[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in the east

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

A quick run to the north revealed no geese of any kind along Cty Rd #9
north of Fournier. The flooded fields along the South Nation River have
drained quickly so the potential attraction has disappeared. East of
Bourget at Cobb's Lake Creek there is the usual flooding but there was
still considerable ice. Both Canadas and Snows were at a great distance but
the setting will be changing soon as the ice melts.

Along Frank Kenney the flooding has subsided but the area is still a major
attraction for Canadas. The same is true along Milton. There were only two
Snows among the huge number of Canadas.

Late in the day, some Snows were gathering at a quarry on Cty Rd 43 east of
Winchester. Many were Lesser Snow Geese. These flocks have a much higher
percentage of blues than the Greaters. The ponds at Winchester and fields
near Chesterville usually have a higher percentage of Lessers than further
east.

Finally there was a report that around 7:15 p.m., large flocks returned to
the St. Lawrence at Westley's Point east of Lancaster along South Service
Rd. Many of these seem to be heading into Quebec for daytime feeding then
returning at night.

Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in the east

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The show appears to be over for this part of Eastern Ontario. There was
only one small flock present this evening east of Lancaster although there
were still many birds in the area. The rest chose fields in Quebec for
their evening dining after leaving the river at the Quebec border.

In the time ahead, the flooded fields north of St. Isidore at Fournier on
Cty Rd 9 should be a draw. Similarly flooded fields east of Bourget should
also offer good viewing but I have not heard of reports yet. Flooding along
Frank Kenney and Milton Rd in Navan is showing good numbers of Canadas but
so far the Snows are not in large numbers.

Other areas to be watching are fields west of Winchester and east of
Chesterville. It is too early for birds further northeast along the Ottawa
River.

Yesterday there was a report of a Pink-footed Goose seen briefly on the
beach with Canadas at Morrisburg but the bird was not present today.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese - Lancaster

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The Snow Goose spectacle continued today with flocks descending on
cornfields northeast of Lancaster (actually north and east of Bainsville)
after 5:30. Most remained at a considerable distance from roads so no
detailed observations were possible but there were such large numbers that
the show was great anyway. I didn't do a good count today but the number
was at least as large as was reported yesterday, 130,000. Most that settled
were flocks of 15,000 or above. Others continued on into Quebec in long
irregular lines that blanketed the sky for some time. I heard that many of
the birds returned to the river at 7:20.

I watched a flock of five Greater White-fronted Geese drop in north of
Curry Hill on Concession 3. The birds flew off after a few minutes and were
not refound.

Monday is a snow day here so it will be interesting to see what happens
when it warms up for the rest of the week.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese - Lancaster

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Checking the area northeast of Lancaster again yesterday, the birds headed
to the river during the day with not a single bird present in the harvested
cornfields at 4:00 p.m. That began to change about an hour later as about
15-20,000 came in to one field. By 6 p.m., more had appeared with about
60,000 spread through a number of fields on or adjacent to concessions 2
and 3 about 2-3 km east or Cty Rd 34.
Additional birds were reported north of Curry Hill and east of Bainsville
with about 135,000 total counted yesterday.

I had a hybrid Ross's x Lesser Snow Goose among them.

The spring Snow Goose hunt is on so if you spot 100 or more stationary
geese back in a few of the fields with pickups parked along the road you'll
know what's going on. Snow Geese are very wary. I didn't spot a single
goose straying over those fields during a period of several hours.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Pintails east of Lancaster

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

My fingers sent the goose message before I was finished typing. I had a
flock of about 1500 Pintails along the South Service Rd east of Bainsville.
The birds were at the back of a field near the water and adjacent to a
small pumphouse (small square building). Some would lift off, almost hover
in the very strong headwind, and drop back down. Bainsville is east of
Lancaster. If birds are still there be careful of the dirt road to the
pumphouse. The road is soft and the puddles very deep. If the birds have
left they may be in other fields north of there. Many fields are flooded.

Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese Lancaster

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The flocks reported yesterday in fields northeast of Lancaster (about 20
minutes east of Cornwall) were present this evening. The birds were in
scattered flocks of hundreds to a few thousand with larger numbers of
5,000, 10,000 and 60,000. I had 140,000 total, spread out over numerous
fields of corn stubble. Many flocks were along concession #2 and #3
starting about 2 km east of Cty Rd 34 and continuing close to the Quebec
border. The largest flock was on Cty Rd 23 a few kms north of Curry Hill. I
only say Snows, with both Greater and Lesser present. Not that many blue
morphs and not large numbers of Canadas.
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[Ontbirds] Geese along the St. Lawrence

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Checking the river from Prescott through Cornwall yesterday revealed only
Canada Geese but in large numbers. This is the peak of their migration in
this area with a total of likely more than 100,000. Concentrations were
west of Cardinal, east of Iroquois, in the park at Morrisburg and at Long
Sault. There is minimal ice along the river elsewhere and the birds like to
be on the ice edge. From Ingleside through Long Sault however, the water is
largely frozen, opening up again by the causeway at Long Sault. The full
Long Sault Parkway is not open at this time of year, only access to the
first two islands. I checked for other species where possible but did not
see anything else.

Greater Snow Geese were reported to have made a flight downriver yesterday
with some stopping east of Lancaster at Westley's Point along the South
Service Rd. (about 5 km east of the McDonald's) Flocks were spotted in
cornfields north and northeast of Lancaster.
Later flocks will move further north in the counties as fields open up.

Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] St. Lawrence River water level

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The area from Cornwall, above the dam, to Iroquois is experiencing its
lowest level in a lifetime according to seniors, down likely almost four
feet from the late December level. Once the Seaway was closed for the
season, the water level was reduced to the point that large stretches of
shallow nearshore habitat were exposed. Of course at this time there are no
shorebirds and waterfowl are in  low numbers here this winter. The effort
is intended to gradually lower the level of Lake Ontario. That could bode
well for places like Presqu'ile in the spring but time will tell how
effective this is in the near term or if this is a multi-year exercise.

The shipping season begins again in late March, around the time of the
arrival of Snow and Canada Geese and the Seaway level must be returned to
its previous state before that.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Spotted Towhee Prince Edward Point

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

While searching unsuccessfully for the Harris's Sparrow this morning in
Wellington (not seen for the last two days as far as we know) we learned
about this bird and had it about 20 minutes after we arrived.

The bird is coming to seed that has been scattered on the path (road) to
the lighthouse but only appears briefly with long interludes. I last had it
after 4 p.m. It looks like it has settled in for the time being and with
seed present it will make itself visible from time to time. Without it the
bird would be very difficult to locate. Jays, Grackles, White-throats and
Juncos are the principle takers. After this week there may not be regular
seed deposits so having a small supply would help if you are coming later
on. It prefers mixed seed and seems to tolerate a corn blend. Scattering
along the path is better than piling it.

The feeding pattern is for it to appear for less than a minute on the
ground then head back into the brush, returning every 30-45 minutes. Only
once in the afternoon it was 20 minutes. Early morning feeding may be more
active since it would be hungrier. It may give its characteristic call note
as it approaches unseen, alerting you to its presence. This was done about
50% of the time so it is good to be familiar with it.


Brian Morin

Location details : After reaching the banding station, continue to the dock
and park. Walk around the gate and head along the path across the swamp,
less than 5 minutes. It is just around this bend. Prince Edward Point
Banding Station is located at the end of Long Point Road at the SE tip of
the county, easily accessed off the 401 from Trenton, Belleville, Deseronto
(HWY 49).
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

People have been wondering where the birds are and there is no good answer.
The sod fields along Lafleche Rd east of Casselman have failed to yield
birds on multiple passes since the large movement 10 days ago. About 1,000+
were in harvested cornfields northeast of Hwy 417 and Hwy 138. Another
2,000 were west of Moose Creek in a flyover after hunters spooked a flock
probably a km northwest of town. Recent snowcover has not helped and more
snow next week may add to the existing depth. There may be other flocks in
cornfields east and west of the area but it will mean checking a number of
concessions.

