This morning at the Holland Landing lagoons there was little change in the shorebird situation (i.e. still quite good but nothing rare to report) but there was a remarkable amount of flycatching being done along the perimeter of the lagoons by groups of Cedar Waxwings (60+), Eastern Kingbirds (30+) and Great Crested Flycatchers (12 or more). Chimney Swifts, Barn and Bank Swallows were also very active, so it occurred to me that - if the aerial foraging was so good - I should come back at dusk to try for a Common Nighthawk. Sure enough, at 8:20, just as the sun was slipping under the tree line, a single Nighthawk appeared, actively hawking insects along the southern edge of the first two lagoons. Watching this sleek, angular bird slicing its way across the face of the moon was a stirring sight. This was not always an unusual sight; now it's becoming a rare treat. Yesterday evening at the Cawthra-Mulock property (not really public), a larger-than-empid sized flycatcher flew up to the top of a dead tree beside the pond I was circling. Because of Connie & Jack Walker's post last week regarding an Olive-sided Flycatcher at Awenda Park that species came quickly to mind. To my pleasant surprise the characteristic "vest" was evident as the bird hawked insects and returned to the same bare branch for several minutes. This property is just NW of Bathurst and Green Lane in north Newmarket. Please contact me to ask about proper access. Ron Fleming, Newmarket P.S. My apologies for misspelling Ron Pittaway's name in my last post - he has two fine eyes in the field but not two "i"s in his name. Directions: The Holland Landing lagoons are at the end of Cedar Street in the north part of Holland Landing, accessed by turning east from Yonge Street (look for the white wagon wheels in front of the house on the corner of Yonge and Cedar). Cedar St. is between Doane Road (on the south) and Queensville Sdrd. (on the north). There are four cells, the muddy edges of which are all worth checking but the second lagoon definitely offers the best shorebird habitat. Holland Landing is just north of Newmarket and east of Bradford.
