Apparently recent continued freeze-up in the upper Great Lakes has forced lingering waterfowl to get out and head to open water. Almost every year in our inland position we get such wanderers.
A few have landed without reaching water as was noted by Rick Thorton recently. A Red-throated Loon was picked up and taken to Salthaven, a local rehab place. We now have had White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Horned and Red-necked Grebe, scaup, and many waterfowl unusual for our inland position arriving in the Thames River in London. Yesterday, two Red-throated Loons were spotted in the stretch of the Thames River in Springbank Park reported first by Paul Roedding. Best access for them is by parking at the Springbank parking area about .5 km west from the intersection of Springbank and Wonderland. Walk down to the riverside down the steep stairs and look out on the river there. If not there, waterfowl have been seen upriver all the way to Warncliffe Rd. Access is available all along the south side of the river at such places as off Wonderland at 285 Wonderland Rd South with public parking for looking near the Guy Lombardo bridge over the Thames at Wonderland Rd, and Greenway Park, off Springbank, where you can drive down to the area of the Pollution Plant and look for birds in the open waters there. There are a few parks on the north side of the river as well. We have not had a Red-Throated in winter since two were seen in 1898. And of course we don't record that species every year in Middlesex. One other notable spot for viewing waterfowl is the Fanshawe Conservation Area dam. Parking is at the dam and then one can look down into the river below. A scope is very helpful. Fanshawe CA main entrance to the dam is off of Clarke Rd, between Huron Street and Kilally Rd. Great birding. Pete Read _______________________________________________ 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