On the plus side and unrelated there were numerous Snow Buntings northeast
of Hwy 417 and Hwy 138 between the St. Rose area and St. Isidore. Cty rds
21, 20 and 19 were best but other flocks were present as well. We had about
1900 birds. There were also a few flocks of Horned Larks (75) and a
solitary Lapland Longspur. A confused Killdeer was looking for ground that
wasn't white. The snowcover forced ground feeders to roadsides which worked
well for us.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

As I was passing by the favoured resting area east of Casselman late this
morning I didn't see any Snow Geese on the sod fields. There was a small
flock north of Monkland on Hwy 138. From Hwy 417 about a km west of Hwy 138
I noted a number of them on the field south of the road not far from the
back of the landfill site. I didn't have time to check fields north of Hwy
417 towards St. Isidore. The birds often head to harvested cornfields in
the area and as more corn is taken off the available sites will increase.

Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417, 8 km past Casselman, to Hwy
138. The sod farm is accessible from Lafleche Rd, 1 1/2 km south. This
leads to the landfill. Heavy trucks are constant on this road so use
pulloffs for viewing. There is no hunting on these grounds but there is
hunting in area fields so geese may be put up in the cornfields from time
to time.

>From Hwy 401, exit at Brookdale Ave. in Cornwall and go left to the end of
the street. Turn right to the light and left onto Hwy 138. The area is 30
minutes north.

If there are few or no birds on the sod fields first check the dirt road at
the north end of the sod fields heading west past the landfill. If none
there check a number of concessions northeast of Hwy 417 towards St.
Isidore.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

They are late but a large flock has finally arrived. At noon today and for
90 minutes afterwards flocks of Snow Geese, mostly Greater Snows but with
some Lessers settled in to the sod farm east of Casselman. By the time I
left there were about 35,000 present with another 5000 northeast of St.
Rose in a harvested cornfield. I did not notice any other species mixed in
with the main flock but with that number there could be a Ross's. I did
have a Ross's with the other flock.

There are quite a few young birds this fall, mostly white morphs but you'll
see blue morph young as well. These birds are dark gray overall and can be
confusing for new birders. There were not many blue morph adults in the
flock.

There may be an additional flight in the days ahead with possibly another
25-40,000 but numbers vary year to year. If this is the total for this fall
it's still impressive.

Birds may remain on the sod for the day or head to corn fields for a while
and return. Late in the day they leave for area ponds and return in the
morning at some point.

There were no gulls on the sod today – all were at the dump. When they are
on the field check for Lesser Black-backed Gulls (there are many). There
are far fewer Great Black-backs. Soon you'll be checking for Glaucous and
Iceland as well.


Brian Morin

Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417, 8 km past Casselman, to Hwy
138. The sod farm is accessible from Lafleche Rd, 1 1/2 km south. This
leads to the landfill. Heavy trucks are constant on this road so use
pulloffs for viewing. There is no hunting on these grounds but there is
hunting in area fields so geese may be put up in the cornfields from time
to time.

From Hwy 401, exit at Brookdale Ave. in Cornwall and go left to the end of
the street. Turn right to the light and left onto Hwy 138. The area is 30
minutes north.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

For the last two weeks there has been a slow build up of Snow Geese east of
Casselman (25 minutes east of Ottawa). The majority are Greaters but there
are also Lesser Snow Geese as well. Today we had about 5000 on the sod farm
in two distinct areas (there are fields further west). Feeding on short
grass is similar to summer in the high Arctic so the birds have faithfully
returned to this location each fall for a number of years. The setting for
fall observation is very different than in spring when flocks are all over
the place. Birds tend to stay within 5-10 km of here much of the time.

The peak numbers will arrive in the next two weeks and will remain until
heavy snow covers the ground. On any given day the numbers can range from
40-80,000 if past activity repeats.

Because of the adjacent landfill site, there are also a few thousand gulls
which are often resting on the sod near the geese. Most are Herring, Lesser
Black-backs are next in number and there are a smaller number of Great
Black-backs. Ring-billed are seldom present here. In November, Glaucous and
Iceland will arrive. Today we had 82 Lesser Black-backs, mostly adults.
Picking out young of this species is difficult if they are at a distance
and sitting down amongst other gulls.

Brian Morin

Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417, 8 km past Casselman, to Hwy
138. The sod farm is accessible from Lafleche Rd, 1 1/2 km south. This
leads to the landfill. Heavy trucks are constant on this road so use
pulloffs for viewing.

>From Hwy 401, exit at Brookdale Ave. in Cornwall and go left to the end of
the street. Turn right to the light and left onto Hwy 138. The area is 30
minutes north.
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[Ontbirds] Western Sandpipers at Presqu'ile

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

I don't know if there has been a sighting today but here is an observation
from Wednesday. The bird I reported looked similar to the bird seen the
same day in Toronto but a Western was reported at Presqu'ile before we
arrived although we did not know it at the time. It was not the same bird,
having different back, breast and facial markings so there were two at
Presqu'ile on Wednesday.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Golden Plovers near Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Following up on word that Golden Plovers were recently spotted near Osgoode
southeast of Ottawa, last evening I had 108 (photo count) in the expected
field. The birds moved about from near the road to the back of the field,
being put up first by a large flock of juvenile Starlings that landed right
with them and second by a passing Merlin. The latter encounter set the
flock milling about and eventually leaving, heading south. The adult flock
was heavily into molt. There was also a large number of Killdeer present.
The birds can hide very well on the dark soil and may not be apparent at
first. This site will be appealing for plovers  for the next few weeks as
new birds appear.

Brian Morin

Location: the field was just north of the intersection of Nixon Dr. and
Dalmeny Rd. (cty Rd 4) south of Osgoode.
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[Ontbirds] Western Sandpiper at Presqu'ile

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

I wasn't able to confirm the sighting until I got home tonight and examined
the few photos I got. The Western was in with a small flock of Semipalmated
Sandpipers on Beach 3 late this afternoon. I had spotted it in the flock
and was suspicious but the light was harsh and they immediately flew a
short distance. A second chance showed the typical longer beak with a
slight droop at the end.  I couldn't get the confirming look I wanted
before they were chased off by a Merlin and were not refound. I waited for
closer examination of the shots and it had the hoped for evidence of some
rusty on the scapulars.

There was also a single Baird's Sandpiper there with Semipalmated and
Least. Shorebird numbers were low with additional birds being Semipalmated
Plovers, Sanderings and a couple of Black-bellied Plovers. The beach is in
much better shape than on previous visits and suitable for additional
migrants.

On a related migration note, songbird migrants were almost non existent in
the afternoon.

Brian Morin
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Re: [Ontbirds] Great Egrets with red and white leg bands

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Good to know. I'll pass the information along to a few club members who are
out on a regular basis. Our roost on Richmond Drive was inactive last year
although a few dozen birds fed there regularly last year. This year the
area is heavily overgrown with cattails and there is no roost or feeding.
I've been told that on an island off Morrisburg egrets bred this summer so
some birds will be further west. Enjoy the rest of summer.


Brian

On Thu, Aug 8, 2019 at 9:41 PM Weseloh, Chip (EC) via ONTBIRDS <
birdalert@ontbirds.ca> wrote:

> >Hi Birders,
>
>
>
> > About a month ago, we banded approximately 100 young flightless Great
> Egrets at colonies in Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) and in eastern Lake
> Ontario. The young birds are probably now flying and dispersing throughout
> southern Ontario. They are banded with field readable red plastic leg bands
> with white characters. Each bird has two bands on the left leg, one above
> and one below the "knee" joint. The characters have the format of
> number-number-letter, e.g. 24T. If you see (or photograph) one of these
> birds, please send me the characters (or the photo) and the date and
> location of the sightingand your name and contact details. I will then
> send you the banding details.
>
> >
>
> > Many Thanks,
>
> > Chip Weseloh
>
> > Canadian Wildlife Service (Emeritus)
>
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>
>
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[Ontbirds] No Pelicans at Ingleside

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The birds were present off Farran Park until late yesterday but were not
seen this morning.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] White Pelicans at Ingleside

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The six are still present on the river off Farren Park campground but a
Mute Swan continues to make periodic passes to drive them out. So far they
are resisting the attacks. They have not returned to the water closer to
the county road.

