Even with birds settling into nesting routines and keeping a slightly lower
profile there have been some good York Region sightings this month. One of the
most interesting was a HOODED WARBLER that flew into Gene
Denzel's Thornhill yard June 15th. It stayed for several minutes, singing
loudly from a maple tree. This species is present in the Happy Valley
area north of Nobleton during breeding season but they are not common; to have
one along the suburban Yonge Street corridor in mid-June is especially
unusual.
This past weekend at least two Hoodeds were calling near the spot where the
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER has been reported in Happy Valley (he, too, was singing on
territory both days). When I was there Sunday with Joandice Tigley and Tony
Marshall we also heard a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK calling. Due to the heavy leaf
cover most birds were identified through song recognition rather than visual
ID. The mosquitoes at Happy Valley are not as tenacious as those at Doyle Road
(where the Chuck Will's Widow is), but a walk in the woods there can still be a
bit of a blood donor clinic. When I left that location on Sunday morning I did
a slow drive westward along 16th Sdrd. and added OSPREY, KINGFISHER and EASTERN
BLUEBIRD within the first kilometer.
On June 21st Graham Leonard had a very good "yard bird" in Richmond Hill.
Looking up from his property at 3:30 in the afternoon he observed a mature BALD
EAGLE flying south, presumably to Lake Ontario. A pair of Bald Eagles has
nested both this year and last along the south shore of Cook's Bay in Keswick
(visible by scoping north from Ravenshoe Road near Best Asia Farms). Whether
young were successfully fledged has not been confirmed.
SANDHILLS CRANES nested successfully in the same area of the Holland Marsh this
year; a family was photographed by Linda Wells and Irving Himel in late May.
These birds have been observed by Kevin Shackleton and others since then. This
may be a first confirmed breeding for the species in York Region - I will check
with local record keepers.
East of Aurora Al Johnston had a pair of PURPLE MARTINS fly over his property
on June 17th. A friend of Al's in Sutton monitors PMs and has counted 32
nesting pairs this spring - nice stats to hear since this bird is in serious
decline. John Watson and I were happy to observe a pair of BLUE-GRAY
GNATCATCHERS at their nest NW of Kleinburg back on June 11, as well as a pair
of AMERICAN KESTRELS at the Cold Creek hydro property.
While cycling in the Holland Marsh last week I heard then observed a NORTHERN
MOCKINGBIRD along Strawberry Lane west of Keele Street. I had the same bird
earlier in the month. Just out of York region and into Simcoe county I
observed a MERLIN near the corner of Hwy. 27 and 9th Line on Father's Day.
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
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