Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hello Ont. Birders

Lewis’ Woodpecker was observed today, Oct. 5 , 7:00 a.m. at approx. 10 km west of Brockville off hwy 401. The bird was discovered by Les & Valerie Woodhall and has been present since Oct 1, coming to a feeder eating sunflower seeds, roosting on telephone poles along Hallecks Rd. West. The bird can be seen at 2244 Halleck’s Rd. Limited parking on road, no shoulder along road. From Toronto take 401 east to exit 687 and follow hwy 2 east, continuing east to Halleck’s Rd. Turn left (north) going over the 401 and then turn left on Halleck’s rd. west. The house is 2244 on your right. Further posting will be made this afternoon. From Ottawa take 416 to 401, go westbound to exit 687, approx. 10 km west of Brockville and after exiting turn left onto hwy 2. Follow 2 eastbound to Halleck’s Rd. (continue same as above.) Any addition info needed please e-mail me. Please remember to call those not on Ont-Birds.

Please remember the birding code of ethics.

Hi Gord,

Wandered all over the area yesterday. At home I had two eastern bluebirds, 4 turkey vultures, and 2 harriers.

On the St. Lawrence river near Ivy Lea, saw an osprey (still hanging around the nest, on top of a small lighthouse) several hundred Canada geese, and several double crested cormorants. Also 4 black backed gulls and several ring billed and herring gulls.

On the Upper Rideau Lake, 2 common loons (molting ; winter plumage pretty much in) , and on shore 3 r.t. hummingbirds, several am. goldfinch and a red breasted nuthatch.

Heading west for three weeks; if I can find somewhere to post reports from, I'll send some - if not I'll send them in when I return.

Bye for now,

Hi Gord,

Spent some time at my pond again this afternoon, and was rewarded by finding a mixed flock of yellowlegs (4 greater and 9 lesser) that dropped in for a preening and bathing session. About a dozen killdeer and the lone solitary sandpiper kept them company. About 150-200 canada geese were loafing in the pond. Also present were two kingfishers, a great blue heron, and a trio of crows that were mobbing a great horned owl roosting in the ash grove. An immature harrier was hunting in the area, and several mourning doves were flying about, not particularly happy about sharing their roost with the owl. I also saw several empidonax flycatchers (that's as good as it gets from me with regards to flycatchers) , a lone barn swallow, and a couple of tree swallows.

On the way back to the house I noticed a nighthawk swooping around, catching insects over the farm. He eventually moved off to the west. Kind of a treat, we don't often see them here, and especially in broad daylight (5:30 pm) Bye for now,

John Haig

jahaig@sympatico.ca

http://www3.sympatico.ca/jahaig

tel: 613 382 8109

fax: 613 382 7359

Hi Gord,

Spent some time at my pond this evening near sundown. The only shorebirds present were a large flock (25++)killdeer, that are evidently roosting on a small muddy island; and a lone solitary sandpiper.

Also present was a green heron, great blue heron and a kingfisher. A large flock of robins (30) were feeding on berries around the edge of the pond, and a male harrier was hunting the area while I was there. The mourning doves are still roosting in the ash grove beside the pond, about 75 birds this evening. Also seen were goldfinch, large flocks of starlings, a single red winged blackbird, and several cedar waxwings. No swallows at all.

The blue jays have become very vocal the last couple of days...fall must be coming.

Bye for now,

Hi Gord,
Just back from my pond where I spent half an hour watching a merlin trying to catch various and sundry bird species with no luck. About 25 killdeer, a short billed dowitcher, and a solitary sandpiper were feeding on the margins of the pond. Also a great blue heron.

About 75 mourning doves have decided to roost in a small grove of ashes that borders my pond. Also several robins, an eastern kingbird, and about a hundred tree swallows.

Bye for now,

Hi Gord,
Just back from my pond where I saw a single lesser yellowlegs, a solitary solitary sandpiper, and a juv. short billed dowitcher . Also a single killdeer, and one great blue heron.

The large flocks of swallows have decreased considerably over the last few days.

Bye for now,

Hi Gord,

Today the first migratory shorebirds made an appearance here at my pond north of Gananoque. A pair of solitary sandpipers (are they still solitary when they're together?) arrived overnight too join the killdeer and common snipe that have been here all summer. Also had great blue heron, Canada geese (400) cedar waxwings (50) eastern bluebird (4) phoebe, kingbird, goldfinch, and a kingfisher. Large flocks of tree swallows are beginning to amass here, probably 500 or better this evening, feeding over the ponds. Also large flocks of killdeer (75+) on the short grass pasture near the pond. A lone kestrel was hunting those fields at sunset.

