Good evening and Happy New Year to all. This morning Carol and Ian Cannell and I birded the east side of the Welland Canal at Port Weller to start off the new year hoping to find the King Eider and the Snowy Owl reported there.
We didn’t find either bird and from talking to others there both seem to have moved on though the King Eider may be close by. Some of the birds we did find to start the new year were 2 Red-throated and 2 Common Loons, 4 D-C Cormorants, Black Ducks, many Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers, 3 American Coots, a dozen or so Bonaparte’s Gulls, Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher, A. Robins, and 2 Carolina Wrens. We wanted to stop off and try for the warblers in Hamilton but it was raining too hard so we opted for a quick stop at Gray Road in Stoney Creek instead. Not much there except 2 female Black Scoters and the short break in the rain fall ended while we were looking out onto the lake so we headed home a little damp. Directions- PORT WELLER EAST SIDE From the Hamilton direction exit the QEW Highway at exit # 43 (Niagara Street) and drive north across the QEW and up Niagara St. to Lakeshore Road. Turn right (east) on Lakeshore and cross the Welland Canal bridge and immediately after crossing the bridge turn left (north) on Broadway. Continue up Broadway until you bump in to the lake and you will see a small parkette on your left with a small parking lot. Park here (it is safer here than at the gate at the start of the trail) and walk to the gate at the entrance to the marina (it looks like a prison camp gate). At the gate follow the small trail along the fence to your left and in about 100 yards you will be at the gate at the start of the main trail (Seaway Haulage Road). From this gate you walk straight ahead for about 2 km to the lake and lighthouse checking the trees and bushes along the way. GRAY ROAD IN STONEY CREEK From the Toronto direction exit the QEW highway at Centennial Parkway on the south end of the Burlington Skyway. Drive under the QEW and drive a short distance to the North Service Road, turn right and drive along the Service Road to Drake Drive (just past the Gray Road overpass). Turn left on Drake and drive the short distance to Frances Avenue and turn left, drive to Gray Road and turn right and drive to the lake. Norm Murr 303-48 Laverock Ave. Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4J5 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
