Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Eastern Ontario Reports => Topic started by: beresford on April 03, 2011, 02:50:21 PM

Title: Harlequin Duck- Whitby Harbour, Short Eared owl- Thickson Pt
Post by: beresford on April 03, 2011, 02:50:21 PM
Hi all

I Spent a pleasant morning birding at Whitby Harbour, Thickson woods and Point and Second Marsh

Highlights:

Whitby Harbour:

2m 1f harlequin duck- a huge surprise right out front the waterfront park to the E. of the harbour- they were maybe 25m off shore and co-operating in a big way
1 horned grebe
1 red necked grebe- a nice surprise- one of very few that I've ever seen
2 N. mockingbirds
dozens of bufflehead and goldeneyes
six pair of gadwall

Thickson woods

-rb & wb nuthatch
-4m 1f cardinal
-1f cooper's hawk- looked to be building a nest- she was perched right out in the open- not far from the main entrance bending twigs with her beak
-2 golden crowned kinglets

Second Marsh

-8 white winged scoters- several juveniles, 2 males I think- some great looks- this is the third time I've spotted them there in the past two weeks- they are very co-operative
-4m 3f long-tailed ducks
-2 great blue herons
-1 red tail
-1 early osprey- on the waterfront- perched in a tree- great to see
- dozens of ring-necked ducks


Thickson Point

-1 short eared owl coarsing low over the pines to the N. of the point. it flew right over top of me and made several passes before moving on- an awesome sighting- What a great bird!
-1 belted kingfisher
-1 tree swallow- the first of the year

A great day and nice to know that spring has psrung. You could actually feel the pulse of life returning to the land, especially in Thicksons.

Cheers and Happy birding.
Tim
Title:
Post by: Moira on April 03, 2011, 05:59:23 PM
Great sightings Tim - I think I should follow you around :)  I was also at Thickson Woods this a.m.  Saw the 2 coopers (we actually thought there was 1 sharp shinned - saw it perched and eating - very scrawny and then a much larger bird (Cooper`s) flying back and forth and perched for a short time).  Didn`t see the Kinglets - maybe next time.