ONTARIO 
Ontario's fifth frigatebird was photographed soaring over 
plowed fields near Colchester, Essex County on the north 
shore of Lake Erie 1 2 October 2008. Photograph by Paul Pratt. 
Grebes off Rattray Marsh, Peel 13 Sep (DEP), 
A Western Grebe at Prince Edward Pt. 2 Nov 
(BAKR, JHE, RDW et al.) was a county first 
and also new for the Kingston region. 
SHEARWATERS 
THROUGH RAPTORS 
A Manx Shearwater off VW.B. 1 Nov (DRS) 
was the 2nd for the Hamilton Birding Area 
and the 3rd for the province. The only North- 
ern Gannets reported were single juvs. on L. 
Ontario between Eifty Pt. and VW.B. 9-12 
Nov (BRH, m.ob.) and at Ft. Erie, Niagara 13 
Nov (JMP). Away from the nw. of the 
province, single American White Pelicans 
were seen in Hamilton harbor 7-16 Aug (BSC, 
m.ob.), at the Moodie Drive quarry pond 11- 
28 Aug (TFMB, m.ob.), and at Port Colborne, 
Niagara 12 Aug (MLJ, TAS). An ad. Great 
Cormorant was carefully identified from a 
fishing boat off Deseronto, Hastings 18 Oct 
QD). Perhaps the most exciting hnd of the 
season was an ad. male frigatebird, likely a 
Magnificent Frigatebird, circling fishing boats 
on L. Erie 3 km s. of Colchester, Essex 12 Oct 
(KO, DO, BS, BWi); the frigatebird was found 
again and photographed later the same day 
(GTH, PDP), lazily soaring over farm fields 
just w. of the town, but not seen subsequent- 
ly. This marks the 5th record of the genus for 
the province. 
A dawn survey of the Great Egret roost at 
Luther Marsh, Wellington 16 Sep (DVCW, 
LML) tallied 227 egrets leaving the roost 
0645-0710 EDT; outside the main range, the 
Ottawa area had six reports of Great Egrets in 
ones and twos 29 Jul-19 Oct (m.ob.), and sin- 
gles were n. to Port Sydney, Muskoka 12-30 
Aug (CMD, m.ob.), Wingfield Basin, Bruce 7 
Sep (SM), and Bayfield Sound, Manitoulin 18- 
19 Sep QM, m.ob.). A Cattle Egret frequented 
farm fields near Port Rowan, Norfolk 4-17 
Nov (Pfi m.ob.), and there were 2 at Erie 
Beach, Chatham-Kent 5 Nov (JTB). Ajuv. Yel- 
low-crowned Night-Heron was photographed 
at Grimsby, Niagara 24 Aug (RJB). 
A Black Vulture flew southward with 
Turkey Vultures over Victoria Harbour, Sim- 
coe 1 Oct OPC)- Ontario’s first Mississippi 
Kites in fall were a juv. 9 Sep at Port Stanley, 
Elgin (MO, DRB et al.) and another 10 Sep at 
Brooklin, Durham (ALA, HK). Bald Eagles 
were in good numbers, with the high season 
count of 266 at H.C.H. above average but not 
a record. The Atikokan town dump support- 
ed 57 Bald Eagles in mid-Nov (TN). A juv. 
Red-shouldered Hawk was record late for Al- 
gonquin Park at Brewer L. 2 Nov (EH). 
Broad-winged Hawks moved in excellent 
numbers, but several hawkwatches were by- 
passed by them, owing to unfavorable winds. 
Even so, H.C.H. tallied a record season total 
of 100,354 Broad-wingeds, with a one-day 
record of 81,814 on 16 Sep achieved 
by spotters scrambling to the auxil- 
iary site at Sparta Ridge, 10 km n. of 
the main site, where Broad-wingeds 
were streaming over in a narrow 
band, with several of the biggest ket- 
tles exceeding 5000 birds. A juv. 
Swainson’s Hawk soared with Turkey 
Vultures over Oliphant, Bruce 11 Sep 
(TB), and a light-morph bird was 
identified at H.C.H. 2 Nov (m.ob.). A 
juv. dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk 
was ne. of Desbarats, Algonui 17 Oct 
(RZD). The biggest delight of the 
season was the huge number of mi- 
grating Golden Eagles, setting all 
sorts of records for one-day flights. 
H.B.M.O. had a season total of 133, 
with a one-day record of 50 on 1 
Nov; H.C.H. produced a record sea- 
son total of 220, with three record- 
breaking day counts: 30 on 28 Oct, 
31 on 30 Oct, and an amazing 65 on 1 Nov. 
Much farther e.. Prince Edward Point B.O. 
could hardly believe the 61 Golden Eagles tal- 
lied 29 Oct, as this peninsula jutting into L. 
Ontario usually sees very few Golden Eagles 
at all. Six Golden Eagles traveling together 
over Brighton 30 Oct (RDM) represented a 
new high count for Northumberland. Sank Ste. 
Marie had a gray-morph Gyrfalcon 6 Nov 
(TW), and a dark gray Gyrfalcon hunted High 
Bluff L, Presqu’ile PR, Northumberland 12 
Nov (FMH, m.ob.). 
RAILS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS 
A King Rail at the beaver pond in Komoka 
P.P, Middlesex 3 Aug (MC) was rare for the 
county, while an ad. at Hillman Marsh, Essex 
14 Aug (CAC) was presumably a breeding 
bird. The 74 American Coots in a rice-filled 
bay near Atikokan 11 Oct (DHE) were a good 
count for Raiity River. Much effort was put 
into surveying Sandhill Cranes on Manitoulin 
1. (fide CTB); the cranes were very flighty this 
year, changing feeding areas and roosting 
lakes as the season progressed, but three one- 
day counts exceeded the previous record of 
3024 set 1 1 Oct 2007, with the official survey 
16 Oct 2008 tallying a record 6272 birds. In 
the s., a fiock of 100 Sandhill Cranes over 
Rockton 18 Nov (TT) provided a record-high 
count for the Hamilton Birding Area. 
A Piping Plover 11 Sep at Sandbanks PE, 
Prince Edward (CC et al.) was the only one re- 
ported. Three American Avocets were seen at 
Fish Pt., Pelee L, Essex 5 Aug (ACP). A juv. 
male American Avocet was at Sturgeon Creek, 
Essex 28 Sep-9 Oct (STR m.ob.), and one was 
at VW.B. 3 Oct (BRH); there were 2 juv. males 
at the Tip of Point Pelee 9 Nov (RPC, AW), 
while a female at the mouth of Duffin’s Creek, 
Durham 16-30 Nov-r (SK, m.ob.) was enjoyed 
by many as it lingered into early winter. 
Blenheim Sewage Lagoon held a Willet 7 Aug 
(BAM). At Long Point, there was a Willet at 
the Tip 24 Aug, joined by another the next 
day, with at least one staying through 14 Sep 
(L.P.B.O.); another Willet was at Presqu'ile PR 
6 Sep (L&WW). Single Hudsonian Godwits 
were reported from several locations, but a 
spectacular and quite unexpected 24 were 
photographed in flight at Fanshawe, Middle- 
sex 4 Aug (DT); the Mitchell Sewage Lagoon, 
This female American Avocet lingered very late at the mouth of Duffin's 
Creek in the Durham Region of Ontario 1 6 (here) through 30 November 
2008 and into early winter. Photograph by Carol Horner. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) 
NUMBER 1 
71 
