Hello everyone: As of this morning (9am-10am) the MARBLED GODWIT is still present on the mudflats around the Shirley's Bay dyke. Two AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER were seen grooming together. I observed one LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, but there may have been more that I missed. Also present were several STILT SANDPIPERS, numerous GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and a few SOLITARY SANDPIPERS that were foraging together very close to the dyke. Unfortunately, no sign of the NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW that had been reported earlier this week. According to one birder (Norm) I spoke to, a GREAT EGRET was also skulking around behind some cattails, but I did not observe this bird myself. Good birding! Pat DIRECTIONS (courtesy Bruce DiLabio): >From Ottawa take Hwy. 417 west to the Moodie Drive exit and turn north (right) >on Moodie Drive and continue to Carling Ave. Turn left at Carling Ave. and >follow Carling to Rifle Road. Turn right (north) on Rifle Rd. Park at the lot >at the end (boat launch). Walk back to the road, and continue through the gate >on the Department of National Defense property. There is a trail on your right >(clearly marked with vehicle "No Entry" signs) which heads into the woods, >and, eventually to the dyke. There is lots of POISON IVY along the dyke. **** PLEASE NOTE**** YOU MUST OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE RANGE CONTROL OFFICE BEFORE ENTERING THE DYKE AREA -- Call (613) 991-5740 and request permission to visit the dyke area for birding. _________________________________________________________________ New! Open Messenger faster on the MSN homepage http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9677405_______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
