SORA in Elgin County
March 24, 2003
While talking to Ron Kingswood today he mentioned that while walking his
dog today on his property this morning the dog had flushed a SORA which
landed in the open so that he had the opportunity to study it well. Ron
lives on the Lake Erie shoreline just west of Port Bruce in Elgin County.
He also mentioned that American Woodcock showed up at his place on March
19, 2 Eastern Towhees on March 20 and 2 Eastern Phoebes today.
Realizing that March 24 is very early for SORA I checked in Speirs' Birds
of Ontario. Speirs gives two March dates for Ontario: Usher reported the
earliest date for Rondeau as March 24 (April 17 was the average). The only
earlier date was March 14 at Toronto (Speirs 1938). He doesn't report any
other March records and most early dates from other Ontario locations are
mid to late April. James et al (Annotated Checklist of the Birds of
Ontario 1976) give April 7 to November 3 as the "dates in the province" and
mention that it is accidental in winter in the province.
Dave Martin
Harrietsville, ON
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dave Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
