| NIAGARA AREA | Archived Birding Reports - 2001 |
Niagara river gulls - Wed, 28 Nov 2001
Please Excuse my spelling ,I am Dyslexic thank you for your understanding. Sometimes the weather man (person ) should be lessoned too ! today was one of those days . this is a short post on the lack of gulls found today at and around Niagara Falls . In leaving Toronto in the dark with no fog in sight,my excitement was hi in till I turned the corner of the QEW at Hamilton and ran in to the rain and fog that I followed right in to Niagara falls. Not to be put off ( I don’t no why ) I went to the top of the falls and parked in the free parking at the Greenhouse ( only through the week ) hear at 7:30 am, I found all most all my gulls , 1, 3 year Lesser Black back gull , 1 adult Island gull ( showing no dark primaries ) wear the hi lights ! ? And that was it for Niagara falls. But up at the Adam Beck power plant I came up with a vary hi flying ( thanks to the best that look up ) Glaucous gull this gave me 7 gull speeches for the Niagara river from the top of the falls to the Queenston Boot docks. In 6 hours of cold rain and fog . But wear are all the gulls?? has their not bin a strong enough cold front to push them down ? We saw 2 Iceland gulls, 20 + G.B.B.Gulls ,1 Glaucous gull and 1 L.B.B.Gull and probably only 1500 to 2000 Bonaparts gulls ! pretty sad for Nov . on the Niagara ! One hi light were 2 Canvas backs at the Whirlpool which is always nice . At Van Wagners Beach in Hamilton we could not re find the Red Phalarope but did find 2 Brant and 1 Juv Thayer’s gull , which is all ways a good one too see. Van Wagners is found between the lake and the QEW off of beach rd in Hamilton . what a day . Craig.S.A.McLauchlan Toronto/Ont/Canada/World. csam@sympatico.ca
Lawrence's Warbler - Wed, 16 May 2001
I found a Lawrence's Warbler (Golden-winged X Blue-winged hybrid) in Fonthill today about 5:45 pm. It was in a wooded area just north of Station St. Was yellow on crown, neck, and breast with black face patch and black throat. Wings were bluish-grey with twin whitish wing bars. It was interacting with a true Blue-winged Warbler in the same area, so there was a good opportunity to view them together, and see the physical differences. It responded very well to pishing, coming to within 10 feet of my position. Thanks Andrew Smith trogon@sympatico.ca
Mud Lake - Apr.23 - Mon, 23 Apr 2001
Early migrants at Mud Lake C.A. today included individual Yellow Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler, along with numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Andrew Smith
Trogon@sympatico.ca
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher - Fri, 20 Apr 2001
1 Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher seen at Mud Lake C.A. in Port Colborne on April 19th. Also heard a Pine Warbler, but didn't see it.
Andrew Smith
Trogon@sympatico.ca
Chippawa T.Titmouse to Burlington-Harlequin Duck - Sat, 03 Mar 2001
Please Excuse my spelling ,I am Dyslexic thank you for your understanding. 03-03-01 Today Carol Horner and I stared out in Chippawa Ont. looking for Tufted Titmouse on Thomas st . at #7693 WOW what a place we had 18 species of birds in no time coming to the feeder including three species of Woodpecker's (2 Red -bellied Woodpecker's) and 2 Tufted Titmouse , I wont forget this spot !! then it was off to the Queenston boat docks , found by going down Dumfries st and follow the sings , to see if we could find any Little Gull's after a vary careful count (going East to west so no other LGull's went through my bins,) I came up with 16 I wood think that their back !!!! We also had a Adult Bald Eagle hear and a Kingfisher , We also look for the Harris Sparrow with no luck but was told that it was seen to day at 11:00 am ?? it was then off to Hamilton to see what waterfowl was around the could be add to our day list ? not allot but at the Travail loge in Burlington found at the foot of Brant st . we found the Common Eider and a nice surprise was a Female Harlequin Duck the day # was 52........spring must be right around the corner.... Craig.S.A.McLauchlan Toronto/Ont/Canada/World. csam@sympatico.ca
bald eagles - Tue, 20 Feb 2001
Hi again Gord.
Near Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River, 2 adult Bald Eagles and 2 immature Bald Eagles were seen on the week of the 14th to the 17th, flying above Navy Island along its entire length and they were also on the ice at the start of the island nearest the Falls.
Direction: Take QEW south from St. Catharines to Lyons Creek Road exit in Niagara Falls. Turn left on Lyons Creek Road and drive to the stoplights at Main and Willoughby in Chippawa. Drive through lights till you come to the Niagara Parkway. Turn right on Parkway and drive 1.9 km. to a parking area on your left. Park here and scan the whole length of the island above the trees. Eagles were seen here.
Jim Thomson and Astrid Akkerman
WNY Dial-a-Bird 08 Feb 2001 - Thu, 08 Feb 2001 Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).
