First 2 rough-legged hawks of the fall

[beresford]

I spotted both birds, a light juvenile and a dark morph juvenile flying in slow circles to the west. They were in no hurry which was great for me as it allowed a chance to catch up to them and enjoy a good look at them. I didn't see any last fall so this was a treat.

An hour later,around 2:30 a steady stream of red-tails and turkey vultures moved past. In all I counted 115 red tails and 43 turkey vultures. Not a bad afternoon, especially since I came in with zero expectations and given the wind (or lack thereof).

Other October highlights:

-pine warbler- Oct. 4 & 5 @ Long Sault- by far the latest I've ever seen this bird
-1m tennessee- October 8 @ West side marsh
-2 adult Wilson's warblers- October 7 @ West Side Marsh
-15 orange-crowned warblers- all over- some great close-ups
-1f redstart- October 6 @ West Side Marsh
-1m Connecticut warbler- October 5 @ Long Sault- my one and only for the year
-1 juvenile Brant- October 13 @ West Side Marsh
-3 horned grebes October 3 @ Cranberry Marsh a rare sighting for me
-2 red-necked grebes Oct. 21 @ Bowmanville waterfront- another rare sighting
-1 surf scoter @ Cranberry Oct. 1- first one in several years
-1 golden eagle October 8- due west of Port Hope along the 401
-4 goshwaks- including a great close-up of a juvenile male @ Darlington Marsh @ the S. end of Solina rd.
-7-8 red-shouldered hawks including several great close-ups
-7 peregrine falcons- most @ Cranberry Marsh
-5-6 pileated woodpeckers- most @ Long Sault
-1 yb sapsucker- a bright male- today in Solina- my latest of the fall
-numerous E. bluebirds- all along Middle rd. in Bowmanville and on Woddley rd.- the access rd. to Long Sault
-100+ American pipits- just to the south of Long Sault- the best close-ups I've ever enjoyed
-3m 2f E. towhee- @ both West Side and Thickson's
-4 vesper sparrows @ Long Sault
-15+ purple finch @ both Long Sault and West Side Marsh
-3 E. meadowlarks @ W. Side Marsh- today- Oct. 24
-7 bald eagles @ numerous locations

All in all a great month. I've come to really love October birding. Its real grab-bag time of year. You never know what you're gonna get and there's often a surprise of three.

Cheers and happy birding
Tim

[beresford]

I've had a couple of rewarding days to start off the month of November.

Highlights include:

-1 boreal chickadee just off the waterfront trail on the way to Thickson's point- it perched several times in the open on the goldenrod and vocalised two times. I lost sight of it after less than a minute and my attempts to re-locate it came for naught. A lifer for me and an awesome surprise. Certainly not a bird I was looking for.
-2 N. goshawks @ Cranberry Marsh- 1 adult 1 juvenile
-11 golden eagles- including an icnredible ten today- by far the most I've ever seen in a day... hell in a year even- all were spotted @ Cranberry Marsh
-15 red-shouldered hawks- again this was by far the most I've ever seen in a day
-1 dark morph rough-legged hawk
-1 short eared owl winged past my father-in-law's house today @ dusk
-2 barred owls
-1 GHO @ West Side Marsh
- yellow-rumped and pine warblers- first I've ever seen in November
-1 blue-headed vireo @ West SIde Marsh in Bowmanville- my latest by two weeks
-1 muscovy/mallard hybrid @ West Side Marsh in Bowmanville- it was a wild Muscovy- all dark with a greensih tinge on the head and the wings a white collar and orange/red feet- it flew off to the east
-1 greater white-fronted goose @ Cranberry- @ first it was out on Lake Ontario- then it moved into the little bay out front the Hawk Watch- my 2nd ever
-6 juvenile brants @ Thickson's Point
-1 merlin @ Thickson's Point
-1 wilson's snipe
-2 gbb gull
-1f red-bellied woodpecker
-1 hermit thrush
-1m white-winged crossbill
-2 common redpolls

Some awesome birds and a great start to November.

Happy birding
Tim

[beresford]

Another great day... so far November has been awesome... let's hope it continues!

