[Ontbirds] White-tailed Peregrine at Presqu'ile, Rt Loon at Wicklow, Brighton Wetlands

[Doug McRae]

Greeting all,

A mix of things from a few spots today.

Bill Gilmour and I saw a really odd looking Peregrine which flew west  
over Bill's Bayshore Rd. cottage on the Presqu'ile peninsula around 5  
p.m. today.  We didn't get a long look but the bird was first seen  
wheeling in tight circles, giving good views of the back, then flew  
past overhead.  The bird showed a clearly white uppersurface to the  
tail, and the entire back and wings were noticeably paler and greyer  
than usual.  The face, underside, including the underside of the  
tail, all appeared to show the usual markings of an adult Peregrine  
but perhaps a bit paler than typical but nothing like the  
uppersurface.  It will be interesting to see if anyone else  
encounters this bird and can get a better look or pictures.

I also made a stop at Wicklow Beach, (which is located on the north  
shore of Lake Ontario between Grafton and Colborne - from Hwy. 2,  
take Wicklow Beach Rd. south to the lakeshore where it swings east  
and becomes Lakeport Rd. - this is about 500 m west of the Public  
Boat Launch) and scanned the calm water offshore.  There was one Red- 
throated Loon fairly close to the west, along with 8 Common  
Goldeneye, and 450+ Red-breasted Mergansers visible far offshore, and  
a female Hooded Merganser that came from the swampy woods to the  
north.  There was also a large Blanding's Turtle sunning itself on a  
log in the same woods on the north side of the road (Part of the  
Haldimand Conservation Area).

Finally, the Constructed Wetland at Brighton had small numbers of  
shorebirds including 1 Solitary (in lagoon on the north side of  
road), 9 Dunlin, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs, 9 Semi Plovers, 16 Least  
Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, as well as a Northern Pintail, both  
teal,the nesting Osprey,  and the Trumpeter Swan mixed with Mutes.   
The Wetland will be open again to the public on Sunday from 9 a.m.  
till noon, and will be staffed by myself, Maureen Campeau and Rod Lee  
since Keith "Tiny" Lee (no relation), who has selflessly given his  
time and good nature to helping birders access the lagoons, is taking  
a real vacation for a week!  If you have any questions, please feel  
free to contact me.

Cheers,

Doug McRae

Doug McRae Nature Services
P.O. Box 3010
Brighton, Ontario
Canada K0K 1H0
613-475-5014
rdmcrae at sympatico.ca

Directions:

For Wicklow, see above

For Presqu'ile, take the Brighton exit from Hwy 401 south into town,  
then follow the Ontario Parks signs.  For the Constructed Wetland,  
take the Brighton exit from Hwy 401 and follow Hwy 30 south through  
two traffic lights, and continue south (now Prince Edward St.) over  
the railway tracks.  The main road will soon begin to swing into a  
long left curve, while a secondary street (Cedar St.) continues  
straight south.  Take the main road swinging to the left (now Cty.  
Rd. 64) and watch for the constructed wetland on the right, just as  
you complete the long curve.  Please park well off the road and do  
not drive into the lagoon.