Hello Ontbirders Today, Saturday, August, 30, 2003 Stan Bajurny and I motored on down towards Long Point and on the way we stopped off at the Townsend sewage lagoons to check out the shorebirds. As we approached the centre of the 4 lagoons (where they all meet) Stan spotted a bird that we flushed out of the brush alongside one of the lagoons. I did not see this bird but Stan said it was yellowish and had wing bars and he thought that it was a Tanager but me in all my wisdom said that if it had wing bars it was probably a female Oriole but Stan insisted that it was a Tanager. We did a cursory check of the area it landed in and coming up with only Savanah Sparrows, a Cedar Waxwing and a female Red-winged Blackbird we figured it had flown off so we carried on viewing the shorebirds.
Fifteen or twenty minutes later after talking to a Hamilton birder who pointed out a Wilson's Phalarope (I told him that we had seen an Oriole of some species, Sorry) we prepared to leave. At this time the afore mentioned Tanager/Oriole flew up out of the weeds beside the lagoon and landed in a bush giving us a pretty good look at it and to my surprise it was indeed a Tanager with wing bars. The bird then flew down out of sight again and then it flew about 50 yards away to another weedy (it's all weedy beside the lagoons) area. After trying to approach it again it flew back to the bush it was in previously. We walked back to this area with our telescopes and were at first disappointed as it stayed low but to our surprise it flew up and landed on the very top of the bush and gave us fantastic scope 30X to 60X views from only 20 yards away. It was at this time that we finally were able to identify it as an adult female Western Tanager. It gave us 2 to 3 minutes of scope viewing before moving off to another area of weeds and bushes at which time we moved off informing several birders we met along the way. I know this bird was way out of it's habitat but it was in migration and I have learned that not all birds conform to the patterns we assign them so even though it was a big surprise to find it I am sure that it was able to find plenty of food (seeds and insects) along the edges of the lagoons. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOWNSEND SEWAGE LAGOONS On the way down to Long Point on Hwy 6 you will pass through Hagersville and drive towards Jarvis. Just as you approach the town you will see a sign indicating "TOWNSEND" at Nanticoke Creek Parkway #69. Turn right here and drive to the intersection with the stop signs, turn left on Keith Richardson Parkway and drive past some park ponds on your right. Drive ahead until you see a small children's shelter with an air conditioner on it's side (really). Turn right here on County Rd 14. This is just before you reach the abandoned railway line (tracks removed) and it is on your right. Turn right here and drive a few hundred yards and you will see a gate and sign indicating that this is a waste treatment area.. Park well to the side of the road or across the road and do not block the gate. If the gate is open (they are on some weekends) then do not park directly across from the gate as the larger "Honey Trucks" need the area to swing into and out of the entrance road. These lagoons are only accessible on the weekend. "Norm Murr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