Brian Morin

Directions : Ingleside is east of Morrisburg and west of Cornwall. Exit the
401 and head south to Cty Rd #2. Turn right and the park is ahead on your
left. The birds were viewed from the western shore of the campground. They
could be picked out with binoculars but a scope would be good.
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[Ontbirds] White Pelicans at Ingleside

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The birds were reported this morning from the same location they flew to
last evening, on the river off the west end of the Farren Park campground,
almost over to the far shore. They were still being harassed by a Mute
Swawn which had driven them away from the water near the road. it is
anyone's guess how long they will tolerate that disturbance.


Brian Morin

Directions : Ingleside is east of Morrisburg and west of Cornwall. Exit the
401 and head south to Cty Rd #2. Turn right and the park is ahead on your
left. The birds were viewed from the western shore of the campground. They
could be picked out with binoculars but a scope would be good.
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[Ontbirds] White Pelicans at Ingleside

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

By the time news got out yesterday, the six birds had departed the area
near the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary after being harassed by Mute
Swans. Surprisingly the birds returned this afternoon. Where they went in
the meantime is unknown but they had flown east at an extreme elevation but
earlier today were spotted heading east from near Morrisburg (which is west
of the original sighting) so they have been wandering quite a bit.

The birds spent until 5:40 in the water along Cty Rd #2 at Farran Park in
Ingleside then were again forced out of the area by a pair of Mutes. There
are six Mutes but one pair is apparently nesting within a few hundred
metres of where the pelicans are and they will not tolerate these birds.
The others seem to leave them alone.

The pelicans flew over to the river from the protected area and stood well
offshore from Farren Park in shallow water near a small island. There is a
good possibility that they will be around tomorrow because of the rough
weather tonight and into the morning.



Brian Morin

Directions : Ingleside is east of Morrisburg and west of Cornwall. Exit the
401 and head south to Cty Rd #2. Turn right and the park is ahead on your
left. If the birds are in the water along the road they will likely be in
the middle somewhere. Drive a few hundred metres along the county road
first to locate them. There are up to six Mute Swans there as well but they
tend to be spread out. The pelicans are always tight together. There is a
bicycle path that starts at the park office and proceeds west along the
water.
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[Ontbirds] White Pelicans at Ingleside

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

This morning at around 10:20, six White Pelicans landed on the St. Lawrence
at Ingleside (15 minutes west of Cornwall). The birds were present swimming
and feeding actively until around 11:40 when a final push by a flotilla of
Mute Swans forced the birds out. One swan had flown a good distance at the
birds three times over that period, with them taking flight each time. The
last time the birds climbed for 10 minutes, reached migration height
(almost specs in the sky) and headed east, southeast. I did not see them
between there and Cornwall but there are areas further east before
Lancaster that might be worth checking. If the birds followed the American
side of the river or moved further south then opportunity will be lost.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

They're back. I was hoping that after the initial movement through to
Quebec that some of the birds would return, and they have. I heard that the
floodplain along the South Nation River at Fournier has a very large number
of birds, likely larger than the total of the initial flocks we had seen
along the St. Lawrence previously. Apparently they have been in the area
for about six days. This area is north of St. Isidore about 5 minutes and
viewing can be done from the main county road with no trouble. Depending on
the extent of the flooding there may be others a little further east on the
road to Alfred and that area is also accessible.

Unlike the St. Lawrence, which serves only as a roost, this location offers
both feeding and roosting. Many of the birds will remain until the fields
dry up which may be a week or more. During the day, some portions will go
for a trip around the region and will end up in the floodplain east of
Bourget. The floodwaters there are even more extensive but hunters in boats
at this location may keep the birds off. They are very wary.


Brian Morin

Directions: Coming from Ottawa, exit Hwy 417 at St. Isidore and head north
for about 10 minutes. If coming from the south, exit Hwy 401 at the
Brookdale exit in Cornwall and turn left (north). Turn right at the stop
sign then left at the light onto Hwy 138 which heads to Hwy 417 (35
minutes). Turn onto Hwy 417 east and get off at the next exit, which is for
St. Isidore. Turn left, north and continue for about 10 minutes.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The movement of mostly Greater Snow Geese has temporarily calmed. The main
flight left a week ago and flocks that held back have been a few thousand
here and there in areas north of the St. Lawrence. We could see some geese
retrace their flight from Quebec back into Ontario in the next week or two.
We may also see a small flight (several thousand) of Lesser Snow Geese
which are usually a couple of weeks after the Greaters move in. These
flocks have a much higher percentage of blue morphs than the Greaters. They
offen show up first around Chesterville in fields along the South Nation
River.

Lake St. Francis east of Lancaster is open and will serve as a night roost
for birds that are feeding in corn fields north of Lancaster up to Green
Valley on Cty Rd 34. Later the birds will mostly head to the Ottawa River.
With milder weather this weekend, flooded fields in areas east of Bourget
along the Cobb Lake Creek floodplain and along the South Nation River north
of St. Isidore will be worth checking. Up to now they have been largely
frozen. Other flooded fields may also be attractive to geese and puddle
ducks like Pintails and early Green-winged Teal.

There is little snow left in fields near the St. Lawrence compared with
areas north of Hwy 417.

Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Geese on the St. Lawrence

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

I am providing an assessment of the overall goose migration not just the
Snow Geese. Following up from my previous post there has been a substantial
change today. A river run to the west between Cornwall and Iroquois failed
to turn up more than a handful of Snows (mostly Greater) in the morning
although about 5000 showed up before noon at Ingleside. A turn north on
back roads towards Winchester found a number of fields with numerous
Canadas and a few fields with a small number of snows. The largest field
flock of Snow Geese was in the hundreds. Winchester continues to be the cut
off northward for activity because field snow and ice increases from there
north and is less closer to the St. Lawrence. Shore ice in the area has
deteriorated rapidly with the wind.

There are still numerous Canadas on the river but there was a significant
drop with birds being in the fields. In the early afternoon geese usually
return to the river so numbers will increase then. I don't know if the
earlier large flocks of Snow Geese are still west of Cornwall somewhere or
if they moved east along the river into Quebec.

Heading east from Cornwall there were few geese but once at South Lancaster
both Canadas and Snow Geese were present on the ice of Lake St. Francis (a
widening of the St. Lawrence). The area is still frozen except for the
shipping channel which is way out there. The conditions are very different
from the last few years. Neither species was in large numbers but there
were a few thousand Canadas and less than a thousand Snows. North of the
river in the fields up to Concession 2 northeast of Lancaster there was
only one flock of both species in the fields.

Today's strong westerly winds may have been the factor that encouraged the
Snow Geese to head further east but without much water on Lake St. Francis
there was nothing to hold them. This does not mean the end of the season
because it is only getting started. It may take another week or 10 days
before we see an increase in the Snow Goose population again as field snow
melts, flooding begins and the ice on the river to the east moves out.
Rather than dry fields this spring we should have wet ones in many
locations which will be good for both geese and dabbling ducks.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Goose migration along the St. Lawrence

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Others noted today that there were good numbers of geese near Prescott,
both Canadas and Snows. I covered the area from Cornwall to Cardinal today
and the area from Ingleside east to Lake St. Francis (east of Lancaster)
was covered yesterday. In the area I covered the number of Canadas was
staggering. I didn't do a full count but there were likely several hundred
thousand. There is no single large concentration but almost the entire
river is lined with Canadas on both the Canadian and American side,
especially along the ice edge and on adjacent open ground, with regular
concentrations of a few thousand to 5-10,000. The river is wide open to the
west all the way from east of Morrisburg. There is at least a channel for
the rest of the river to the east (shipping starts tomorrow) but it is hard
to see open water until you reach Ingleside, Long Sault and then closer to
Cornwall. There were mostly Canadas east of Cornwall. The area east of
Lancaster was largely 'gooseless' yesterday. Lake St. Francis is frozen. It
is unlikely that area will be sufficiently open by the weekend to attract a
large number of Snow Geese but anything can change.

