Saturday morning there were 15 duck species along Hochreiter Rd. and the north end of Bathurst St. Aside from the expected Mallards and Canada Geese, the flooded fields on both sides of Hochreiter yielded N. PINTAIL (approx. 150), GW TEAL (100+), N. SHOVELER (16), BLACK DUCK (10), AM. WIGEON (6), GADWALL (4), WOOD DUCK (2), and BW TEAL (1 drake). The "ephemeral pond" on the west side of Bathurst about 2 kms north of Hochreiter is so huge right now it is more like a lake. It held a much smaller concentration of ducks on Saturday, but a good variety: RUDDY DUCK (2 drakes), RING-NECKED DUCK (1 drake), LESSER SCAUP (5), BUFFLEHEAD (11), REDHEAD (2 drakes), CM. MERGANSER (2), and four DC Cormorants. I did not rediscover the two Horned Grebes observed here on Tuesday by Chris Dunn. Just southeast of this location the same day, Bruce Brydon had a COMMON LOON on Soldier's Bay, which sits on the north side of Queensville Sdrd. between Bathurst and Yonge St. It was stil there this afternoon. Hochreiter Rd. also held two PILEATED WOODPECKERS that flew right over me Saturday morning, plus an OSPREY fishing over the West Holland River, and two N. FLICKERS. Several raucous crows chased a large bird into the heart of the swampy woods on the south side while I was there; it appeared to be an owl and the continuing din from the crows suggests the same. Both Great Horned and Barred Owls are possible here. Speaking of which, I had a G.H. OWL hooting from west of Dufferin St. where it meets Miller Sdrd. early Saturday morning. At that same location I heard a RUFFED GROUSE drumming, an EASTERN MEADOWLARK singing, and, from farther south along Dufferin, a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER doing its distinctive kwirring call. This morning Bruce Brydon has some good spring birds at the Cawthra Mulock reserve in Newmarket, including a pair of WOOD DUCKS, a COOPER'S HAWK, a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, a HERMIT THRUSH, and the first FIELD SPARROW of the spring. I hiked the Porritt Tract east of Aurora in search of Pine Warblers but came up empty. Consolation came in the form of 5 woodpecker species: Downy, Hairy, Pileated, N. Flicker, and YB Sapsucker. I also flushed a RUFFED GROUSE and got my first WINTER WREN of the spring. On Tuesday, April 8th Tom Mills of Sutton observed the first PURPLE MARTINS of the season. Tom has had good success with this declining species nesting in his martin house the past several years. In York region the Sutton area has become the only half-decently reliable place for Martins. Ron Fleming, Newmarket DIRECTIONS: York Region is just north of Toronto and south of Lake Simcoe. The north end of Bathurst Street is accessed by taking Yonge St. north from Newmarket. About halfway between Newmarket and Bradford there is a stoplight indicating Bathurst St. North. Turn right, then a quick left. Bathurst crosses the RR tracks then runs straight north. Take it to all the way up to the flooded fields north of Queensville Sdrd. and Albert's marina. Hochreiter Rd. is directly west of the road into Albert's Marina and is now relatively driveable, though you have to exercise some caution and be prepared for mud.
_______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
