Dear Birders, Here's a brief Minesing Wetlands trip report with some awesome sightings. Or was that an awesome trip with some brief sightings? No, I was right the first time.
The Minesing Wetlands is an internationally significant wetland and designated under the RAMSAR convention. It covers approximately 6000 hectares. These sightings in a small portion of that area give an indication of the diversity and capacity of this habitat. The Black-headed Gull photos have been verified by Bob Bowles. Apparently this may be a first record for Simcoe County. Here's the brief report on all of my sightings yesterday. 2008-04-12 Minesing WETland tour - Friends of Minesing Wetlands (FOMW) & Barrie Canoe & Kayak Club (BCKC) Overcast, showers, low 1 high 6 degrees light E, SE 4 to 8 km/h winds Very high water levels! FOMW - Lynn Brennan, Harold & Robert Parker, Harold McMaster & son BCKC - Ed Irwin & Tom Highlights - Harold Parker's wonderful documentary commentary of the natural and cultural history of the Minesing Wetlands - Paddling with Vanessa - Short-eared Owl @ Willow Creek sand traps - Wilson's Snipe - in flight and calling - 2 or 3 pairs of Sandhill Cranes Car tour after trip - South Glengarry Landing Road - Marl Creek - Black-headed Gulls - nearly to Ronald Road - Canvasbacks For the most part I'll just note the first sighting of a species and not repeat it unless it is significant. Route - started at Willow Creek canoe access on George Johnston Road to Big Marsh to Nottawasaga River halfway to the Mad River back to the Nottawasaga to Willow Creek to Muskrat Creek and Muskrat Marsh to Swaley Drain (landowner permission required) to George Johnston Road. Approx. 18 to 20 km total trip. 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Willow Creek Ring-billed Gulls, Mallards, Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbirds, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Wood Ducks, American Black Ducks, American Crows, American Robins, Common Grackles, Song Sparrows Sand Traps Short-eared Owl, Sandhill Cranes, Wilson's Snipe, European Starlings, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Muskrats, Northern Harrier, Blue-winged Teal, Tree Swallows, Northern Pintails Big Marsh Ring-necked Ducks, Common Mergansers, American Wigeons, Porcupine Nottawasaga River - Sandhill Cranes pair, Bald Eagles adult pair perched in tree above large "osprey" nest northwest of the eagle nest - eagle nest looked smaller than previous observations and I suspect it might be a new nest and the "original" tree may have fallen down? I have never approached the nest from this direction before, so I may be mistaken, but it did not look nearly as large to me. Swaley Drain - Turkey Vultures 3 roosting in trees on south side, one with wings open, Gull sp. 2 with partial hood on back of head (Franklin's?, Sabine's, Boneparte's?, Black-headed?, etc.? didn't get a good enough look!) flooded field south of drain west of iron bridge, Raccoon in tree, Mourning Doves, Wilson's Snipe, Killdeers Field on East side of George Johnston Road - Gadwalls 1 pair, American Wigeons, Sandhill Cranes 1 pair Car tour - Fralick Road - south of Ronald Road - Northern Harrier pursuing falcon sp. (likely American Kestrel), Wild Turkeys, Red-tailed Hawk, rafts of ducks but tough to ID from road South Glengarry Landing Road - Marl Creek - Black-headed Gulls, Bonaparte's Gulls, Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Black Ducks, Mallards including 1 leucistic hen, Canada Geese, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers 6 drakes (I looked hard for hens but did not identify any?), Northern Pintails, Greater Yellowlegs 8, corn stubble - Trumpeter Swans 4, American Crows, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, American Robins, Savannah Sparrow with very yellow lores, Rock Pigeons, Mourning Doves, Rough-legged Hawk flooding north of Ronald Road, west of Glengarry - Canvasbacks 2 or 3 pairs, Common Goldeneyes, Northern Shovelers 2 males, Buffleheads, Wood Ducks, Scaup sp., Common Mergansers, Mallards Nottawasaga River south of Hwy 26 - Double-crested Cormorants 8 Fralick Road - south of Hwy 26 - Northern Harrier female with mouse being harassed by Rough-legged Hawk Next FOMW Spring Canoe Tour Saturday, April 19th. Please contact Tina Desroches @ 424-1479x241 or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] for more information. Pre-registration is required. Here's a link to my photos. I haven't edited them yet so you'll have to wade a bit, but that's what birders do. I didn't notice I bumped the photo size button on my camera so they aren't very high resolution. http://www.flickr.com/photos/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/sets/72157604516957161 Directions to South Glengarry Landing Road - Highway 26 just east of Edenvale and the Nottawasaga River, travel south on South Glengarry Landing Road to the bridge which crosses Marl Creek (not identified) Note: the road is currently flooded at Ronald road and not passable. Best of luck, Chris Evans 10 Cole's Court MIDHURST ON L0L 1X1 (705) 722-1136
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