[Ontbirds]Port Credit birding

[Wayne Renaud]

   I spent two hours birding the Lake Ontario shoreline from St. Lawrence
Park to Saddington Park this afternoon.  There were at least two, and
possibly three female Barrow's Goldeneye at the mouth of the Credit River
when there is line of shifting loose ice.  Also there two Thayer's Gulls and
one Iceland Gull in the same area with about 200+ Ring-billed Gulls, 12
Herring Gulls and 7 Greater Black-backed Gulls.
   Have spent a lot of time birding Vancouver there and am quite familiar
with the difference in the females of Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes.  The
difference in the head profiles is more dramatic than in Sibley's Bird Guide
(Barrow's more trunked like a Redhead; the Common more sloping like a
Canvasback) and the Barrow's is noticeably smaller when in company of female
Commons.  Also the head is much darker in good light (as was the case today)
in the Barrow's relative to the Common.  One of the Barrow's had about 2/3
of bill pink, the other was totally pink.  The third possible Barrow's,  was
seen from a greater distance and for a brief time before it flew, had about
half the bill pink.
   No sign of the Harlequin Ducks that were seen earlier in the month.

Directions:
This area can be accessed from any of the major streets running south
between Huronontario Street and Mississauga Road, both of which can be
access from (and driving south from) the QEW.

Wayne Renaud