There has been a major movement of Snow Geese (mostly Greaters) but unlike
the Canadas they are very concentrated. Today I had about 13,000 west of
Morrisburg, about 10,000+ closer to Iroquois in two flocks and possibly
another 8,000 east of Cardinal. You can drive for kilometres and not see
one then you hit a flock. It was all or nothing. There were thousands more
west towards Prescott and yesterday unknown thousands in a few flocks from
Ingleside to Long Sault. Morrisburg had the most satisfying observation
today with many birds close to the road (the road that runs from Morrisburg
west along the river, not Cty Rd 2. The birds will tolerate vehicles parked
on the west end of the 'causeway' and if you use your vehicle as a shield
they will tend to stay in close. Walking disturbs them. They don't care
about vehicles driving by. Wherever you find an ice edge you will find
geese. Once these areas lose their ice the geese may be more spread out or
move on.

There was a single Cackling Goose at Morrisburg. The only other goose of
note today was a leucistic Canada. Watch from neck-collared Snow Geese. I
had one at Morrisburg. The St. Lawrence is not a major stopover for divers
in spring so you will see few but you will see some small concentrations
when the area east of Lancaster opens up.


Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Geese along the St. Lawrence River

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

There has been a significant change in the waterfowl landscape in the last
couple of days. There are many tens of thousands of Canadas staging in the
area before heading further north. From Morrisburg west the river is open
and geese are spread out along the shore in the river and in adjacent
fields. Concentrations are at Morrisburg and Iroquois.

Much of the river is still frozen from there to Cornwall with no open water
along Cty Rd. #2 except at Long Sault. Fields have little snow from
Iroquois to Morrisburg but the closer you get to Cornwall the more snow
there is. Snow also increases to the north once you reach Winchester. There
are a few thousand in the Ingleside - Cornwall area but little open water
in close west of the city except for Long Sault. There were also a few
Pintails mixed in with the Canadas at Long Sault. The Seaway opens on the
26th so the ice breaker will have a channel open for ships before that
date. This will hasten the movement of ice down the river.

There is open water in Cornwall and patchy open water to the east but the
area in Lake St. Francis east of Lancaster is not yet ready for geese. That
is where we can expect a concentration of Snow Geese when the main flocks
arrive. Snow Geese were in very low numbers from Long Sault west. A few
thousand were in Cornwall in fields north of the 401 along Boundary Rd. The
main flocks will be along soon and some early movement may come this
weekend. By next weekend there should be a good concentration. At this time
of the year, Snow Geese are only along the St. Lawrence and in nearby
cornfields, usually within 2-10 km of the river. There will be no geese to
the north (above Hwy 417) for a while yet.



Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Junco varieties in Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

There has been a female 'Oregon' (*subspecies*) Junco at the Fletcher
Wildlife Garden in Ottawa. The bird is seen around the feeder on a fairly
regular basis. This is not news but there is another interesting individual
that observers should look out for.

A female is present that stands out from other female Dark-eyed Juncos. It
has colouration somewhat similar to the Oregon and may in poor light be
confused with it but the head and bib are not as gray and the flanks are
not as pink nor well defined and are broader. The back is brown with some
streaking and there is a pale eye ring. The eye ring is what tends to grab
your attention first. The overall plumage is closer to Oregon female than
Slate-coloured female. This may well be just a female Dark-eyed
(Slate-coloured) Junco but it does have some characteristics that hint at a
female Cassiar Junco. This is a hybrid between the Slate-coloured and
Oregon subspecies that is found in the Pacific Northwest but occasionally
finds its way east and has been recorded in Ontario. Males are easier to
identify but females are difficult. If a Cassiar, the bird would have
undoubtedly been travelling with the female Oregon. This link provides
useful information on Cassiar.

http://jeaniron.ca/2011/cassiarjuncoRF.pdf

Like all the juncos at the site, including the Oregon, this bird is
relatively tame and can be observed at close range on the ground. It did
not appear as regularly as the Oregon but made a few appearances over a
two-hour period.
Regardless of what it is the bird is an interesting conversation piece.


Brian Morin


Direction: Fletcher Wildlife Garden is in Ottawa in the Central
Experimental Farm off Prince of Wales Drive. Heading south from Dow's Lake
go around the traffic circle and continue south a short distance to the
first dirt roadway to the left. There is a sign with a heron. The feeder is
east of the parking lot behind the second building. When the parking lot is
full (there are many dog walkers) some people park close to the second
building along the south side of the road.
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[Ontbirds] Waterbirds on the St. Lawrence River

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

First a note. The Long Sault Parkway is now closed until the spring, likely
sometime in April. The recent cold period with quite cold nights and little
or no night winds has brought on a rapid freeze of the river. All bays and
shallow areas from Cornwall to west of Ingleside have an ice cover with
some areas supporting the weight of coyotes and geese. With a few very cold
nights ahead this week, the ice will set well and will extend further into
deeper water. The main channel is still open. This is the earliest any of
us can remember the river conditions closing in so fast.

There are tens of thousands of Canada Geese in a few zones between Long
Sault and Ingleside. Best viewing is on overcast days due to backlight.
Most of the puddle ducks are gone as are the divers except for mergs and
goldeneye. The area along the causeway at Ault Island west of Ingleside is
now frozen so the thousands of divers have moved out. There are three
species of swans in the river off the east end of Ault Island. With a scope
you can view them from the causeway at Nairne Island in the Upper Canada
Sanctuary. Eagles are still regular along the river. There is still open
water along cty Rd #2 for now but in a few days much of that may be iced
over as well. The area at Hoople Creek is ice covered.

Gulls are concentrated at the west end of Cornwall on the river near the
dump. Best viewing is from the boat launch in Guindon Park. There should be
about 6-7 species in the area. White-winged gulls have started to arrive in
small numbers.


Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Checking the sod farm east of Casselman at mid-morning there were only
about 10,000 Snow Geese, mostly Greaters but Lessers as well. As I was
leaving, another 7,000 flew in from the east, likely coming in from corn
fields. At 2:00 the numbers had swollen to 40,000+.

Brian Morin


Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417 to Hwy 138 which is 5 minutes
east of Casselman. Head south a short distance on Hwy 138 to Lafleche Rd.
There is no truck traffic to the dump on Sunday but on all other days watch
for heavy trucks. From Hwy 401 exit at Brookdale and head north to the
intersection. Turn right then go east a short distance to Hwy 138. The sod
farm is 30 minutes north.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

A quick stop at noon showed about the same number of birds as yesterday
(30,000 +). For those timing their visit it is important to consider the
weather. On a bright sunny day like this if the birds are on the south side
of the road, which is where they have only been for me, then checking for
other species is a challenge from mid to late morning through mid
afternoon. The flock begins to thin about 90 minutes before sunset –
earlier on cloudy days, although birds will remain until later on.

Today I spotted three Brant in flight which was the only species other than
Snow Geese, mostly Greaters with some Lessers. There are blue morphs
present with some juveniles of both white and blue morphs but following a
poor breeding season in the Arctic due to cold, wet and snowy conditions,
the number of young birds is lower than in other years.


