Birding Along the Niagara River

[Jim S]

On last Tues I saw one of two White Crows that we were seeing back in the late fall and early winter. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/whitecrows.htm    I thought  the birds had moved on after the big freeze arrived. The one I saw Tues is all white except for a black face.  It was in a flock of 20  black crows just off Portage Rd at Queenston Heights.
In the fall  the 2 W crows were most often seen north of the Sir Adam Beck Hydro Plant near the NPC Floral Clock.
   On Friday along the upper Niagara River from Niagara  Falls to Fort Erie we saw 3 Belted King Fishers, 6 Mute Swans dozens of Tundra Swans. A couple of huge rafts of Canvasbacks and Redheads, lots of scaup and Common, Red-Breasted,andHooded Mergansers all in good numbers. Plus a single Wood Duck.  Three Bald Eagles (2 Adults and a juv.) Our local paper ran a article about the Eagles nesting on Navy Island (a mile or so above Niagara Falls) and having triplets last year.

[Napper]

Hi Jim S

I did a very quick tour along the Niagara today (11:45 to 12:30) as the family was getting waterlogged at the Great wolf lodge..

I found the same waterfowl on the upper Niagara.  I started  first at Peter St.  in Chippawa and found a sharpie sitting on the red fence while white Nuthatches were at the feeder.. Heard the Titmouse but did not spot it..

I also spotted a few Great black back gulls and one I am gonna RfI later..

I ended up behind the Fort in Fort Erie looking for the Eagles and the Gyr Falcon reported yesterday there but saw  nothing.. (saw some birders with scopes)

p.s.  spotted 4 robins in the trees around the Lodge on Saturday, and  yesterday watched 3 Redtails and their interplay in a tree near the helicopter tour place on Victoria Ave.


Napper

 


after further review  napper changed it to Sharpie from coopers... Napper the bobble head again thinks its a Coopers "Capped appearance"

http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/albums/Niagara-2007-2008/peterstreet2.jpg