The migration that started as a trickle Sunday and Monday became a small flood
on Tuesday and Wednesday. RW Blackbirds, Cm. Grackles, Cowbirds, Am. Robins,
and Killdeer showed up in numerous locations across York Region. Even
year-round residents like Wild Turkey, N. Cardinal, and Pileated Woodpecker
were making themselves conspicuous in response to the springlike conditions.
Typical of the season, a cold snap moved in right after that, stalling the
migration, but there were still some interesting birds around and about at the
end of the week: on Thursday morning a lingering SNOWY OWL (white adult) was
easy to see against the brown soil of the Holland Marsh between Hwy. 400 and
Jane St. (north side of Woodchopper's Lane). The first TURKEY VULTURE of the
season was tilting northward on Bathurst St. between Aurora and Newmarket that
same day, and today two more were following the same flight path at noon.
This morning just north of the busy intersection at Bathurst and Davis Drive
(west Newmarket), Keith Dunn found an early SONG SPARROW singing in a small
cattail area, then observed another one on the northern extension of Bathurst
near Queensville Sdrd.
The 41 TUNDRA SWANS that were hooting their way along the frozen Holland
River on Monday have not been seen since then, nor have the Snow Buntings that
were in the same general area (west side of Bathurst St. North above
Queensville Sdrd.), but Keith tallied ten tagged Trumpeters trumpeting
tastefully on a frozen pond just south of Hwy. 9 on Dufferin Street today.
Bathurst St. North was relatively quiet this morning except for a female
NORTHERN HARRIER flying low over the reeds south of Hochreiter Rd.; Keith had a
male there yesterday. This species has been scarce since the deep freeze that
set in around mid-January. A second check of Bathurst St. North in the late
afternoon yielded
50+ Canada Geese and about 200 Mallards - very common birds, but the
gathering of this many Mallards suggests that they are not all birds that
wintered here. Northern Pintail and other waterfowl will likely join these
birds along Bathurst North as soon as temps rise and the fields flood.
I have still heard no reports of Eastern Meadowlark, Great Blue Heron,
American Woodcock or Eastern Phoebe in York region, but with warm weather
coming (evenually), the next few weeks should yield these species and more.
YORK BIRDERS who visit this website, please e-mail me some of your
observations - more messages regarding birds would make for a much more
comprehensive regional report - and that would be great!
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
All of the areas described here are in the general vicinity of Newmarket,
which lies north of Toronto, about halfway to Barrie.
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From: "Mike Williamson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:47:03 -0400
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cc: Rayfield Pye <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Ontbirds]Great Blue Heron Durham Region
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Hello; Spring must just be around the corner ,as today March 16/07 I watched
as 1 bird flew back & forth with nesting material at the Heronry at
York/Durham town line & Taunton Rd.
Cheers
Mike Williamson
Pckering Ontario
