Ontario Rare Bird Alert for the week starting December 13, 2024 Species mentioned (all caps indicate species on the OBRC review list): Dunlin (Durham, Norfolk, Northumberland) ANCIENT MURRELET (Halton) Black-legged Kittiwake (Chatham-Kent/Essex) SLATY-BACKED GULL (Kawartha Lakes) Pacific Loon (Halton/Hamilton) Townsend's Solitaire (Simcoe) Varied Thrush (Thunder Bay) Swainson's Thrush (Toronto) Harris's Sparrow (Durham) Western Meadowlark (Thunder Bay) Baltimore Oriole (Ottawa) Ovenbird (Middlesex, Toronto) Black-and-white Warbler (Halton) Orange-crowned Warbler (Chatham-Kent, Toronto) American Redstart (Halton) Northern Parula (Halton) Yellow Warbler (Toronto) Palm Warbler (Yellow) (Brant) Indigo Bunting (Kawartha Lakes) 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. Dunlin (Durham): Two Dunlin continued at McLaughlin Bay to at least December 15. Dunlin (Norfolk): One bird was reported at Hastings Drive on December 14. Dunlin (Northumberland): At least six birds were at Owen Point in Presqu'ile PP to at least December 19. ANCIENT MURRELET (Halton): Several observers briefly observed (and photographed) one at Bronte Harbour on December 14. Black-legged Kittiwake (Chatham-Kent/Essex): Josh Vandermeulen found one at Wheatley Harbour on December 18 that remained to at least December 19. SLATY-BACKED GULL (Kawartha Lakes): Max Segler found an adult at the Lindsay Landfill on December 13 that was seen by several others at the Lindsay Sewage Lagoons December 14 and 15. Pacific Loon (Hamilton): The bird found by Mourad Jabra off Yacht Club Harbour on December 8 was reported December 16 and 19 there and off LaSalle Park December 19. Townsend's Solitaire (Simcoe): Chris Evans and Ian Cook found one at D'oust Bay on December 14 that was seen by many to at least December 17. Varied Thrush (Thunder Bay): One was found at Red Rock landfill site during the Christmas Bird Count on December 14 and was seen by several others to at least December 18. Swainson's Thrush (Toronto): Owen Strickland photographed one on Algonquin Island on December 14 that remained to at least December 17. Harris's Sparrow (Durham): Doug Apperson found one at his feeders at 1890 Brock Concession 1 on December 13 that was seen by many to at least December 19. Western Meadowlark (Thunder Bay): One bird was reported by many in the Slate River Valley on Monteith Rd at least December 15-16. Baltimore Oriole (Ottawa): The bird found by Li-Shien Lee in their backyard November 23 continued to at least December 15. Ovenbird (Middlesex): The bird photographed in a Bruce St., London backyard December 11 continued to at least December 19. Ovenbird (Toronto): Sterling Sztricsko reported one from Toronto Metropolitan University Community Park on December 14. Black-and-white Warbler (Halton): The one found by Rob Dobos and Cheryl Edgeombe at the SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant on December 8 remained to at least December 17. Orange-crowned Warbler (Chatham-Kent): Steve Charbonneau reported one from Taylor Rd December 15. Orange-crowned Warbler (Toronto): The one found by Margaret Kelch at Colonel Sam Smith Park on December 8 continued to at least December 16. American Redstart (Halton): The found by Rob Dobos and Cheryl Edgeombe at the SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant on December 8 continued to at least December 18. Northern Parula (Halton): The one at Sedgewick Forest Park in Oakville continued to at least December 17. Palm Warbler (Yellow) (Brant): Sarah Lamond found one at the Powerline Rd stormwater pond on December 16. Indigo Bunting (Kawartha Lakes): Dan Riley photographed one at a private residence on Pigeon Lake on December 16. 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