Continuing northerly winds and the hopes to see 5 Cattle Egrets (along Hall's Rd.)--NO, they were not seen today-- brought over a great number of birders to southwest Whitby on Oct.9. Over 6 hours we counted 674 migrating raptors at the Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, including our first N.GOSHAWK and ROUGH-LEGGEDS(2 light) and Also there were 422 Turkey Vultures, 6 N.Harriers, 73 Sharp-shinneds, 5 Cooper's, 9 RED-SHOULDEREDS (I may have missed mentioning 11 seen yesterday), 143 Red-tailed, and only 1 Kestrel.
Among passerines observed in the area-- y-b sapsucker, tree swallows, Swainson's thrush, Wilson's snipe, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, Blue-headed Vireo, Brown Creeper, PALM WARBLER, male Ring-necked Pheasant and a possible Lincoln's Sparrow. My thanks to the 40 or so visitors for helping Jerry Walsh with the count, as the hawks were on many flight paths. Exit the 401 at either 404 (Salem Rd. in Ajax) from the west or exit 410 (Brock St. in Whitby) from the east, going south to Bayly/Victoria, hence east OR west to Hall's Rd.--south toward the lake to the second roadside parking area. Doug Lockrey, coordinator CMRW www.pickeringnaturalists.org