- RBA * New York * Buffalo * 02/08/2001 * NYBU0102.08 - Birds mentioned HARRIS'S SPARROW FIELD SPARROW PINE WARBLER TURKEY VULTURE NOR. SAW-WHET OWL LONG-EARED OWL Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe D.-crest. Cormorant Great Blue Heron Bl.-cr. Night-Heron Tundra Swan Northern Pintail Canvasback Greater Scaup Surf Scoter Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-br. Merganser Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk American Kestrel Merlin Wild Turkey Great Horned Owl Belted Kingfisher Northern Flicker Brown Creeper American Robin Cedar Waxwing Yellow-r. Warbler Amer. Tree Sparrow Song Sparrow White-thr. Sparrow White-cr. Sparrow Northern Cardinal - Transcript Hotline: Dial-a-Bird at the Buffalo Museum of Science Date: 02/08/2001 Number: 716-896-1271 To Report: Same Compiler: David F. Suggs (dfsuggs@localnet.com) Coverage: Western New York and adjacent Ontario Transcriber: David F. Suggs Thursday, February 8, 2001 Dial-a-Bird is a service provided by your Buffalo Museum of Science and this answering system was donated by the Buffalo Ornithological Society. Press (2) to leave a message, (3) for updates, meeting and field trip information and (4) for instructions on how to report sightings and use this system. To contact the Science Museum, call 896-5200. Highlights of reports received February 1 through February 8 from the Niagara Frontier Region include HARRIS'S SPARROW, FIELD SPARROW, PINE WARBLER, TURKEY VULTURE, NOR. SAW-WHET OWL and LONG-EARED OWL. The HARRIS'S SPARROW, wintering at McNab and Church Roads near Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, was reported again on February 4. A FIELD SPARROW was also found at this location along with AMER. TREE SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, WHITE-THR. SPARROW and several WHITE-CR. SPARROWS - a total of six sparrow species. From Niagara-on-the-Lake, travel west on Lakeshore Road, then south on McNab to Church Road. Still on the 4th, a PINE WARBLER was reported again at a feeder on Berry Road in the Town of Pomfret in Chautauqua County. Also from Pomfret, a second hand report of a migrant TURKEY VULTURE on February 8. This species seems to arrive earlier every year. Three NOR. SAW-WHET OWLS were reported this week in the Lake Ontario Plains. One was found in white pines on the west side of Four Mile Creek State Park in Porter and two more were heard along Lower Lake Road in Somerset. Two LONG-EARED OWLS were seen at Bond Lake Park in Lewiston and another LONG-EARED OWL was seen in Chautauqua County, on Kent Switch Road, east of the railroad tracks in the Town of Cherry Creek. GREAT HORNED OWLS were also noted at Oakland Cemetery in Porter, in Amherst near Heim and Steuwe Roads, and in Chautauqua County at Lake Erie State Park in Portland. Also at Lake Erie State Park, 10 YELLOW-R. WARBLERS and 2 WHITE- THR. SPARROWS. The open waters of Dunkirk Harbor attract many waterfowl in winter. Highlights included a recently arriving flock of NORTHERN PINTAILS, a pair of SURF SCOTERS and a BL.-CR. NIGHT-HERON, plus PIED-BILLED GREBE, HORNED GREBE, many D.- CREST. CORMORANTS, CANVASBACK, GREATER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, RED- BR. MERGANSER, 3 RUDDY DUCKS and a BELTED KINGFISHER. From Grand Island this week, at Buckhorn Island State Park, 25 species included 2 sub-adult BALD EAGLES, COOPER'S HAWK, 2 NORTHERN FLICKERS and 3 BROWN CREEPERS. Off Beaver Island State Park, 101 TUNDRA SWANS and at the mouth of Spicer Creek at Whitehaven Road, 9 GREAT BLUE HERONS. Other reports this week - on the University at Buffalo Main Street Campus, 3 MERLINS are still present. The fourth MERLIN has not been seen for a month. AMERICAN KESTREL on Military Road in Tonawanda. In the Town of Evans, along Sturgeon Point Road, 60 WILD TURKEYS, 140 CEDAR WAXWINGS and 4 AMERICAN ROBINS. And on Spruce Street in North Tonawanda, a flock of 16 NORTHERN CARDINALS. Dial-a-Bird will be updated Thursday evening, February 15. Please call in your sightings by noon Thursday. You may report sightings after the tone. Thank you for calling and reporting to Dial-a-Bird. - End Transcript D Suggs dfsuggs@localnet.com
short eared owls - Wed, 17 Jan 2001
Hi Gord,
There are 7 short eared owls and 4 rough legged hawks seen on the west side of Airport Road in St. Catharines.Seen around 4:00 p.m..January 15. From Hamilton, take QEW to Niagara Stone Road exit and go over highway on Glendale to York Road. Turn left on York Road and drive along about .5 km. to Airport Road. Turn right onto Airport Road and go to first stop sign which is Queenston St. and go down Airport Road about 1 km.and look on your left for a house with "for sale " sign. Owls seen all across this large field(in the air)
Jim Thomson and
Astrid Akkerman
birdwatcher25@hotmail.com
Jan.13/01 - Niagara Area Birds - Sat, 13 Jan 2001
I have observed an immature Bald Eagle twice in the past five days around Martindale pond along the twelve mile creek in St.Catharines.
In both cases I observed it just north of the QEW, either circling above the pond, or roosting on the man-made structures along the Henley rowing course.
A good viewing location is from Martindale Rd. just north of the QEW where there is a good overlook of the pond with no houses in the way.
Thanks
Andrew Smith.

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This page was created: Thursday, January 23, 1997
Last Updated: April 12, 2002 10:43:09 AM