Today Margaret Bain, Paul Riss and myself birded Algonquin Park. The visitor Centre was slow except for 40-50 Evening Grosbeaks, many Blue Jays, a pair of Hairy woodpeckers and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. The Spruce Bog Trail had several sizeable flocks of White-winged Crossbills, 1 Red Crossbill (female), 6 Gray Jays, Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, many Black- capped Chickadees and 1 Boreal Chickadee at the parking lot. The Opeongo Road was good (and completely ploughed): 60-70 noisy Pine Siskins in a flock 500 metres before the lake; 3 Pine Grosbeaks (halfway between the lake and the winter gate); immediately south of the winter gate was very active with 2 Boreal Chickadees, many Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Ravens, many Blue Jays and a half dozen Gray Jays some of which landed on us, 50+ Evening Grosbeaks (probably the same flock as at the Visitor Centre), 20 common Redpolls, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, many White-winged Crossbills, and 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet. No Spruce Grouse or Black-backed Woodpeckers (or Dark-eyed Juncos or Tree Sparrows) anywhere that we looked. Directions: Enter the Park at the east gate past Whitney and proceed east to all three signed locations.
_______________________________________________ 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/
