I spent most of the day birding along the lake in Mississauga and eastern Oakville. My main goal today was Snowy Owl, and I was not dissapointed!
Highlights from east to west:
Marie Curtis Park - American Kestrel
Lakefront Promenade Park:
An interesting female goldeneye close to shore needs further research - I don't think its a Barrow's, but it may be a hybrid.
1 Northern Mockingbird
a small flock of Snow Bunting flying over
Port Credit (east side of the river):
4 Yellow-rumped Warbler as reported by others near the Snug Harbor restaurant.
1 Snow Bunting flying over
Port Credit (J. C. Saddington Park to Rhododendron Gardens):
1 Northern Pintail
1 Snowy Owl - a very darkly barred bird (likely an immature female) sitting on the ice far offshore
east end of Jack Darling Park
1 Snowy Owl - a moderately barred bird (likely a immature male or adult female) flying west to east quite far out along the line of piled up ice, being harassed by gulls
Water's Edge Park - nothing notable, but lots of ducks and gulls as with everywhere
Lakeside Park
2 Snowy Owl - both relatively lightly-moderately barred birds on the big pier to the east - my best views today but still very distant
2 Song Sparrow
Arkendo Park
4 Yellow-rumped Warbler around the water treatment plant
1 Belted Kingfisher
Tons of geese and ducks, but nothing particularly notable besides some American Wigeon
From here I made a bunch of stops along the lake around downtown Oakville. Extremely large numbers of waterfowl present, mainly Greater Scaup and Canada Goose. I was mainly looking for the reported Ross's Goose and it was getting darker, so I didn't spend much time sorting through the other waterfowl. No luck there, but the number of waterfowl was very impressive. I'd estimate at least 5000 waterfowl in a 5 km stretch here.
Reuven
