Wow. That doesn't even come close to expressing what happened today from Lancaster to the Quebec border on the St. Lawrence River. Adding up all of the birds (as Tyler Hoar did) this was the largest concentration of Greater Snow Geese ever in Ontario by a factor of almost five and adding in the other birds Tyler saw just inside Quebec, this represents 33% of the entire population of Greater Snow Geese. It will go down as a personal wildlife spectacle milestone and with the beautiful setting on a clear (but brisk) afternoon, it will be very hard to beat. For those who have made the trip to Cap Tourmente east of Quebec City for the spring goose flight, you could have saved your travel money today. Eastern Ontario topped it hands down. This was absolutely incredible.
The largest single group was likely the one present from Lancaster to Westley's Point. I spent the afternoon with other birders/photographers at one spot (out of the brutal wind) where the entire flock could be seen. I have yet to do a good count (digitally) but this alone should be comfortably 80,000+ and more likely well over 100,000 going as far as the eye could see. In flight the group was so massive that you couldn't get the entire flock in one shot. It took about four and much of it was at a distance. Rather than relocating from place to place to check out other areas, we could get our fill of the birds without moving because they rested on the ice edge for most of the afternoon, occasionally lifting off then returning. At one point a lead opened up in the ice along the shore and the gap widened very quickly. This soon became an ice flow taking thousands of birds with it. They rode for a while (Snow Geese love riding ice flows) then returned. There were only a few thousand in this area tonight but I don't know if they all just moved a bit further east to sheltered bays, out of the wind. Yesterday, at this same location, a Golden Eagle put up a flock of Canada Geese from the adjacent field. The eagle dropped down to almost ground level before swooping up, scattering the spooked birds in all directions. No lunch for the eagle that time. Directions To access this area from the 401 take exit 814 (Lancaster cty rd 34) go straight ahead and follow cty rd 2/south service road eastward into Quebec (Hwy 338). There are several viewing areas of the river along this road with the first prominent one being at Wetley's Point. Immediately further east there are several side lanes or streets worth checking, notably 78th Ave and 94th Ave. Very few birds headed into the fields in the afternoon. Brian Morin Cornwall _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
