short post...

It's been a little too quiet on the rarity front lately (with the exception of Ottawa's Western Grebe/Grebes and Brandon's Cattle Egret today).  I got out a bit this week but plan to do a fair bit more birding over the next week.  The plan is Prince Edward County tomorrow and we'll see for Sunday.  Next weekend Ken is heading up here so him and I will have to go find something good.

As I said, I got out a bit this week.  I was home for the weekend but it was mostly consumed by Oktoberfesting.  I made it out to Conestogo Reservoir briefly, not much was there besides the usuals.

This week I had some work to do at the ROM and UofG insect collections, which afforded a chance to make a few stops along the way.  On Tuesday I stopped at Newcastle Harbour for a dawn visible migration watch.  Lots of Horned Grebes and Common Loons but nothing that I could string into something rarer...best bird was a Snow Goose...or maybe the Chinese Swan-Goose?  According to Tyler Hoar those imported geese have been there for several years.  After our work at the ROM Colin Jones and I checked out Valens CA (which was dead) and the Hespeler Mill Pond (which was full O ducks).

On Wednesday Colin Jones and my Dad and I stopped at Floradale Reservoir which was very foggy with just a few ducks.  On our way home Colin and I stopped at Cranberry Marsh where we had a nice assortment of sparrows and ducks, plus a nice group of 8 Cackling Geese.  At Whitby Harbour there were a lot of Mute Swans and a flock of Black-capped Chickadees that flew across the harbour heading west.

Well, no rarities, we'll see what this nice looking weather brings...