A nice push of migrants has moved its way north of Toronto this week, bringing along some interesting birds. The Holland Landing lagoons welcomed their first migrant shorebirds, the most notable being a Short-billed Dowitcher that John Watson observed Sunday. I went looking for the bird today after work but "dipped on the Dow". I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find a pair of Long-tailed Ducks in breeding plumage swimming in the second cell. In almost 40 years of birding I have only seen this species in basic plumage so it was a real treat to see the male looking for all the world like a pheasant on water. There was also a single Red-necked Grebe there - not a rare bird, but my first sighting of one at that location. Some other good-looking waterfowl species are present at the lagoons and showing very nicely: Northern Shovelers (8), Wood Ducks (10), and Green-winged Teal (6). Among numerous passerines that moved into York region on the Mother's Day weekend was a Black-billed Cuckoo at the Mary Lake property in King City. Sixteen warbler species have shown up so far and all of the thrushes except Gray-cheeked. Several Veerys (Veeries?) were singing their sonic whirlpools outside the Silver Lakes golf course entrance at the north end of Yonge Street around dusk today, joined after 8:30 by the peenting of three American Woodcock. In the wee hours of the morning today, Mike Van den Tillaart was awakened by a Whip-poor-will calling steadily in his northeast Newmarket neighbourhood. Ron Fleming, Newmarket The Holland Landing lagoons are north of Newmarket. Newmarket is located halfway between Toronto and Barrie.
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