2 golden eagles- West Side Marsh Bowmanville Nov. 8

[beresford]

I went for a quick ride out that way in early afternoon and on my way up to the woodlot I just chanced to look left and flying low, perhaps 20-25 feet off the ground was a juvenile golden eagle, it passed right over top of me and than of course flew directly into the sun so I couldn't get a really good look at it. Saw the white wrist patches and the white tail band... what a huge SURPRISE! Never thought I'd get that close to one, expecially here in Ontario and in Bowmanville to boot!

Later I spotted a second flying over the woodlot, a second juvenile, it circled lazily a couple hundred feet up but allowed me an excellent look. I alsp spotted an adult rough-legged (a first for me at West Side), a half dozen red-tails, a kestrel, 2 coopers and a lone sharp-shin.

Other birds of interest:

-2 snow geese
-1 N. mockingbird
-1m 1f cardinal
-1m 7f common merganser
-2 greater black-backed gulls

[beresford]

On a dawn visit to first Thickson Woods and then to Second Marsh I managed to uncover some pretty nice birds.

At Thickson:

-female red-bellied woodpecker
-1 N. mockingbird
-close to a dozen cardinals... 6m 4f
-white-throated sparrow
-white-breasted nuthatch
-a half dozen robins
-2f downy woodpeckers

At Second Marsh:

-A late lingering osprey that I hadn't seen since Oct. 25- a big surprise- very late for this species
-N. harrier
-N. shovelers
-2 N. mockingbirds
-golden-crowned kinglets
-1m 6f hooded mergansers
-40+ American coots
-1m belted kingfisher
-6 song sparrows
-3 red-tails

Another enjoyable day.

Happy birding!
-

[beresford]

This pastweek I spotted a lone red-shouldered hawk flying high over Bowmanville Valleys Park and a dark-phase rough-legged hawk near Darlington pond at the terminus of Solina Rd. The roughie hung around for close to five minutes and spent much of its time hovering.

Cheers -Tim-