Winter Sightings

I really enjoy this time of the year.  The bird watching is usually still pretty good (at least in the Niagara area) and we have had our first few snows of the year which make things fun for cross-country skiing.  I hope to get out a little bit this weekend if the weather holds!

I was down in Haldimand County this past week with Ken and we had lots of interesting sightings including a juvenile Northern Goshawk (chasing a Red-tailed Hawk), a couple Northern Mockingbirds, and this Northern Shrike!

Northern Shrike

I was also down in Niagara last Thursday and saw some of the typical Niagara River specialties (somehow missed the Black-headed Gull) including two male Harlequin Ducks.  Can you spot them in the photo below?

Harlequin Ducks - way out in the rapids

Caitlyn and I went to the Arboretum on Sunday after church and had a few hardy birds out in the snow including this beautiful male Purple Finch.