Hello everyone: I arrived early at Algonquin (around 7:30am) and was delighted to find a pair of BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS boring into a telephone pole between Kilometers 54-55. Judging by the number of holes in most of the poles there, I would say the woodpeckers frequent this area. Next I headed over to the old airfield, where I ran into fellow Ottawa birder Brian Young. We searched for the LE CONTE'S SPARROWS that had been observed last week by Mike Burrell and Lev Frid, but came up empty. It was rather cold this morning, and a thin layer of snow was covering most of the park, so it's likely the sparrows have moved on. On the bright side, we did find several AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and at least two dozen HORNED LARKS. Eight COMMON MERGANSERS were lined up on a log in Lake of Two Rivers. Our next stop was to the Spruce Bog, where we fed about five GRAY JAYS. According to another birder we met there (didn't get a name), there was a pair of SPRUCE GROUSE, which we missed by mere minutes. About ten HERMIT THRUSHES were also present, as were a few AMERICAN ROBINS. At this point Brian headed over to the Visitor's Centre, to return to the airfield after a quick bite, and I carried on to Opeongo Road. At the parking area off of the old logging road, I found another female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER. There were two more GRAY JAYS, and a smattering of DARK-EYED JUNCOS, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. No sign or sound of any BOREAL CHICKADEES, however. Good birding! Pat DIRECTIONS (courtesy Lev Frid): Algonquin Park is three hours north of Toronto, via Highways 400, 11 and 60.Follow the signs, which start in Toronto on Highway 400. From Ottawa, take Highway 17 to Renfrew, then follow Highway 60 to the park. OLD AIRFIELD: located along the Mew Lake Campground access road, park at a small parking lot on the left at the beginning of the Old Railway Bike Trail and walk around the airfield. BL.-BACKED WOODPECKERS: Along Hwy 60, across from the Leaf Lake ski trail parking area. _________________________________________________________________ New! Get to Messenger faster: Sign-in here now! http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9677407_______________________________________________ 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/
