Good evening. This afternoon Ian Cannell, Jay Peterson and I decided to nip on over to the Long Point Area after viewing the Razorbill and White Pelican at Niagara-on-the Lake.
In a field in the Long Point area on the west side of Hwy 59 just north of 1st Conc. Rd (second road north of Front Rd) we stopped to look at 200+ Sandhill Cranes (first of approx. 300 Cranes), 100+ Tundra Swans, 250+ Canada geese and 300+ Ring-billed Gulls. From here we turned right onto Lakeshore Rd (County Rd 42 and in a field just west of the Hahn Unit of Big Creek Marsh (address #2197) we spotted 22 Snow Geese (blues and whites), 1 adult Ross’s Goose, several hundred Tundra Swans and hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls. After visiting Old Cut Woods where the only bird of note that we found was a Red-bellied Woodpecker (it was getting late) we decided to head for home. Just before entering the vehicle we were approached and told about an adult Snowy Owl sitting on the roof of the Bird Studies Canada building on Front Rd (approx. 1/2 mile east of Hwy 59) so we went over and found the bird, first of the fall for us. We then headed for home via the Hagersville area where we did a quick stop and found 1 Short-eared and 3 Eastern Screech Owls. Other birds seen on our travels were many White-winged Scoters, 8 Red-throated and 1 Common Loon, Horned Grebes, Hooded Mergansers, Little, Lesser black-backed and Iceland Gulls, Tufted Titmouse, N. Flicker, E. Bluebirds, N. Mockingbirds, several A. Kestrels, many A. Coots, Pied-billed Grebe, Belted Kingfisher, Swamp, Song and White-throated Sparrows, 50+ Snow Buntings and 35+ White-winged Crossbills. The buntings and crossbills were seen before 8 am at the mouth of the Niagara River. Direction:- LONG POINT AREA - CENTERED ON PORT ROWAN Port Rowan is southwest of Hamilton, to reach it you can drive south on Hwy 6 from Hamilton, passing through Hagersville and turning right, west in Jarvis onto Hwy 3, drive to Simcoe and turn left, south on Hwy 24 and follow this to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of Simcoe) and your in the Long Point Area. Turn left (south) on Hwy 59 at Hwy 24 and Port Rowan is straight down Hwy 59 (about 6 kms) on County Rd 42 (Lakeshore Rd), Big Creek Marsh, etc. are just a little further south of County Rd 42. Or you can exit Hwy 403 just west of Brantford. Exit at Hwy 24 South at Exit 91 and drive south through Simcoe and follow it to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of Simcoe) and your in the Long Point Area. The wood lots, fields, marshes etc. are north, south, east and west of Port Rowan. Norm Murr 303-48 Laverock Ave. Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4J5 _______________________________________________ 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/
