked Grebe and small flocks of Bufflehead and Long-tailed Duck.

As we walked back on the east side of the spit, Jean and I found an American Tree Sparrow in the tall grass. The species has returned to the Niagara Region for the winter.

This day, Scaup species observed in the bay and in the pond appeared to be Greater one moment, then Lesser the next. Scaup species it would be when submitting the observation to eBird later that evening.

The next time I come across a similar flock, I'll call the species. I promise.

November 14: Fifty Point Conservation Area and 40 Mile Creek

Reports of a Purple Sandpiper and Lesser Black-backed Gulls led Jean and I to the northwestern edge of the Niagara Region. Both species were observed at Fifty Point Conservation Area earlier in the week. Though there was no additional reports, I was willing to make an attempt at adding 2 ticks to the year list. Only one was required to reach the goal of 200 but if we were able to observe the Purple Sandpiper, a rare fall transient in the Niagara Region, it would be a lifer.

Searching the breakwalls of the Hamilton Conservation Authority managed area we did not find the shorebird.

Jean and I then headed over to the marina to look for the Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A Northern Harrier flew eastward above the fishermen standing on the moorings as we walked along the east side of the marina. The only gulls found were a few Ring-billed.

On the way home we stopped at the Grimsby marina.

A Double-crested Cormorant stood on a rock monitoring the usual waterfowl species.

While a Great Blue Heron supervised from the marina's breakwall.

On more stop in Vineland at a lakeside road. A few common waterfowl (merganser and goldeneye) with some Bufflehead. The day ended with an observation of a flock of Northern Cardinal following one another through the trees on the embankment. In total, we watched 13 cardinals as they moved from tree to tree. A sight we have not seen before. Sure we've encountered one here, two there, another over there as we walked along a trail but never bunched together like this. Do I consider 13 cardinals unlucky and possibly a hindrance to my goal of reaching 200 species before the year is over? Not at all. There's still plenty of time left and no need for panic mode just yet.