A joint field trip between the West Humber Naturalists and Richmond Hill Naturalists yielded some good winter birds for York Region today. We started in Kleinburg where we had one PILEATED WOODPECKER, one NORTHERN SHRIKE, one BROWN CREEPER, and two BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (mixed in with a flock of about 30 Cedar Waxwings) along Major MacKenzie Drive just west of Hwy. 27. We also had three NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS, two AMERICAN KESTRELS and a flock of SNOW BUNTINGS along Huntington Road. Northeast of Kleinburg we observed a coyote and three deer along Kipling Avenue north of Kirby, then our second NORTHERN SHRIKE of the day on the 8th Concession north of King Road. The "Bradford Marsh" west of Newmarket yielded very little once again (still no sign of Snowy Owls in this usually productive area), but we did observe our third N. Shrike of the day and, at the horse ranch just west of Jane Street on Hwy. 9, a large flock of SNOW BUNTINGS. We ended our field trip at Ravenshoe Road, which runs along the southwestern edge of Keswick. We were glad that we made the trip up there. Chris Dunn alerted us to the presence of no less than 200 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in the trees just west of Bruce Street, then - between 2:30 - 3:30 - we went on to find three SNOWY OWLS, a small flock of SNOW BUNTINGS, and one male NORTHERN HARRIER. On the way home I received a call on my cell from two members of our group - Hart Brasche and Gord Cameron - who had made a last stop at the Cawthra Mulock reserve on Bathurst St. in NW Newmarket. They were looking at a flock of 15 PINE GROSBEAKS and a pair of PILEATED WOODPECKERS as they talked to me. Many thanks to those who came out for this enjoyable trip, especially Joan Love, whose property in Kleinburg yielded several of these birds. Ron Fleming, Newmarket York Region is just north of Toronto. For more specific directions, e-mail privately. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