Brian Morin

*Directions: From Ottawa* head east on Hwy 417 to Hwy 138 which is 5
minutes east of Casselman. Head south a short distance on Hwy 138 to
Lafleche Rd. There is no truck traffic to the dump on Sunday but on all
other days watch for heavy trucks and park in the pulloffs on the north
side of the road. This road can be very busy.
*From Hwy 401* exit at Brookdale and head north to the end of the road .
Turn right then go east a short distance to Hwy 138. The sod farm is about
30 minutes north.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The number of Snow Geese on the sod farm east of Casselman has increased to
about 45,000 since last weekend. The peak should be reached in about
another week or more. Flocks moved in and out with less than 35,000 present
at one time. Some birds had fed elsewhere during the day and moved in from
the west while others had moved out to the east. A cat patrolling for
meadowvoles was enough to spook a few thousand.

We did not see any Ross's Geese but it was not possible to check many of
the birds because of distance or because they were feeding or napping. We
did see two hybrid Lesser Snow Geese x Ross's Geese, one white and the
other a blue morph. The latter is not often seen.

Brian Morin

Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417 to Hwy 138 which is 5 minutes
east of Casselman. Head south a short distance on Hwy 138 to Lafleche Rd.
There is no truck traffic to the dump on Sunday but on all other days watch
for heavy trucks. From Hwy 401 exit at Brookdale and head north to the
intersection. Turn right then go east a short distance to Hwy 138. The sod
farm is 30 minutes north.


Brian Morin
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Re: [Ontbirds] Hudsonian Godwit near Morrisburg

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The godwit remained until after 3:00 then lifted off and migrated west.
Small flocks of shorebirds were moving past the area today – Dunlin,
Pectoral Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers and Semipalmated Plovers with a
single Semipalmated Sandpiper stopping. There was a female Ruddy Duck in
with the Ring-necks. There are virtually no shoreline mudflats east of this
location on the river so it is the only area that shorebirds might put down.


Brian Morin

On Sun, Oct 14, 2018 at 9:10 AM mark gawn via ONTBIRDS <
birdalert@ontbirds.ca> wrote:

> There is currently a Hudsonian Godwit at the Ault Island Causeway. The
> bird is feeding on the shoreline south east of the causeway. To get to the
> causeway from the 401 take the Upper Canada exit and go east on highway 2
> past Upper Canada Village, turning south on the Ault Island Road. Also
> present: 1 Mute Swan, 6 BB Plover, 2 Semipalmated Plover, 5 Dunlin and a
> massive flock of Ring-necked Duck and Redhead.
>
> Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network.
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>
>
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Over the past couple of weeks, the Greater Snow Geese have been very slowly
building on the sod farm east of Casselman. Today there were about 7000
birds with maybe 1000 Canadas sitting separately.
There were also about 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls mixed in with mostly
Herrings in the same field.

The Snow Goose numbers will peak around Halloween with perhaps 80-100,000
birds present.

Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417 to Hwy 138 which is 5 minutes
east of Casselman. Head south a short distance on Hwy 138 to Lafleche Rd.
There is no truck traffic to the dump on Sunday but on all other days watch
for heavy trucks. From Hwy 401 exit at Brookdale and head north to the
intersection. Turn right then go east a short distance to Hwy 138. The sod
farm is 30 minutes north.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Say's Phoebe - Algonquin Park update

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

If anyone has looked for the bird today please indicate whether or not you
have seen it so plans can be made. The weather has likely kept most birders
out of the park but if you have checked and not found it that information
is important as well.

Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Western Sandpiper at Presqu'ile

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

After a brief viewing period with the bird moving about at the end of Owen
Point it vanished for the rest of the day but actually it pulled a fast one
on all of us. I was at the point for much of the day and never saw it until
very late. It had been sleeping for most of the day beside a small log
along with Semipalmated Sandpipers and a few Semipalmated Plovers, likely
laying low given the ongoing surveillance by Peregrines and an occasional
Merlin. With heads tucked in no one would suspect anything other than the
status quo. The birds were there throughout the period even when other
birds flew off. It was a smart move because they survived. We were only
about 10+ metres away the whole time.

It was only when the flock began to wake up and preen that I noticed our
morning friend sitting tight against the log. Eventually the Peregrine went
up again and that was it. The remaining birds headed off and I didn't see
them return.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Presqu'ile shorebirds

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

This was a very odd day at the park. There were almost no shorebirds this
morning along the beaches,  with one larger flock of probable Dunlins on
the far side of Gull Island. The rest of the morning was disheartening.
After a break for warblers, which were also thin, a second run at the
beaches after 2:00 presented a completely different show. A flock of a
dozen+ Whimbrels were heading north along Beach 1 as I arrived. There was a
large flock of Black-bellied Plovers (100-125) and a good-sized flock of
Dunlins (about 100). The Whimbrels eventually headed west but the rest of
the flock, 11 birds, remained. They moved about a couple of times and later
tried to head west but the wind was so strong it was futile and they
returned to the beach. (On a related note, the temperature on the beach all
afternoon was 15C,  25C in Brighton, with a windchill easily in the single
digits. A warm jacket and hood were beneficial).

After a while the Whimbrels headed inland to a backshore pond and stayed 30
minutes longer after bathing and preening. I watched this flock for about 2
1/2 hours before they departed. About an hour earlier another flock of nine
crossed over the base of the peninsula and headed west along the shore. The
Plovers and Dunlins were present for about 3 hours before they headed
towards the island. In addition there were a very few Semipalmated Plovers
and Sandpipers and a Least. The non shorebird of interest was a Lesser
Black-backed Gull on the beach.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Casselman

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The extensive sod farm east of Casselman has been hosting large flocks of
Snows in recent days. At mid morning there were three flocks totalling
35-40,000 and at 5:00 there were about 25,000. In both cases the flocks
were not too far from either the centre road to the landfill or the north
road near Hwy 417. I expect there should be geese present on a regular
basis as the sod starts to green up.

Most of the birds are Greater Snow Geese but there are some Lessers as well
identified by smaller size. I had a single hybrid Ross's x Lesser Snow
Goose. Larger than a Ross's but smaller than a Lesser and with a Snow Goose
head and bill profile.


Brian Morin


DIRECTIONS: From Ottawa head east past Casselman to Hwy 138 and head south.
If the geese are there they will be evident immediately.  If coming from
the south take Hwy 138 north until just before Hwy 417.  The road into the
Lafleche landfill is busy during the week so move off the road onto one of
the pulloffs.
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[Ontbirds] Wolfe Island birds

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

While doing a Snowy Owl count today I had a very brief view of a distant
falcon harassing a Snowy. The sighting was only a few seconds as I jumped
out of the car to check. They were far out, closer to Fourth and Baseline
so I couldn't accurately determine size but it may have been the Gyrfalcon.
I lost them after the initial view and only refound the owl, which made it,
a little ruffled. At the very least it was a Peregrine but it seemed paler.
This action is also consistent with what the Gyrfalcon was doing this
winter with the owls and the area chosen was also its regular route. It
will remain a mystery.

There are still a large number of Snowies on Wolfe Island (I had 42 today
and 4 on the mainland west of Kingston) but if you were to make an
afternoon run for a few hours you'd probably see perhaps a dozen at best
with almost all on the ground. The majority start to come up about 90
minutes before sunset to 30 mintes after sunset. Almost a third were noted
under darkening conditions. Many of the winter territories are still
occupied with probably over a dozen new birds.

I also watched an interaction between an adult Bald Eagle and an Osprey.
The Osprey had a pike and the eagle intercepted it just before it reached
its mate at the nest. The Osprey lost the fish but the eagle didn't get it.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

A check of the Riceville floodplain showed large flocks of Snow Geese
(mostly Greater) tightly huddled together braving the high wind. The cold
temperature overnight and for much of the morning kept the birds from
feeding (new ice had formed over a lot of the shallow water) but around
noon some began to move to the adjacent cornfields. There were three large
flocks east of Cty Rd 9 with about 75,000 birds. Then about 1 km west of
the area a large flock near the river took to the air and was likely about
25,000. East of Bourget on the Cobb Creek floodplain there was an
additional large flock but very far out. This was about 35,000 Snows. In
each area there were also Canadas but nowhere near that many.

