Bird activity has slowed down a bit in York Region since the balmy March
Break. The vernal ponds of Hochreiter Road and Bathurst Street northwest of
Holland Landing came and went quickly this year, as did the migrating
waterfowl. I had a single WOOD DUCK and six COMMON MERGANSERS in Holland
Landing Friday but that was it for me and ducks. Bruce Brydon had better luck
at the south end of Cook's Bay on Saturday (the only section of open water in
this part of Lake Simcoe at this point); he observed over 500 COMMON MERGS,
100+ LESSER SCAUP, 3 HOODED MERGS, a single REDHEAD, and a GLAUCOUS GULL.
Lorena Campbell had a TURKEY VULTURE flying over Keswick Monday afternoon while
Bruce Brydon had an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on Bathurst St. north of Morning Sdrd. on
Wednesday and a PURPLE FINCH at the Holland Landing Prairie Reserve Friday.
On Saturday morning I observed a PILEATED WOODPECKER and a NORTHERN SHRIKE at
the Cawthra Mulock reserve while Bruce found a dozen GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLETS there the same day. In north Holland Landing Kevin Shackleton had two
AMERICAN WOODCOCK displaying at dusk on Earth Day, as well as a vocalizing
GREAT HORNED OWL. Craig Corcoran had the first EASTERN MEADOWLARKS of
the season (that I'm aware of anyway) northeast of Nobleton on Saturday. On
Sunday Bruce B. had the first WILSON'S SNIPE of the year at the west end
of Hochreiter Rd.
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
York Region is north of Toronto and south of Lake Simcoe.
_______________________________________________
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/
