With this weekend's long-awaited warm temperatures, the migrant floodgates have opened. I know this will be one of many reports regarding new arrivals. Of possible interest to York Region birders are the following observations: male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS seemed to materialize from the ethers this morning - they were literally everywhere. AMERICAN ROBINS and CEDAR WAXWINGS (the latter seemed unusually low in number this winter in York region) were also out in large numbers; I saw at least 100 of each as I drove the country roads east of Aurora and Richmond Hill. Stopping for coffee near Yonge & Mulock Streets in south Newmarket, a KILLDEER flew overhead calling and, later in the day, another one went by as I walked by dog along the Holland River trail in northern Newmarket.
NORTHERN SHRIKES will linger until early to mid-April before heading north to the Hudson Bay lowlands. One was perched conspicuously on the south side of Vandorf Sdrd. just east of Woodbine Ave. this morning. Further south, on Bethesda Sdrd. just east of Woodbine, I had a "drive-thru" sighting of a COOPER'S HAWK: this is when you pull up, roll down the window, and watch the bird from the comfort of your own car while Jazz FM keeps playing Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter. The bird was a brawny female moving into adult plumage. Its talons were, by comparison to a Sharp-shinned Hawk's, enormous-looking. Less than 30 minutes later I observed another Cooper's Hawk flying west across Bathurst Street into the woods at the Henderson Road extension. I have observed this bird on three other occasions in the same vicinity this winter. Directions: Aurora, Newmarket and Richmond Hill are located directly north of Toronto along Canada's longest road, Yonge Street (sorry to sound like Cliff Claven!) Vandorf Sdrd. runs east from the southern part of Aurora while Bethesda Road runs east from the northern part of Richmond Hill (known as Oak Ridges). Best birding is usually east of Woodbine, which runs parallel to Hwy. 404 on its east side. I'm sure there are many other reports about migrants arriving north of Toronto this weekend; this is my 2 cents worth. Ron Fleming, Newmarket "Ronald J. Fleming" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