Hi Gord

This week has seen the large flocks of waterfowl on the St.Lawrence dissipate somewhat with the disappearance of the last vestiges of ice from the river. This morning at Chimney Island lookout, several hundred greater scaup, ring necked ducks and bufflehead were present. Several common goldeneye are still present, although the numbers are dwindling. great black backed , herring and ring billed gulls were loafing with several common mergansers, double crested cormorants and a few pairs of Canada geese. Most of the large flocks of geese have left the vicinity, with a major exodus on the 6th, when I saw at least 100 flocks heading NE up the St.Lawrence. One flock contained 35+ snow geese, and two other flocks had 6-10 snows in them. Also on the 6th I saw a greater yellowlegs and a single common raven at Poole's Resort. On the 9th Pooles Resort lookout area had three Bonaparte's gulls (2 imm and 1 adult) and a common loon (first I've seen on river this year)

As of this morning (13th) the Bonaparte's were still feeding along the shoreline at the Poole's resort lookout area, and several widgeon, gadwall and green winged teal were feeding nearby with mallards and Canada geese. A mixed flock of lesser scaup, ring necked ducks, widgeon and gadwall were feeding a kilometer west of Poole's beside the parkway. Closer to Gananoque, a large raft of scaup between the Landon Bay Park and Gordon Island yielded several more widgeon and at least a dozen canvasback, the first I've seen on the river this year. None of the large flocks further east have held any that I've been able to spot. Also near Landon Bay, David Vincent reports the ospreys are back at the nest platform in the creek west of the bay. The platform can be easily seen from Cross Cemetery Road, off the Thousand Island Parkway. Drive in past the small shack to the old barn foundation and look east from the road. The platform is nearly eye level, affording excellent viewing opportunities. Please remember not to disrupt the birds. They can be easily seen without leaving your vehicle.

On my farm, I have a mixed flock of green and blue winged teal, wood ducks and mallards, and a pair of hooded mergansers utilizing my pond, along with a few snipe. The hoodies appear to be taking up residence in one of my nest boxes. I also have a red tailed hawk finishing up her nest on the ridge south of my farm, and a kestrel has apparently chosen a nest hole in the large maple in my backyard. I also have several house finches, goldfinches, and mourning doves at my feeders, along with a pair of horned larks that have been here since February. I watched a cooper's hawk purse a mourning dove (unsuccessfully) and then switch to a red winged blackbird ( success) on the 9th near my house. The rough legged hawks that have been present all winter seem to have moved on.

Hi Gord,

This morning at the Narrows Locks causeway the three trumpeter swans were still present, although they left shortly after sunrise in the direction of Westport. Two male red breasted mergansers fished for perch at the Big Rideau lock entrance, and about twenty common mergansers patrolled the open water area ( the lakes are still mostly frozen) Before sunrise several groups of hooded mergansers were displaying, but most left (likely to explore the many nearby ponds) in pairs shortly after daybreak. Ring necked ducks (14) , Goldeneye (9) and bufflehead (7) groups were all engaged in courtship activity. About twenty Canada geese, half a dozen mallards and two pairs of wood ducks rounded out the waterfowl. Three pied billed grebes were fishing near the drop dam, two of which spent some time searching the small marshy area.

A piloted woodpecker drummed from the hillside north of the locks, and a raven was croaking somewhere in the bush along the Upper Rideau shore. Three ravens were flying around the area late yesterday afternoon, as well as two turkey vultures.

An eastern bluebird was singing at the start of the causeway this a.m., and before daylight both great horned and screech owls could be heard.

On the St. Lawrence River this afternoon, large rafts of scaup are still present, with many bufflehead, ring necked ducks, and common mergansers mixed in. The largest raft visible from shore is between Mallorytown Landing and the Chimney Island lookout. At Pooles Resort lookout area, 30 widgeon, 8 gadwall, 20 black duck, 4 pintail and several green-winged teal were feeding with a flock of mallards this afternoon. Goldeneye (15-20) bufflehead and. common merganser were visible farther out in the river. About fifty Canada geese were resting beside the parkway there as well. Ring billed, herring and great black backed gulls (6) were loafing on the ice, which is rapidly disappearing.

