A great day along the shore of Lake Erie from Rock Point Prov. Park to Fort Erie today.
>From Rock Point, Dean DiTommaso and I had a distant (3/4 mile) ROSS'S GOOSE with a large flock of Canada Geese, 3/4 mile east of the park. Wanting to confirm that it was not a hybrid, we walked a half-mile closer at which point the geese flew eastward, not allowing us the view we needed!!! After we left the park, we headed east through Lowbanks. Right next to the cemetery on the edge of the water was a large flock of geese and gulls. To our amazement, there was the Ross's Goose only 100 yards away! It was an immature but showed only a little dusky on the lores, back of the neck, and tertials. At a distance, it was so white overall that it looked very adult-like. The bill was very small and triangular with a straight vertical base and no suggestion of the Snow Goose's "lips", indicating it was likely not a hybrid. Back at Rock Point, after the Ross's Goose, Dean and I came upon a very late BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, likely the same bird I saw at the park on 1 November and Peter Yoerg saw last weekend. The bird was in the southeast corner of the park, near the boardwalk and viewing platform. It did not seem to be associating with any other birds. Meanwhile, Betsy found three Saw-whet Owls in conifers in the park. In the bay at the City of Port Colborne, we had an adult PEREGRINE FALCON that perched cooperatively on a rock, allowing me to approach to within 50 yards. TUNDRA SWANS were 20 to the northeast of Morgan's Point, several at Sugarloaf Point (west side of Port Colborne), and 184 at the foot of Stonemill Road (east of Windmill Point). Five DUNLIN were at Stonemill Road. Good birding! Willie -------------- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Niagara Falls, N.Y. [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Willie D'Anna & Betsy Potter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
