Jun 2, 2013 - birding (serious birding)

I actually took a day to do some birding... I'm starting a 6 week busy stretch for work on the 3rd, so I figured - why not?!

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I started with a 3 hour lakewatch at Waverly Beach in Fort Erie (on semi-strong SW winds). It was actually really good - for June... The waterbird highlights:

RED-THROATED LOONS - what the heck was happening? I counted 27 individuals as a minimun number... I had 21 in view AT ONCE... I had 60+ sightings!!!! 60+!! This is Lake Erie! In June! What the heck?

Common Loon - 3 (min) - max at once = 1... 5 sightings

Canada Goose - 19 molt migrahts (15, 1 3)

Am Black Duck - 1 (male flying E)

Blue-winged Teal - 1 (male flying E)

Gadwall 2 - (males flying E)

Surf Scoter - 2 (min) - max at once =1 ... 3 sightings...

Red-breasted Merganser - 14 (flocks of 1, 2, 5, 4, 2)

Osprey - 1

Shorebird Sp - 2 (small, distant, low to the water - but wouldn't land on it....)

Semipalm Sand - 6 (flying W)

Great Black-backed Gull - 9

Common Tern - in view, everywhere, at all times. 1000? 2000? 5000? ?!?!


Also scored a Pheobe... Complete checklist of all birds on ebird here:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14320083

Just your typical flock of RTLO's - in JUNE - on Lake ERIE 

I was pretty happy when I had the first two........ 

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I checked several spots, but only had notable birds at a few:


Stonemill Rd -

Semipalm Sand - 50

White-rump Sand - 1

Semipalm Plover -2

G Black-back G - 1

Total ebird list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14320348




River N of Fort Erie -

1st alt Peregrine Falcon flew upriver

Sev. Great Egrets



Control Gate -

1 1st alt Lesser Black-backed Gull

70-ish Great Black-backed Gulls (more than the fall!)



Dufferin Island - 1 male Gadwall


Above the falls -

1 male Common Merganser

15+ Great Black-backed Gulls

24 Semipalm Sandpipers



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Anyways - a fun day to be out!