Jerry Ball led 16 members of the Peterborough Field Naturalists (PFN) on a birding trip through rural areas between Peterborough and Brighton. The ultimate destination was Presqu'ile Provincial Park and there were some additional stops around Brighton and Cobourg. The bird highlight along the first leg of our trip was Rusty Blackbird.

Upon our arrival at the beach in Presqu'ile, we greeted fellow birders who were participating in a similar outing for the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO). There was plenty of room for all of us to set up spotting scopes and a good number of birds to observe. Aside from the usual Gulls and Geese, we observed Bonaparte's Gulls, Sanderlings and Dunlins. Winds and waves certainly added to the excitement, but it was a tad chilly!

One of the highlights of the entire trip was an American Eel. While sad to find this rare fish dead, it offered a first time observation for almost everyone in attendance. This particular Eel had washed up on shore and then was dragged across the sandy beach, likely by a Herring Gull. The American Eel has declined from historic highs to remnant populations and the status is endangered. There is a provincial program in place with a long term plan to aid in recovery of this species. For more information on the American Eel recovery strategy, check out the following link: https://www.ontario.ca/page/american-eel-recovery-strategy

The east side of the Park had large flocks of Redheads with lesser numbers of Scaup, Long-tailed Ducks and White-winged Scoters. Mute Swans were still present near the cattails but we were pleased to also find some Tundra Swans. Other birds of interest included Great Black-backed Gull, Bufflehead, American Coot and American Wigeon. The bird list for the day included 40 species in the Park.
(Photographed November 3, 2019 at various locations in Northumberland County, Presqu'ile Provincial Park and Lake Ontario, Ontario, Canada)