Firstly-In the AM a Short-billed Dowitcher was seen in the Sobey ponds, which front the Sobey warehouse , west of the Iroquois Sports Centre in Whitby. A Virginia Rail and a singing Sora were noted at the north platform of Cranberry Marsh; in mid-day 2 Virginia Rails responded to a tape at the south platform.
At Thickson's we could hardly expect a day like May 18, but it was not too bad, albeit birders had to work hard. At the beaver pond--CAPE MAY WARBLER, Wilson's w., Green Heron, Least Bittern, Spotted Sandpiper. The inner woods was not the best birding area, but did come up with 4 Vireos, Canada and Mourning warblers, C.Yellowthroats, Ovenbirds, Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested and Least Flycatchers, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. The most common warblers lately have been--Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, Nashville and Am. Redstarts Along the carpark roadside and just inside the woods was the best concentration of birds, they including Red-eyed, Warbling, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed and Philadelphia Vireos; Scarlet tanager, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Veery, Brown Thrasher, Lincoln's Sparrow, BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, CANADA W., BLACKBURNIAN W., TENNESSEE W., BAY-BREASTED, PALM. A Hooded W. may been heard. For Thickson's--exit 401 at Thickson Rd. (in Whitby), south toward the lakefront, turning left onto the carpark road which parallels the north side of the pine woods. Doug Lockrey, Whitby www.pickeringnaturalists.org