The days highlights:

@ Cranberry
-2 adult 1 juvenile golden eagles- a nice long look at one adult bird- unfortunately with the time change I showed up a little late but a 3 golden eagle day is still a great day!
-2 bald eagles- a very nice look at a low flying 2nd year bird- awesome when they come in low!
-3 red-shouldered hawks
-1 cooper's hawk
-1 merlin that was in full stoop over the hawk watch and just missed a red-wing
-1f E. towhee
-4 fox sparrows, 1 swamp sparrow
-13 snow buntings
-6 white-winged crossbills
-1 rusty blackbird

@ Thickson Point

-1 N. shrike- it kept perching nearby
-1 peregrine falcon
-1 N. harrier
-1 yellow-rumped warbler
-4 brants- they spent some time on both sides of the point
-1 barred owl- a nice clean look
-1 N. saw-whet owl- a great close-up... man are these birds hard to find- a big thanks to Jean Iron for the help in finding it
-1m Eurasian wigeon- a lifer for me right at the point- a great look!
-11 pine siskins

Happy birding!
Tim

[beresford]

I've never had a run of birds like this in November before. Today was another awesome day with another lifer (LEO) and another FOY (evening grosbeak). I know its going to slow down, and thats a shame, but what a start to the month!

Today's (Nov. 5) Highlights:

@ Cranberry Marsh

-8 golden eagles- another amazing day! Most were high birds but several circled overhead and allowed me a good look at their long wings and dark bodies
-2 juv. bald eagles- one, what looked to be a 2nd yr. bird, came in low and circled overhead for 5mins+ allowing me a good look
-3 red-shoulders
-1 cooper's hawk
-1 dark-morph rough-legged hawk
-1m red-bellied woodpecker- it hung around the hawk watch for 15mins- such a beautiful bird
-1m hairy
-3 pine siskins
-1f E. towhee- was feeding on the path
-7 fox sparrows

Thickson Woods & Point
-10 white-winged crossbills
-9 evening grosbeaks- FOY for me- they flew north over the waterfront trail and I enjoyed a good look at several birds
-1 N. shrike
-1 N. flicker
-3 brants
-1m 1f N. Harrier
-1N. mockingbird singing at the E. end of the waterfront trail-on the cul-de-sac
-1 GHO in the woods with its back to me
-1m Long-eared owl- a lifer for me- I've wanted to see this bird for a long time and after hearing someone had seen it today I went for a look- one lady was even kind enough to tell me where she'd seen it- but by the time I got there it was long gone- so after some thought I went to the one place I thought it might be and sure enough it was there- it sat pretty in a tree for me for half-a-minute... what a beautiful bird! A po'd robin helped me find it! Hope it sticks around/survives for a while.

Cheers and happy birding!
-Tim-

[Fire0725]

I'm wondering if you can tell me whether you saw the Long Eared Owl in Thickson's Woods or at the Point?

Also - I've only just discovered Thickson's Woods and am just beginning to explore - how would I get to "The Point" there?

Thanks in advance.

I'm loving discovering Owls in the wild! I've never seen them until recently! They're sooo incredibly beautiful!

[beresford]

Hi there

At the south end of Thickson Rd. is a cul-de-sac, bascially where the road dead ends and there is a path (part of the waterfront trail) that heads off to the west. If you follow the shoreline with your eyes to the west it comes to a natural point about 500m away. There are numerous trails that wander off down to the shoreline you can take any one of these.

As far as the long-eared goes I haven't seen it since that day and believe me I've tried. It was in a stand of spruce trees on the N. side of the trail about 150-200m from the cul-de-sac.

Good luck and enjoy the animals they're an amazing bird.

Cheers
Tim

[Fire0725]

Thanks Tim!

I'll try to get out during the week next week if time permits, and with any luck, I might be able to add another species to my checklist! I've now seen the Barred Owl, and yesterday, for the first time ever, I saw a Great Horned Owl as well!

I'm thinking of heading out to Amherst Island Owl Woods to see more of them (perhaps in the spring)... I think Owls are my all time favorite!

[greyowl51]

This past Friday I had a Coopers Hawk land in my backyard yet again here in Toronto.  It soon made a quick lunch of a very unlucky bird near my Nijer feeder. If your interested my pics and video of this proud bird are at:  http://frametoframe.ca/photo-essay-coop ... o-ontario/[/url]