*Snow Geese- *This is an update on several news items. As expected, based on the arrival schedule of Snow Goose flocks in the east in the last few years, the first good showing was in recent days in the general Casselman area (no details). Flocks used to appear anytime usually after mid-October but this is the fourth year that they have arrived in the first few days of November. The flocks tend to stay in north SD&G United Counties and southern Prescott County and not further south near the St. Lawrence. However, some smaller flocks (hundreds to a few thousand) may later pay a visit to fields of corn stubble east of Lancaster and these could roost on the St. Lawrence near Bainsville. Birds in the north have many options for roosting on water (including ponds and lagoons) until freeze up. The final spot to check is in the Winchester area where some birds may hang around nearby cornfields and lagoons.
*Snowy Owl -* I have no news from Ontario yet but I received a heads up last night from a first hand report in west Montreal along Hwy 20 in the last few days. This is a known area for a few birds to overwinter. Hopefully Ontario won't be far behind. Last winter was the worst in living memory in Ontario and the third year in a row of lower numbers following the unprecedented 7-year run of good sightings. Some birders never saw a Snowy Owl last winter. *Long Sault Parkway from Long Sault to Ingleside* - It will be closing November 15 and not opening until sometime in late April or May (no info on that). The best birding in the area currently is near Ingleside off Farran Park and along the Ault Island causeway on the west side. Still a few thousand divers (mainly Ring-necked and Redheads) in the region (largest numbers off Ault Island) as well as a couple of dozen Trumpeters, a handful of Mutes and a small number of Tundra Swans to arrive any day (a dozen to a few dozen). West of Hoople Creek along #2 and Ault Island there are up tp 400-500 American Wigeons and somewhere there is a Eurasian, usually along #2. Brian Morin Cornwall -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: birdnews@ontbirds.ca. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at birdn...@ofo.ca. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
