Migrants have been moving through many parts of York region over the past few
weeks.
Al Johnston of Stouffville added two very good birds to his rural-area yard
list this weekend: one GREAT EGRET checking out his pond and, riding high
overhead on thermals with a handful of other raptors, an adult BALD
EAGLE. Jack and Connie Walker had a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO along Kennedy Road
just south St. John's Sdrd. on Sunday and a BROAD-WINGED HAWK over Herald Road
and Warden Avenue the same day.
Between his backyard and the Holland River Trail (both in north Newmarket),
Mike Van den Tillaart had 10 warbler species this weekend, the most notable
ones being CANADA, WILSON'S and BLACKBURNIAN. He also had an out-of-season
Dark-eyed Junco (more typically a winter visitor here) and a Cooper's Hawk in
his yard. Bruce Brydon had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER at the north end of
Bathurst in Newmarket where that road dead ends above Morning Sdrd.
Two weeks ago Keith Dunn added a new species to his yard list in Keswick when
three SANDHILL CRANES flew over. Kevin Shackleton had the best of few
shorebirds in the Newmarket area when he observed a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER in a
water containment area near Yonge St. and Green Lane last week.
Hoping for shorebirds and nighthawks at the Holland Landing lagoons this
evening, I instead found lots of mosquitoes (still out in force this late in
the season). Between swats I noted some shorebirds present but in very low
numbers. Species included Semipalmated, Pectoral, Solitary and Spotted
Sandpipers, as well as Gr. and Lsr. Yellowlegs.
Ducks were far better represented; there were 300 or more teal present, mostly
Blue-wings but with several Green-winged
Teal doing their distinctively "twisting" flight patterns when flushed. At
the south end of the lagoons there were approx. two dozen Wood Ducks still
present, plus several Northern Shovelers swimming among the usual Mallards and
Canada Geese. Bruce Brydon arrived at the lagoons while I was there and
mentioned seeing two Gadwall on the weekend. Just prior to arriving at HL,
Bruce had observed a dozen COMMON NIGHTHAWKS along Dufferin St. near Teston Rd.
in north Richmond Hill.
York region is north of Toronto and just south of Lake Simcoe.
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
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