Dont Forget The Season Ending Party!!

With raptor watching season winding down, if we are very lucky there may be one more day to see raptors. Its looking increasingly unlikely, but we remain hopeful. Its time we all turned to winter finches, over wintering ducks and owls. I do hope that we will all see each other over the winter months from time to time.
  Its time to try to let Lee, Walter or myself know if you are planning to join us for our year end brunch/party/ get together at The Arkadia House on Saturday, December 8th, at 11:30 a.m.

We will be having our third annual end of year brunch on the above date. Last year we had 12 people but I think we will be closer to 20 this year. Tucker’s Marketplace, last year’s venue, has since closed down but we have a new restaurant called The Arkadia House. It is a Greek restaurant with a lot of space, amazing food and reasonable prices. Here is the lunch menu:

http://arkadiahouse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=73

There is quite a lot of parking available. The restaurant is located at 2007 Eglinton Avenue East. It’s just west of Birchmount on the south side.

  If you check the October 27th post there are a few photos of a meal Lee and her Mom enjoyed at The Arkadia House and some other information Lee provided.  The location is pretty central to the area so anyone who can get to the watch can probably get to the brunch. I know last year everyone had a great time as with the year before that. I look forward to this years gathering.

   Leave us a note here, email me through raptor.watch@hotmail.com , contact Walter or Lee via their personal addresses or let us know face to face(well maybe not that close). Im sure it will be a good time. Who knows if there is anything interesting around maybe we will check that out as a larger group. And for those that joined us by transit and dont drive or those that just want to leave the long drives to someone else, dont forget the birding tours our buddy Murray Shields runs at  Authentic Canadian Tours. For a reasonable price, you can get to places you otherwise may not have the chance.  http://authenticcanadiantours.ca/ Murray and a sold out group are at Amherst Island today! 

 

I know most of you are done raptor watching for the season, a wrap up of the season is a few weeks away, but I wanted to thank everyone who came out and enjoyed the company of fellow birding enthusiasts and some incredible raptors! Keep your eyes on the skies! 

Squeezing Out The Last Few

Today we had a decent west wind and several of us including Ron, Peter, Terry 2, Walter and I were hoping for the elusive Redtail #1000. No luck!! We did see
1-Northern Harrier(a beautiful male)
5-Sharpshinned Hawks
2-Coopers Hawks
1-American Kestrel
9-Total Raptors

Sunday and Monday may have a chance for a few birds, but unless there is a drastic change in the forecast, there will be little to nothing before then.
  We did see some good small birds fly past, including White-winged Crossbills, a few Eastern Bluebirds, a few flocks of Common Redpolls, Purple Finch and hundreds(at least) of American Goldfinch. We saw one Red-headed Woodpecker.
  Of special note 2 swallows were seen of unknown species. Were they Cave Swallows who knows.  Keep your eyes open if U are at the park, there will be stuff to see.

Non-update and Gyrfalcon

There has been virtually nothing counted in the last few days. One lonely Sharpshinned Hawk was tallied as a migrant by Walter and a cast of a few the other day and 2 local Redtails kept getting them all excited about Redtail 1000.
  Weather has changed alot and there isnt a really good day in sight. Tuesdays strong west wind may bring a couple of birds our way? Keep your eyes open for a north wind that is 15km or more.
  Recently a Gyrfalcon has been seen near Golden Mile Plaza at Victoria Park and Eglinton (or Pharmacy and Eglinton), which is reasonably close to Rosetta McClain Gardens. Several of our raptor watch gang went to check it out. It is a very beautiful bird and awesome to watch hunting the pigeons, but within about 10 minutes of its arrival, Ann had photos which showed the bird had a breeders band on it. That means its an escaped bird that officially cant be counted for life lists. I will still follow what happens with this bird and go and view it again, as some may do, but I know alot of people wont bother now. Its too bad it wasnt a wild bird. Here are my photos of this beautiful bird, which has been in the area for a month or so and surviving on its own nicely.
  The first photo shows the breeders band.(birds right foot, tells us it belongs to a falconer)

 

And the rest.

 

Good luck to everyone who is out and about birding now. Continue to let me know of your interesting finds that you want shared and any photos. Myself Im hoping for more "winter finches", ducks and of course Owls, which I wont necessarily be posting locations of on the open boards.