Hi all, Just got home from a long hot day of birding but worth every minute. Started this morning at Hullet Marsh where I was able to find the Glossy Ibis with no trouble. It took flight a couple of times when the heavy equipment trundled down the dyke but came back to the same spot each time. About 50 yards beyond the gate, look left to a point or island of grass with a fallen tree. It was feeding in the water on the dyke side of this area. Still very far away. Also, 6 sandhill cranes flew over, calling, and landed in the marsh a long way back.
Left there at noon and headed for Luther Marsh (air-conditioned car, thank goodness). Didn't see the scissor-tailed flycatcher when I arrived so continued walking along the path into the marsh. Saw kingbirds, bobolink, great egret, trumpeter swan family, osprey, kingfisher, pied-billed grebe. Some clouds here so not so hot. Heading back to the car, I found the flycatcher sitting on the top of a no-hunting sign, just before the cairn. It let me get quite close before flying off to the row of trees between the fields. As I was leaving, my day was capped off by a beautiful indigo bunting posing on top of a weed about 15 feet away. Directions to Hullett are: Drive about a half hour west of Mitchell on Hwy#8 to Kinburn Line (aka county rd. 15). Turn right (North ) and go to Summerhill Rd. Turn left (West) and go to Burns Line. Turn left (South) and travel down the gravel road to Parking lot 81001. Just past there on the left side is an entrance to the boat launch and dyke. Go out the dusty dyke road about 100 yds. to where it's gated off. Directions to Luther Marsh: >From Arthur, take Rd. 109 (formerly Hwy.9) east; Turn north on Cty. Rd. 16 In the hamlet of Monk, turn right and continue about 7 km to the hamlet of Monticello, Turn right and look for the blind on the right hand side, set back from the road but easily visible; turn right into the next lane and park in the spots indicated. Follow the track past the gate to a stone cairn. Both times I've been, the bird has been in the vicinity of the cairn and/or the row of trees and shrubs just beyond. Barb Peeren Waterloo _______________________________________________ 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/
