Birders,
After dinner at the Chuckwagon in Kingsville to celebrate, have just
returned to Detroit. Along with approximately 20 - 30 others, my
friends from Maryland (who spent all day Wednesday driving from
Baltimore County to Detroit) and I saw the Ivory Gull at Wheatley
Harbor. Like everyone else, we have Randy and Robert Horvath to
thank for finding and then notifying us of the bird. When it was
found, Robert left Wheatley Harbor and drove over to the Hillman
Marsh sites to let everyone know the bird had been relocated at
Wheatley Harbor. Since this was my friend Steve's Holy Grail bird,
as I had written about on Tuesday, I broke every speed limit driving
to Wheatley. We all agreed that It was a good thing I had checked
out the location of Wheatley Harbor during my Tuesday visit. When we
arrived Randy was there to warn us against spooking the bird. Like
everyone else, we had great looks at the Ivory Gull from the jetty.
Most folks had left when the bird flew north up the beach into a
residential area. Andy Dettling, a couple of other women and myself
went up the beach to spend more time with the bird. We learned that
the bird had landed on the beach in front of the cottage of Ruth and
Jack, [former] non-birders who had learned about the Ivory Gull on
the radio. By the time I had arrived here, I saw that Andy had
crawled through the sand on his belly to photograph the bird. He was
lying about ten feet away while the bird pecked at a dead fish and I
think he will post some great photographs. Several others arrived at
the beach much later and were directed up the beach to see the bird.
Everyone stayed with the bird until it flew further north up the
beach. This was just as dusk approached.
The bird was flying northeast away from Wheatley Harbor. We watched
the bird fly from Ruth and Jack's beachfront yard northeast toward a
point (don't know name of this area) that appears to reachable from
Detroit Line Rd. I hope this is helpful for anyone who goes out on
Friday. Don't rely on it's showing up at Hillman Marsh. However,
it's anyone's guess; at this time the bird seems unpredictable.
Good luck on Friday.
Cathy Carroll, Dearborn, MI
Gail Frantz, Baltimore County, MD
Steve Sanford, Baltimore County, MD
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From: "Cheryl Edgecombe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Subject: [Ontbirds]
Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Thursday, January 12th,
2006
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On Thursday, January 12th, 2006, this is the HNC birding report:
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
BARROW'S x COMMON GOLDENEYE
RED SHOULDERED HAWK
SNOWY OWL
VARIED THRUSH
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Tundra Swan
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Northern Harrier
Rough-legged Hawk
Ring-necked Pheasant
American Coot
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northern Shrike
Tufted Titmouse
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Cedar Waxwing
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Common Redpoll
Today, I expected to see the return of blackbirds, grackles and killdeer
with the mild conditions we have had the past two days. It has been a
fairly busy week in the area.
The Lake Ontario Duck Count was held last Sunday. You don't realize how
many ducks we have here until you are subject to one of these counts however
this is a good exercise in identification and rewards of other year birds
that may crop up enroute. A couple of rarities cropped up on the count. A
BARROW'S x COMMON GOLDENEYE hybrid was seen off of Sayers Park. I believe
that this is one of the two birds that has been reported on and off through
the past two months. A purebred BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen off of
Fruitland Ave in Burlington. While scanning for these rarities Long-tailed
Duck, Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Redhead, all three
Scoters and Common and Red-breasted Mergansers are all present around the
stretch of the lake.
In Windermere Basin an incredible number of Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Ducks
were counted along with Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, one Horned
Grebe (seen Saturday), a Red-necked Grebe, a number of Green-winged Teal and
a Great Blue Heron present here. Along the Red Hill Valley Outlet in the
grassy area, a number of White-crowned, White-throated and Song Sparrows can
be spished in.
At Pier 4/Bayfront Park large numbers of Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye and
American Coots are present here. A Pied-billed Grebe was present here last
Friday. Under the High Level Bridge are 6 Black-crowned Night Herons
overwintering. Six Tundra Swans were located off of Carolls Point and on
the little ice we have in the bay this week both Glaucous and Iceland Gulls
can be seen.
A couple of reports of SNOWY OWLS this week. A report of two SNOWY OWLS
from the Marine Discovery Centre at 57 Guise Street in Hamilton from last
Friday. Last year one was present for about 2 weeks. Another location
where one has been seen early this week was Regional Road 9 just north of
the Hagersville Auto Wreckers. This has been a popular spot for them in the
past.
A VARIED THRUSH was seen in the Campbellville area this week coming into a
feeder. Other birds in the northern area of the HSA are Common Redpoll and
a Northern Shrike seen on Tremaine Road just south of Derry Road.
Today from Patterson Tract located on Concession 4 in Flamborough just west
of Woodhill Road, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow and a flock of 30
Cedar Waxwings were seen. Just south on Woodhill road a Rough-legged Hawk
was soaring and further down at Woodhill and Hwy 5 a Harrier swooped over
the field. On Field Road which is south of Hwy 5 extending from Woodhill a
juvenile Northern Shrike was seen on the wire.
Last Friday at the Arboretum on the Captain Cootes Trail a Tufted Titmouse
was seen just past the fenced area at the bottom of the hill. Also here was
a Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Pileated Woodpecker.
Two RED SHOULDERED HAWKS were seen this week, one on 8th Concession and
Westover Road in Flamborough and the other perched across from Coronation
Park in Oakville.
Lastly a male Ring-necked Pheasant was seen in a wooded area bordering 14
Mile Creek, just south of Upper Middle road and Eastern Bluebirds were seen
on 8th Concession in Flamborough near Harpers Corners.
This warm weather could bring some unusual birds to our area. Keep me
posted!!!
Cheers,
Cheryl
