----- Original Message ----- From: John Miles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Ontario Field Ornithologists <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 6:40 PM Subject: Haldimand OFO Trip Feb. 8, 2003
> Nearly 80 OFO'ers and friends assembled at the Cayuga High School this > morning and after car pooling 28 cars and vans departed at about 9:15 am but > not before a Cooper's Hawk did a fly by down the highway. Despite the mainly > sunny conditions there were nearly gale force winds blowing which made it > very bone chilling to be out of the cars too long. Many birds kept out of > sight and hunkered down making it very difficult birding. > At our first stop where there are very good feeders a fortunate few caught > sight of a female pheasant before it faded back into the underbrush. A > White-throated Sparrow was a little more co-operative. > Along the town line a Northern Shrike was in the bottom of a bush beside the > road but took off for parts unknown very quickly. Further down the road a > Northern Flicker flew into a woodlot and disappeared past a perched > Red-tail, one of many seen during the day. Many Red-tails were perched, > often low down on the leaward side of the woodlots out of the wind. > Along the 5th concession the group saw many Short-eared Owls, several which > were close enough for photo opportunities. However with the strong bone > chilling winds very little else was present and most birders retreated back > to the cars quickly. > The eagles were not to be seen near the power plant yet even with poor > lighting conditions 1000's of Common Mergansers were seen tuck in beside the > power plant dock. > Heading north we stopped below the dam at Caledonia where Common Goldeneye > and Buffleheads were in fairly close. Across the river was a Male Hooded > Merganser. Leaving Caledonia we took the backroads south and a fortunate few > caught a quick glimpse of a male Eastern Bluebird along the 3rd concession > that made a hasty retreat back into a woodlot never to be seen again. Along > the West River Road just south of the Indiana Line a woodpecker was seen to > land high up in a tree around 150 metres away where it remained. Through > the scopes the white patches on the wings and a tint of red on the head > revealed an adult Red-headed Woodpecker. > The Am. Pipit could not be found along the Link Rd. but before turning off > the Rickert Rd. onto the Indian Line a light phase Rough-legged Hawk cruised > by the group. Back to the raptor preserve where the Short-eared Owls were > again observed and by now the Northern Harriers were out hunting. 3 were > noted including an adult male that even perched on the ground while our > second Rough-legged Hawk flew by. > We continued onwards to the eagle tree picking up our 4th Northern Harrier > for the day perched on the ground in a hay field. At the eagle tree an > immature Bald Eagle was perched for all to see. From here we broke up and > headed our separate ways after a tough birding day. The group was fortunate > to record about 35 species for the day under very trying conditions. > > John Miles > Jarvis, On > 1-519-587-5223 > miles@ kwic. com > > > > > > > "John Miles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