The birds should be present on the weekend and it will be a bit warmer
overnight with a little less wind.


Brian Morin
Cornwall


Directions: If coming from Ottawa on Hwy 417 take the St. isidore exit and
proceed on Cty Rd 9 about 5 minuutes north of St. Isidore. If coming from
the southwest take the Brookdale exit in Cornwall, head north a short
distance, turn right then left onto Hwy 138. At Hwy 417 head east and get
off at the next exit (St. Isidore). Head north through town and continue
north about 5 minutes.

Once you have checked the flats on Cty Rd 9, backtrack to the top of the
hill and head east on the first road (Ridge Rd). You'll see geese on the
'lake' below the hill. Continue into the centre of town and turn left.
Outside town there is a curve in the road. Go straight on the dirt road a
short distance (dead end) and check the geese from there. Finally, get back
onto the paved road (Cty Rd 15) and go around the corner. Geese should be
on the right if the ice has melted.

This area is roughly 45 minutes north of Cornwall.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Following Bruce Di Labio's report of Snow Geese yesterday on the Riceville
floodplain north of St. Isidore, the number of Snows mushroomed today. I
had about 125,000 in three flocks but all within a relatively close area.
This is the largest 'inland' flock we've had and much larger than normal
spring flocks. I think many of these birds were part of the massive flock
on the St. Lawrence last week.

The first flock was along Cty Rd. 9 on the east side as soon as you enter
the floodplain and before the bridge over the South Nation River. A second
larger flock was towards the east end of what is now a large lake on the
flooded fields. A third large flock was east of the small bridge on Cty Rd
15, immediately east of the other flocks 1/2 km. I had one Ross's Goose.
The birds at this site were much closer than the other two flocks. There
were additional thousands in fields to the north.

We will be getting another significant rainfall over the next two days
which will guarantee the area remaining flooded for a while. Unlike
conditions on the St. Lawrence last week, this site is a destination that
should remain popular until the waters subside, even if the numbers thin a
bit. The birds are feeding on the site which they could not do on the St.
Lawrence and can move one field north for corn if they choose. They should
be present throughout the day so early arrival is not necessary. From
Thursday on, including this weekend, should be excellent.


Brian Morin
Cornwall


Directions: If coming from Ottawa on Hwy 417 take the St isidore exit and
proceed on Cty Rd 9 about 5 minuutes north of St. isidore. If coming from
the southwest take the Brookdale exit in Cornwall, head north a short
distance, turn right then left onto Hwy 138. At Hwy 417 head east and get
off at the next exit (St. Isidore). Head north through town and continue
north about 5 minutes.

Once you have checked the site on Cty Rd 9, backtrack to the top of the
hill and head east on the first road. You'll see geese on the 'lake' below
the hill. Continue into the centre of town and turn left. Outside town
there is a curve in the road. Go straight on the dirt road a short distance
(dead end) and check the geese from there. Finally, get back onto the paved
road (Cty Rd 15) and go around the corner. Geese should be on the right. If
the road is closed due to flooding just park and observe. It is OK now but
may be out by Thursday. This area is roughly 45 minutes north of Cornwall.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Full Stop. Following yesterday's significant rain and clearing this
morning, westerly winds picked up and took the geese back on their journey.
While a small number of birds flew over the site east of Lancaster they
landed in the middle of the river. At noon a larger flock of a few thousand
appeared from the north, likely having been feeding but before they reached
Hwy 401 they headed east and were high. Snow Geese in migration usually fly
high. All of that flock headed downriver to Quebec. There were no flocks in
fields to the north and even the Canada Goose numbers were way down. That
show is over. About 5,000 Snows were seen in the Casselman area earlier
this morning. There are some birds at Green Valley on Cty Rd 34.


>From here the main flight is done but in the next few weeks we'll see
flocks of a few thousand at a time appear at verious sites between the St.
Lawrence and the Ottawa River. In mid to late April we may see a secondary
flight of Lesser Snow Geese, but in the thousands not 10s of thousands. We
normally have about 40,000 + Greaters heading into May.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Goose neck collars

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Here is the link for submitting Snow Goose collar information.

Report Banded Geese

*www.reportband.gov/ *
Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Goose migration in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

There was a major change in activity on Thursday compared with Wednesday.
The number of geese more than doubled and on Wednesday they were already
higher than we normally see in a single flock in spring. Thursday's total
was estimated at over 175,000. It is possible that over 200,000 were in the
area but time did not permit checking further east where additional birds
were being sighted. This is over 20% of the entire population. This is the
second highest total following the massive flock of about 400,000 that
appeared between South Lancaster and the Quebec border in 2011, with the
same area at Westley's Point being the focus.

Many of these birds undoubtedly came from Quebec, likely moving west ahead
of a low pressure system that by Thursday afternoon brought a steady rain.
This will persist into Friday morning. Quebec is not where we normally get
our birds from. Ontario's Greater Snow Geese are from the splinter flock
that leaves western New York State south of Lake Ontario then flies,
usually in a single day for the most part, down the St. Lawrence, stopping
in the east while others head straight into Quebec. There are usually over
100,000 birds that make the flight and about 50,000+ linger for us to see
in various flocks. There is usually no massive inland flock like we see in
the fall (October-November)

There are significant parallels between 2011 and this spring's movement. We
again have significant ice for the birds to rest on unlike a number of
previous years (they prefer to be out of the water for extended periods).
The migration was held up by inclement weather earlier in the month and
this week yet another significant weather system has encouraged the birds
to head further west on the St. Lawrence than usual.

The birds are heading north into the cornfields early in the day. This
morning Bruce Di Labio, David Tyrer and I saw a handful of Snow Geese
around 8-8:30 at Westley's Point where I had 75,000 on Wednesday. We
checked cornfields north of Lancaster between Concessions 2 and 7 and found
various sized flocks after much searching (white birds on a mottled white
and brown landscape are practically invisible) but we did not see all of
the birds which must have spread far and wide. We had our most northerly
flock on Cty Rd 34 at Green Valley but only a couple of thousand birds were
there.

The geese began to return to the river later in the morning and Jamie
Johnson noted that by 10:30 steady flocks were arriving. Most were in by
12:30. They will leave again later in the afternoon from 4:00 on heading
back north into the fields before returning to the river for the night.

There is no way of knowing what the next few days will bring. Friday's
number in the afternoon may be 50,000 higher or 100,000 lower than
Thursday's total although odds are they will not find the weather good for
migration. That may change in a couple of days. Based on what happened in
2011 there will be a few days with peak numbers then the geese will
decrease until a core of maybe 40-50,000 will remain in the area for some
time. Once the ice is gone there will be no more concentration in the
immediate area. Eventually, once lagoons open to the north, they will head
that way.

NECK BANDS: Keep your eyes open (scope needed) for yellow neck bands with
letters and numbers i.e. RR 82. These are mostly females that have been
marked for identification in an ongoing study. If you submit your ID band
code you can find out about the bird(s) and receive a digital certificate
with the information. We had over a dozen today and those were just the
close ones we could see.

Enjoy Ontario's most spectacular wildlife spectacle.

Brian Morin
Cornwall


Directions:
Exit Hwy 401 at Lancaster. Take the South Service Rd about 5 km to
Westley's Point. (If you have come from the west go straight ahead at the
light). Park on the main road near the mail boxes, not on the short road
near the water which is for fire access. That short road is your best
viewing point. The adjacent farmland is private property. Be aware that the
houses and cottages along the river are all private property and if you
cross onto someone's property you may hear about it. Immediately before
Westley's Point on South Service Rd is Glengarry Campground. You can walk
into the beach area (about 5 minutes) and see them from this angle as well
but the birds aren't as close. If they lift off it doesn't matter where you
are.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

I'll do a followup detailed post late tonight but for anyone planning to
check out the Snow Geese east of Lancaster at Westley's Point tomorrow,
don't show up until late in the morning or early afternoon. There may be no
geese there at all first thing. More later.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Somehow the main flight of Snow Geese arrived yesterday, unannounced. The
birds showed up east of South Lancaster at Westley's Point, the same
location as the big flight of 2011. Ice conditions are very similar to what
they were back then which is great. An absense of ice means there is no
reason for the birds to concentrate here and that has unfortunately
happened in many of the subsequent years. The ice only really started
breaking up a week ago.

