Yesterday Miriam and I decided to go for a drive through the backroads to look for the numerous Rough-legged Hawks that populate this area in the winter. It was a bright, sunny day and we were rewarded with some great looks. We wandered farther and farther afield and finally wound up in Metz where we decided to search for Snowy Owls. There were no owls, but numerous large flocks of Snow Buntings, one of which contains a single Lapland Longspur. As soon as the birds land this lone longspur is easily seen; in fact much of the time, it seems to come to ground first. Someone has been banding Snow Buntings and leaves piles of corn which attract the birds and they return frequently.
Directions: Side Road 25 and Sixth Line of Garafraxa Township. The corn is in the field at the east side of Sixth Line, just south of House No. 71650. David Gascoigne Waterloo, ON www.travelswithbirds.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
