45 OFO members participated in a tour of the southern edge of the Minesing Wetlands on Saturday, April 28. The flooded plains off McKinnon Road had been quite low in recent weeks, but precipitation during the previous week had produced ideal conditions for waders. A lack of shorebird variety was more than made up for by the high numbers of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. The near perfect spring weather made for great viewing and leisurely comparisons. Current conditions on McKinnon road are great for incoming shorebirds and could be quite productive over the next while.
Highlights included Black-and white Warbler, Ospery fly-bys, and great views of Eastern Bluebird and Hermit Thrushes. It was particularly gratifying to have a couple of very knowledgeable and keen-eyed, budding, young birders in our group who picked up a few species which we might not have otherwise seen. Thanks to all the participants for a most enjoyable day. Species Seen Canada Goose Wood Duck American Wigeon Green-winged Teal Mallard Northern Pintail Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Little Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Merlin Wild Turkey Sandhill Crane Common Snipe Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Killdeer Ring-billed Gull Rock Dove Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Robin Brown Thrasher European Starling White-breasted Nuthatch Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Black-capped Chickadee Pine Siskin American Goldfinch Purple Finch Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Species seen - 63 McKinnon Road is just East of Angus off Hwy 90. It is the first left hand turn east of the No Frills grocery store. Other sections of Minesing were accessed from sideroads on the south side. -- John Schmelefske # 7360 RR # 4 Alliston, Ontario,Canada, L9R 1V4 Email: [email protected] Watercolour Gallery: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001214&id=1051632050&l=ea990bf4ce _______________________________________________ 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/
