3pm - 13.03.13 - my conservative estimate of a few minutes ago is that a flock
of between
300/400 Bohemian Waxwings are feeding on small apples with which many of the
trees that
grow within this complex are loaded - under my nose at my front door they are
feeding on
juniper berries - they replace a large flock of American Robins seen this
morning.
This is a roaming flock and it should be noted that this area of Markham
bordered by
Hwy 407 to the south, Markham Road to the West, Ninth Line to the east and
Sixteenth
Avenue to the north contains a multitude of residential streets heavily planted
with the
variety of apple trees that grow very small fruit. As winter progresses this
fruit shrinks to
a size that can be swallowed whole by some bird species, the fruit as it
matures also be-
coming more nutritious with a buildup of vitamins - there is one Japanese
species that
owing to this increase in vitamin content is poisonous to children - though
this species was
banned as a street planting 20/30 or so years ago in Toronto.
Stan Long
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Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca
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