An excursion originally designed for waterfowl today yielded a good list of
raptors instead.
This trip, led by Mike Van den Tillaart, included members of three clubs: the
West Humber Naturalists, Richmond Hill Naturalists, and York Simcoe
Naturalists. (Especially interesting when you consider there were only 9
people in total.)
We started in Newmarket, where we kicked things off with a BARRED OWL sitting
at the edge of a woodlot near Wayne St. on Waratah/Huron Heights Blvd.- a very
pleasant surprise in a suburban setting! At nearby George Richardson Park we
added a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and several Cm. Grackles. Driving north to
Ravenshoe Rd. in southwest Keswick we added a COOPER'S HAWK, an unidentified
swan, one late SNOW BUNTING, and 23 GREAT BLUE HERONS standing on nests in the
heronry that is visible from the west end of that road (it is on the north side
of Ravenshoe, near Cook's Bay).
At the north end of 2nd Concession above Holborn Rd. we were treated to
excellent views of a sub-adult BALD EAGLE which some of us (especially me, I
must admit) tried valiantly to make into a juvenile Golden. Keith Dunn doused
the fire of our excitement with that most heinous of extinguishers, compelling
facts. The eagle peeled off to the north and was soon replaced by one of three
Turkey Vultures that followed its flight path. On the east side of 2nd
Concession about 1 km south of Holborn we tooped to observe a WILD TURKEY lek,
complete with ritualistic circling, wing drooping, and the fanning of huge
tails. It was a treat to watch. Continuing south along 2nd Concession toward
Queensville Sdrd. we added a NORTHERN SHRIKE and a male AMERICAN KESTREL.
The north end of Bathurst Street, which is usually excellent for waterfowl at
this time of year, was birdless except for a dozen Canada Geese and the odd
crow. The ice and snow in the fields has yet to melt in this area, so there
are few places for migrating waterfowl to stop and feed (if they happened to be
passing at all). It is interesting to note that last year on this same date
most geese, ducks, and swans had not only shown up here but had, in large part,
already gone through.
Around noon we decided to drive south to the Cawthra Mulock reserve in west
Newmarket. Coming along Miller Sdrd. from the west, we spotted a
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK perched in a conifer by the roadside not far from Bathurst
St. We had excellent looks at the bird through my scope as he perched, flew a
bit, then perched again. In the trees south of us a handful of GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLETS could be heard calling. At the reserve itself we added NORTHERN
HARRIER (our 9th raptor species of the day) and a calling PILEATED WOODPECKER.
The field trip ended around 1:00 p.m. but I discovered via cell phone that
Dad's taxi service was not needed until 2:30, so I drove the backroads a little
longer and observed a few more birds. One of them was a second NORTHERN SHRIKE
(Dufferin St. just south of Miller Sdrd.), a few more Red-tailed Hawks, two
tagged TRUMPETER SWANS in the West Holland River (which was open through the
heart of the "Bradford Marsh" vegetable fields) and, keeping company with
several Mallards and Blacks, two NORTHERN PINTAIL drakes, my first ones of the
spring.
Although we did not get KILLDEER today, Keith and Mike both had them earlier
in the week. Still lots of birds to come!
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
Newmarket is in north-central York Region, north of Toronto and south of Lake
Simcoe.
For more specific directions regarding this post, please reply to sender.
_______________________________________________
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