There is good ice out to about 200 metres and this forms a welcome resting
place for 75,000 mostly Greater Snow Geese. There are some Lessers as well
and likely a few Ross's. The birds are thick towards the ice edge for
probably 1/4 km. A scope helps but just seeing the spectacle is worthwhile
without optics. The birds did not lift off while I was there but Snow Geese
are prone to take to the air for no apparent reason, presenting a
breathtaking and deafening sight.

There is constant movement of birds in and out of the flock. In late
afternoon yesterday and today (4-5 p.m.) there was a good concentration
with few on the water. Some birds were leaving to go to nearby cornfields.
Concession 2 immediately north of Lancaster as well as areas just west of
town had about 5-7000 additional birds in different flocks.

There is no way of knowing how long the majority of birds will remain at
this location before drifting north and east to other favoured areas but
they may stay together into the weekend, as long as the ice holds. So far
the weather conditions shouldn't present an immediate problem (wind) to
push it out. Areas to the north have so far had few birds since lagoons are
still frozen.
It is unknown if any have shown up along the river at Green Valley, 12
minutes north of Lancaster.
Yesterday there were another 4000 birds immediately east of Iroquois along
Cty Rd 2.


Brian Morin
Cornwall

Directions:
Exit Hwy 401 at Lancaster. Take the South Service Rd about 5 km to
Westley's Point. (If you have come from the west go straight ahead at the
light). Park on the main road near the mail boxes, not on the short road
near the water which is for fire access. That short road is your best
viewing point. The adjacent farmland is private property. Be aware that the
houses and cottages along the river are all private property and if you
cross onto someone's property you may hear about it. Immediately before
Westley's Point on South Service Rd is Glengarry Campground. You can walk
into the beach area (about 5 minutes) and see them from this angle as well
but the birds aren't as close. If they lift off it doesn't matter where you
are.
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Re: [Ontbirds] Snow Geese returning

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Further to Brenda's report, there were at least two Ross's Geese in the
flock. There is a good bit of ice in the bay just east of town and this is
a favourite roosting spot for the Snows. They gathered there later in the
afternoon and can best be viewed from Cty Rd #2.
There was a Trumpeter Swan at the Ingleside entrance to the Long Sault
Parkway on the west side of the causeway. The Parkway is immediately east
of the town on Cty Rd #2. The Parkway has not opened for the season yet.


Brian Morin

On Tue, Mar 27, 2018 at 11:20 AM, Brenda Evers via ONTBIRDS <
birdalert@ontbirds.ca> wrote:

> Snow Geese have returned to the St. Lawrence River 1 km. east of Iroquois.
> Take Hwy. 2, turn south on Saver Rd. Take a right ( west) on Grisdale Blvd.
> Follow to the end. Birds are presently mixed with Canadas and coming off
> the water towards shore. Estimate 4,000 at present time but the numbers are
> fluid. Good birding. Brenda Evers
>
>
>
> Sent from my Bell Samsung device over Canada's largest network.
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> view/information.ontbirdsguide
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>
>
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[Ontbirds] Wolfe Island birds

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Landbird migration remains stalled with a small number of blackbirds and
Robins showing but no new arrivals. Canada Geese are numerous – one Snow
Goose as well as a few Tundra Swans.
A small number of Rough-legged Hawks and a couple of Harriers.

The large number of Snowy Owls reported last week continues. I had 51
today, a high in recent decades for the island. Only one bird was on the
lake ice, between Wolfe and Simcoe islands. Half of the birds became vsible
in the 90 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes after. Every week new birds
appear and a others leave but many of the wintering brds are still present.
There were more adult males which is expected in late winter/early spring
as birds that wintered in the U.S. return. It seems that in the east most
males winter in the U.S.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Goose migration on the St. Lawrence

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Last week's major snowstorm followed by a mid-January level cold breakout
sent 99% of the Snow Geese back to the U.S. until conditions improve. There
had been an advance flock of about 5-7000 birds between Morrisburg and
Cardinal and now there are only a handful near Cardinal. I suspect that a
few thousand others near Lancaster may have also departed. The St. Lawrence
is ice-covered on Lake St. Francis east of Lancaster but open for large
areas from there to Cardinal (shipping channel). The main Snow Goose
migration is now stalled (reversed) with no immediate change evident. It
will take place later than it has for a number of years (usually beginning
in mid-March). Some birds may reappear by this weekend.

The number of Canada Geese remains high and widely dispersed from
Morrisburg to Iroquois. There are a few Cackling Geese mixed in but are not
always visible and are time consuming to locate.

The three specialty geese, White-fronted, Ross's and Brant have not been
refound.





Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Geese on the St. Lawrence and Wolfe Island birds

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

I checked out the *Mariatown* waterfront (immediately west of Morrisburg)
Monday and there were numerous Canadas as has been the case for a couple of
weeks. A little further west there were about 2-3000 Snow Geese (mainly
Greater) as well as a pair of Mute Swans. While Mutes can be found
regularly on Lake Ontario they are uncommon that far east. I did not see
Ross's Geese but many of the birds were on the far side of the river.

At Iroquois there was an additional 3-4000 Snow Geese and a large number of
Canadas.
The main flight of Snow Geese has not yet appeared, likely slowed by the
colder (normal) weather in the last three weeks. The coming weekend may see
larger flocks appear. That would be consistent with the longer term average
arrival. Areas near the St. Lawrence are best in the early part of the
migration.

On *Wolfe Island *at Kingston I had 46 Snowy Owls (no duplicates) all on
land. This is a high for the winter and my second highest total for the
island (47). Most of the birds came up late, from 6:00 to 20 minutes after
sunset so if you were checking before 5:00 you'd not have very many. The
significant increase in the last week is a sizeable influx of new migrants
with many first year females. There were possibly three males, including a
young bird. I missed checking two key areas because of timing and I am sure
I missed at least 5 known birds so there are likely 50-55 birds on the
island for at least a short time before some move out (There have been 2-3
on the east end). All of the birds were on the west end but they were not
concentrated in the northwest. Rather, they were well dispersed with a
dozen in the southwest. Poor weather Tuesday and Wednesday may hold the
newest birds for a little longer.


Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Geese at Morrisburg

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

There were three species of geese at Morrisburg today – The number of
Canadas is substantial, many thousands from east of town to further west.
There was a small flock of about 60 Greater Snow Geese and 2 Cackling
Geese. The river is wide open here with a bit of shore ice which the birds
like to stand on. There has been a major Canada Goose movement in the last
few days along the St. Lawrence with thousands moving further north.


Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Gyrfalcon Kingston - comments on Amherst Island

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Late this afternoon I had the gray morph Gyrfalcon on the west end of Wolfe
Island. I watched the bird for a short time then it moved south. I was
unable to relocate it. There were also about 60 Greater Snow Geese on the
ground.


Amherst Island:
For those planning a trip to Amherst I would recommend only going on
Sundays. Construction activity is very disruptive and kicking into high
gear with a significant uptick in activity. It has already started to look
like Wolfe Island. To make matters worse the warmer weather has created
road conditions that make travel on many of the unpaved roads from
challenging to difficult unless you have four wheel drive. They are trying
to upgrade some of the roads but because of the constant heavy traffic and
high moisture level the roads are very soft so vehicles sink in. There is
no snow but boots are essential because of the mud on the roads. Also, the
southern part of Emerald 40 ft Rd is flooded. Higher vehicles should be OK.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese and Snowy Owls in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

With a continuation of recent mild conditions observers should be checking
for the vanguard of Greater Snow Geese a couple of weeks earier than
expected (birds in Southern Ontario are Lesser Snow Geese). In recent days
there have been reports of small to medium-sized flocks over the Kingston
area as well as near Gananoque. We do not expect the main flight yet but it
may arrive in early March rather than after mid-March. When they first
arrive in numbers, areas near the St. Lawrence River offer greater
opportunities for sightings before they spread out. Most flocks do not put
down until they appear much further east on the river.

