Ontario Rare Bird Alert for the week starting December 22, 2023 Species mentioned (all caps indicate species on the OBRC review list): King Eider (Niagara) Eared Grebe (Toronto) Western Grebe (Halton) LIMPKIN (Chatham-Kent) Red Phalarope (Niagara) Dunlin (Northumberland) Purple Sandpiper (Essex, Northumberland) Black-legged Kittiwake (Hamilton) Franklin's Gull (Waterloo) SLATY-BACKED GULL (Middlesex) Pacific Loon (Hamilton) Black Vulture (Niagara) Osprey (Hamilton) Philadelphia Vireo (Middlesex) Black-billed Magpie (MIDDLESEX) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Chatham-Kent) Townsend's Solitaire (Essex, Kenora, Prince Edward) Wood Thrush (Ottawa) Yellow-headed Blackbird (Chatham-Kent) Western Meadowlark (Thunder Bay) Brewer's Blackbird (Perth) Black-and-white Warbler (Elgin) Cape May Warbler (Elgin) Black-throated Blue Warbler (Durham) Yellow-rumped Warbler (AUDUBON'S) (Chatham-Kent) WESTERN TANAGER (Ottawa) Dickcissel (Toronto) Details: I have tried to indicate the finder, where known. My apologies to those who I have left out. You can help me by giving the finder's name(s), if known, in your eBird checklists. King Eider (Niagara): After not being seeing last week, a King Eider was reported again this week (on December 23) off Fifty Point. Eared Grebe (Toronto): Marsha Duggan found one at Colonel Sam Smith Park on December 15 that was seen by many to at least December 28. Western Grebe (Halton/Hamilton): The bird found by Joanne Redwood off LaSalle Park on November 27 continued again this wek to at least December 25. LIMPKIN (Chatham-Kent): Pete Read found one in Wheatley Provincial Park on December 18 that has been seen by many to at least December 26. Red Phalarope (Niagara): Robert Dimmers found one off Jones Beach in St. Catharines on December 28 that was seen by several other observers the same day. Dunlin (Northumberland): Nicole Richardson and Doug McRae reported one on High Bluff Island on December 22. Purple Sandpiper (Essex): Jeremy Hatt found one at the tip of Point Pelee on December 25. Purple Sandpiper (Northumberland): Nicole Richardson and Doug McRae reported two on High Bluff Island on December 22. Black-legged Kittiwake (Hamilton): Markus Legzdins photographed two birds off Van Wagners Beach on December 22. Franklin's Gull (Waterloo): William Konze found a young bird at Hespeler Mill Pond in Cambridge late on December 27 that was seen by several observers first thing in the morning on December 28 before it departed. SLATY-BACKED GULL (Middlesex): Reuven Martin found an adult at Westminister landfill site on December 22 that was photographed later the same day. Pacific Loon (Hamilton): The one found by Keith Dieroff at Yacht Club harbour on December 4 was seen again on December 26 at Bayfront Park. Black Vulture (Niagara): Up to four birds were reported this week from the Queenston area. Osprey (Hamilton): Kathryn Crevier reported one over Cootes Paradise on December 26. Philadelphia Vireo (Middlesex): The bird found November 25th by Reuven Martin at Pottersburg Park in London and relocated December 14 continued this week to at least December 22. Black-billed Magpie (MIDDLESEX): The bird found by Quinten Wiegersma at the Westminister landfill site on December 21 continued to at least December 27. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Chatham-Kent): One bird continued in the Rondeau PP campground to at least December 28. Townsend's Solitaire (Essex): The bird found by Jeremy Bensette and Kate Derbyshire at DeLaurier in Point Pelee on November 19 continued again this week to at least December 28. Townsend's Solitaire (Kenora): Kathryn Walpole reported one at Sioux Mountain on December 25. Townsend's Solitaire (Prince Edward): Paul Jones found one at Sandbanks PP on December 24 that was seen by many to at least December 27. Wood Thrush (Ottawa): The bird found by Francine Mercier at Champlain Park Woods on December 7 continued to at least December 27. Yellow-headed Blackbird (Chatham-Kent): Blake Mann photographed two near Wallaceburg on December 27. Western Meadowlark (Thunder Bay): One bird was seen and photographed by several observers at Chippewa Park December 26 and 27. Brewer's Blackbird (Perth): Doug Brown reported one from his yard in Mitchell on December 22. Black-and-white Warbler (Elgin): The one found by Pete Matthews at Lake Margaret in St. Thomas on December 10 was refound and seen by several observers December 24-26. Cape May Warbler (Elgin): Trish Snider photographed one on Centennial Line, east of Port Stanley on December 24. Black-throated Blue Warbler (Durham): Mark Cranford photographed a male at Alex Robertson Park in Pickering on December 22. Yellow-rumped Warbler (AUDUBON'S) (Chatham-Kent): The bird found by Blake Mann at Rondeau PP on November 30 was seen again this week on December 23. WESTERN TANAGER (Ottawa): One bird was found November 27th but has become more reliable of late near Gillespie Park to at least December 27. For more details see: https://ontbirds.ca/empathy/thread/UFGOGJSC4AIB2X62M5CBNAIBWDEELSZZ Dickcissel (Toronto): The bird found by Will Heikoop at Don Valley Brick Works Park on November 19 was seen by many to at least December 28. Report compiled by Mike Burrell from a variety of sources, primarily eBird; most other sources are listed here: http://ofo.ca/site/content/ontario-hotlines-and-news <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> Virus-free.www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>