Hi All, Headed out to get the male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE that I somehow missed last weekend and found it easily, 100m to the west of LaSalle marina doing courtship displays. Also, in close at the boat launch was a winter plumaged HORNED GREBE (within 10m). As I watched the Goldeneye a Mink caught my eye as it made it's way along the breakwall and then got in the water and swam to the rocks where I stood and posed for a couple of nice pictures. The interaction of the Mink with Canada Geese & Mallards was very interesting, the waterfowl followed the Mink and basically chased it (it had to dive a couple of times) with the Geese hissing away.
Beamer CA was extremely quiet (with snow apparently further down near Buffalo), had a nice display flight (as described by Dave Milsom) from an adult Cooper's Hawk and only a couple of Turkey Vultures and a few Red-tailed Hawks. Stopped in at Ben Machree Park (on a whim, because I hadn't looked before) and sure enough the pair of HARLEQUIN DUCKS were still there, this male is the brightest, most resplendant Harlequin I've ever seen! Especially in the evening light, it was about 200m east of the park (back towards the mouth of the Credit River), scope is handy. Also had an adult Cooper's Hawk (caught a Starling) just east of here at the park beside the Credit R, called JJ Plaus Park. At the mouth of the Humber River (looking from the footbridge), I looked for the other reported Harlequin Duck but couldn't find it (now 6:30pm) but did have an "almost" breeding plumaged Horned Grebe plus another winter plumaged one. Cheers & good birding, Frank Pinilla Thornhill, ON DIRECTIONS: LaSalle Marina - from the east, Hwy 403 / QEW, exit QEW toward Niagara and then take the North Shore Blvd exit, follow along North Shore westward and turn left at LaSalle Park Rd, follow south to the lake and park here, ducks all around, Barrow's to the west. Beamer CA - exit QEW in Grimsby at Christie St, which turns into Mountain Rd, head up the escarpment and turn right at Ridge Rd, follow until you see Quarry Rd to the north/right. Ben Machree Park - exit QEW at Hurontario Street, go south to Lakeshore Rd, turn right and cross over the Credit River, on your left will be Maple Avenue, follow to the end and walk down to the lake, look left/east. Humber River Footbridge - easiest access is taking Lakeshore Blvd eastbound, east of Park Lawn Rd and the Humber River, park in the first parking lot along the lakeshore, after the river, and walk west to the large white footbridge.