This evening at my farm, mallards, green and blue winged teal, wood duck, widgeon, hooded mergansers and Canada geese are feeding in my pond. Five hooded mergansers have been displaying every morning in the smaller pond beside my house (much more entertaining than cable) Just north of here, a pair of rough legged hawks (one light phase, the other a very dark bird) continue to hunt the fields south of Black Creek and along the Taylor road. Harriers are also present. At twilight this evening, goldeneyes are flying north over my farm, and snipe are winnowing.

Hi Gord,

The last few days have brought increasing numbers of waterfowl into the Thousand Islands. Tony Vanderscheer reported 20 white-winged scoters, about a dozen oldsquaw, many bufflehead, goldeneyes, over a thousand scaup, several widgeon, a redhead and several common merganser from the east end of Howe Island throughout the day today. Yesterday Scott Beckstead and I watched 20 + goldeneye and an equal number of bufflehead near Chimney Island east of Mallorytown Landing. A raft of several thousand scaup stretched from there back to the Townline Road. Several other smaller rafts and one large one ( at Gananoque Narrows) were seen between there and Gananoque. There is still a lot of ice in the more sheltered sections of the St.Lawrence, as witnessed by a trio of ice fishermen spotted a hundred yards off Gray's Beach.

At my farm, north of Gananoque, the ponds are still quite frozen (nearly a foot in most places), but where there is open water waterfowl are present. I had a pair of wood ducks investigating a house on my pond today. Pairs of Canada geese are attempting to investigate nesting areas (since last week) A red tailed hawk is refurbishing a nest it began last fall on the knoll south of my farm. North of here by Black Creek I saw 20 green winged teal, a few pairs of wood ducks and several blacks and mallards, and also my first two tree swallows of the year. Several killdeer are also making there presence known since the weekend. Two rough legged hawks and several harriers hunted near our farm this afternoon as well.

Along the Black Rapid Road, I found a pair of hooded mergansers investigating a cavity in a stump.

At the Narrows Lock, which divides the Upper and Big Rideau Lakes north of the hamlet of Crosby, the two adult trumpeter swans were still present and engaged in some serious courting displays. The sub-adult bird was also present, but I couldn't find the immature. The sub-adult was keeping his distance from the adult pair. There were also hooded and common mergansers, buffleheads, goldeneye, and mallards present. An otter presented itself briefly, feeding on a fish on the ice edge. A bald eagle (adult) flew across the Big Rideau while I was watching the swans. Not a bad stop.

Further on, near Westport, I saw two ravens, and several robins. A single adult swan ( species unknown) was sleeping on the edge of the breakwater in front of Westport on the Upper Rideau. There were also two hooded mergansers in the stream from the fisheries pond.

Hi Again,

Today (Wednesday Mar.10) The Gananoque Reporter published the results of a bald eagle roost survey for Hill Island (Ivy Lea) conducted at sunset on Sunday, Mar. 7. 17 bald eagles were spotted, 10 immatures and 7 adult birds.

Hi,

Just a note to say that yesterday (Monday 8) there were two bald eagles, an immature and an adult bird, at Fineview on Wellesley Island, which is just across the International Bridge from Ivy Lea ON. There was also an adult bald eagle at Alexandria Bay, approximately five miles east. An immature bird was seen flying over the river from Ivy Lea later that afternoon.

There were also many ring necked ducks, bufflehead and common goldeneye at Fineview. A few goldeneye, a pair of hooded mergansers, and a pair of bufflehead were at Ivy Lea, along with about a dozen common mergs. Two ravens were spotted this afternoon flying over Ash Island.

Hi Gordon:

Feb. 20/99, across the Thousand Islands Bridge east of Gananoque, on Coast Road, Fineview, Welesley Island, while having lunch in the car we observed an immature bald eagle land in a tree nearby, two mature bald eagles side-by-side in a tree on an island, four eagles flying over the St. Lawrence together and one or two in trees on an island further out in the river. On nearby Hill Island we didn't see the wild turkeys we've seen here in other years but we did see eight white-tailed deer. We had an exciting day and the total cost besides travel was the two dollar fee for crossing the international bridge. Returning to the outskirts of the city we found rafts of mallard, black ducks common merganser and american goldeneye in the Cataraqui River, and a faithful eastern screech owl on the way home.

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