Up to 40 keen birders enjoyed the OFO Palgrave outing today in beautiful weather throughout. A total of 81 species were found including 12 warbler and 12 shorebird species. At Palgrave Conservation Area warblers included Canada, Bay-breasted, Pine, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Black and White. There were 3 Olive-sided Flycatchers, Great-Crested and 4 Eastern Wood Pewees. Also, super views of Purple Finch, Broad-winged Hawk and female Scarlet Tanager. Everett Gravel Ponds provided a family of Pied-billed Grebes, Hooded Mergansers, Green-winged Teal, Osprey, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Baird's, Spotted, Semipalmated and Least sandpipers, Wilson's Snipe and Killdeer. At the sod farms on 12th Concession near Beeton, we had very good views of 3 juvenile Baird's and 2 juvenile Buff-breasted sandpipers, as well as Golden, Black-bellied and Semipalmated plovers. Many thanks to John Schmefelske and Bob Falconer for their guiding. Also, plaudits once again to the Zander sod farm owners for their kindness in allowing us access onto their properties. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the York Region authorities who, two years ago, promised a public-access wetland to replace the productive Schomberg Sewage Lagoons : instead we encountered a pond containing Canada Geese and Mallards completely surrounded by a barbed-wire fence with no signage or public access. Directions : Palgrave Conservation Area : North on Highway 50 to Palgrave. Turn left at Patterson Sideroad, then right at Duffy's Lane: drive to parking lot at end, then walk the sand road north. Everett Gravel Ponds: North on Highway 50 to Highway 89, turn west to 3rd Line: go north to gravel ponds on your right. Beeton Sod Farms : north of Tottenham, take 12th Concession east until finding a well-worked sod farm on the south side, about 1 km. east of Tottenham Rd. Dave Milsom [email protected] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
