Yesterday I birded Rattray Marsh and photographed a dowitcher and sent
the photos off to Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron. Here is Ron's reply:
"It's a Long-billed Dowitcher without question. A few diagnostic bars
on chest sides where hendersoni is spotted, heavy spotting across
lower neck, unspotted belly (hendersoni usually spotted), heavy dark
barring on lower flanks behind legs, narrow white tail bars (wider on
hendersoni) andthe bill is almost beyond the length of any Short-
billed." There was second dowitcher there that I did not a great
photos of. The heavy rain that went through the area yesterday
morning completely washed out the gravel bar at the outlet from the
marsh in to Lake Ontario and yesterday 90% of the marsh was mudflats
so I would suggest anyone who wants to pick up migrant shorebirds
should visit this area in the next few weeks or longer. Also present
were two each of Lesser Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Plover and half
dozen each of Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper. I also got great photos
one of the young Green Herons that hatched of the nest there this
summer.
Directins: Access the marsh at sw end of Bexhill Road which runs off
Lakeshore Boulevard between Mississauga Road and Erin Mills Parkway/
Southdown Road. There is heavy construction at the south end of
Bexhill so park on the side street.
Wayne Renaud (289-828-0043)
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ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
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Send bird reports to [email protected]
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