Weather conditions have also brought an influx of migrant Snowy Owls back
from the northern U.S. These birds are augmenting those that have spent the
winter here, many of which are still present. The Kingston area benefitted
significantly last week and other areas in the East are seeing a few new
birds here and there including in the Winchester-Chesterville areas. The
same will be true for Southern Ontario. Areas that have been traditional
sites for Snowies, even if none or few birds were present there this winter
should be checked at this time. During migration, Snowy Owl behaviour
changes. They are much more likely to be travelling within a moderate
distance of others and may even appear within close proximity of other
Snowies so if you spot one keep your eyes open for others nearby.


Brian Morin
Cornwall
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[Ontbirds] Loons - Cornwall

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Yesterday's post by Jon Ruddy of a Pacific Loon at the west end of Cornwall
was followed up this morning with a check of the waters west of the power
dam. There were a few loons present, representing at least two species.
There were several each of Common and Red-throated. One bird may possibly
have been the Pacific Loon but it could not be confirmed. Except for one of
the Red-throated Loons, all of the others were at a great distance,
viewable poorly at maximum scope power in the rain. There was also a Snowy
Owl on an island south of the Guindon Park boat launch area.

Brian Morin


DIRECTIONS:  All of the birds were viewed from the west end of Guindon Park
near the boat launch. You will need to go to the beach on the south side of
the vegetation. Guindon Park is at the west end of Cornwall along Cty Rd #2.
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[Ontbirds] King Eider-Cardinal

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Hans van der Zweep and I saw the bird later in the afternoon but it was
feeding in the river in the fast water. It would fly to the end of the
peninsula to the west and float downriver about 100 yards then repeat the
process. It was within 50--100 feet of shore.

 Brian Morin


Directions:  From Highway 2 west of Cardinal, head S along Galop Canal Rd
to its
dead end. Walk S and check the river to the west as far as you can walk. In
case it is not feeding walk back east and check the rocks at the east tip
of this area.
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[Ontbirds] King Eider - Long Sault

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

As noted by John Ruddy the female eider was still present at 1:45 in the
same general area. It had moved in somewhat and moved west to east and back
about 200 metres south of the road over Cty Rd #2 west of Long Sault at the
Hoople Creek Bridge.

The bird could be picked out with the naked eye and was swimming alone most
of the time although it was initially with a small flock of Goldeneyes. It
could be identified with binoculars but showed well in the scope.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Gannet along the Ottawa River west of Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Bruce Di Labio just called to say he had a first year Gannet fly by along
the shore of Constance Bay west of Ottawa at 12:30. He lost sight of the
bird and did not refind it but the bird was heading east so a check of the
Ottawa River around Lake Deschenes may be advisable.

A first year Gannet was also seen yesterday near the Quebec border on the
Ottawa River.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Casselman - Cranes near Navan - Pink-footed Goose in New York

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

I'll begin with the latter bird. A *Pink-footed Goose* was
reported yesterday from Malone New York about 30 miles southeast of
Cornwall on Rt 37. For those interested it was seen at Malone recreational
park pond. The significance of this sighting is that there is a high
probability this is the bird we had hoped would return to the Casselman
area this fall but to date has not been sighted.

This afternoon's check of perhaps 20,000 Snow Geese on Lafleche Rd east of
Casselman off Hwy 138 did not reveal any big surprises. However, I saw a
bird I had never seen before and perhaps no one else has either. I spotted
a goose that I at first thought was a Ross's Goose when I saw its head then
realized was a hybrid Ross x Lesser Snow Goose because it had
characteristics of both but this one was unique, at least for me.

I have seen a number of hybrids over the years but this bird had a classic
Ross's Goose head and bill. It was textbook to the point that seeing only
the head you would absolutely call it Ross's rather than the slightly more
sloping forehead and a bit longer bill of a typical hybrid. Size of a
hybrid is usually intermediate between the two species but not this time.
This bird was full-sized Lesser Snow Goose. It was so odd looking that it
was like someone had stuck a Ross's Goose head on a Lesser Snow Goose. It
was too far out for photos but the scope view was excellent and I watched
it for a while. Chalk up yet another unique bird for the record.

Finally, there were about 100 Sandhill Cranes on McFadden Rd southeast of
Navan. We initially found 14, two fields in, on the north side below the
hill but not in the corn. Then over the next 20 minutes another 80-90 birds
came in from the field to the south. Some landed but some continued
northwest towards Milton Rd. Directions to this site: from Ottawa east take
Trim Rd south almost to the end and turn east on McFadden. The birds were
about 100 yards down the Rd.

Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Harlequin Duck - Long Sault

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

This morning on the Cornwall and Area Birding Club outing led by Bob
Scranton, they found an adult male Harlequin Duck in the company of two
female White-winged Scoters at Long Sault.

The birds were at times close to the causeway at the start of the Long
Sault Parkway and at times farther out. The ducks were feeding in the
faster water near the bridge or resting at a distance.

I had them up to 4:30 nearby but they were far out at 5:30.

There are a few thousand ducks along the river west of Long Sault with a
large number of Wigeon. A Eurasian Wigeon has been seen in recent weeks.


Brian Morin

DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 401 take the Long Sault exit and head south to the
traffic circle (under construction). Head around the circle to the Parkway
entrance. The birds were on the left side near the causeway.
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese east of Ottawa

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The number of Greater Snow Geese east of Casselman (30 minutes east of
Ottawa) has grown to about 13,000, about 1/7 of what may be there later
this month. There were no other obvious species present but only birds that
were within a reasonable scope distance could be carefully checked.

There are also several thousand gulls in the area, mainly Herring. A number
of adult Lesser Black-backs are easy to pick out on the field with a scope
and there are a few Great Black-backs. A careful search of the gulls could
reveal a few dozen Lessers of various ages. This is one of the best
locations in Ontario to see a large number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls at
one time. A couple of years ago I had nearly 100 adults and numerous
individuals of other ages.


Brian Morin


Directions: from Ottawa take Hwy 417. Exit east of Casselman at Hwy 138 and
head south a short distance to Lafleche Rd. During the week there is
regular traffic on Lafleche Rd. with heavy trucks heading to the dump.
There is no traffic on Sunday.
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[Ontbirds] Red-necked Phalaropes - Embrun lagoons

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

There were four Red-necked Phalaropes in the far end of the first cell
(west side as you enter). The only other shorebirds were 3 Lesser
Yellowlegs and 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper in the northwest cell.


Brian Morin


Directions: The Embrun lagoons are east of Ottawa. Exit Hwy 417 at the
Crysler exit (#79). Head south to Route 400 and proceed about a km.
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[Ontbirds] Algonquin finches

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

While in Algonquin Park this week I noted Pine Siskins in several areas and
there were singing White-winged Crossbills near Mew Lake. The cone crop on
spruce is good this year. Algonquin specialties were scarce but there was a
Boreal Chickadee near Wolf Howl Pond.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Dickcissel Fowlers Corners

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The pair that has set up residence near Fowlers Corners was present with
male singing heartily until the rain came mid afternoon. They seem inclined
to breed in the field on the east side of the road.
As previously noted, the road is busy with regular movement of contractor
and utility trucks so be careful. The safest side to park is on the east.


Brian Morin


Directions:  The birds are in the fields (cut and standing hay) around
driveway number 1203 on Frank Hill Rd. which runs north from Fowlers
Corners which is on Hwy 7 between Peterborough and Omemee.
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[Ontbirds] Willets Leamington

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

The beach in Leamington had 21 Willets late morning through early afternoon
until dogs flushed them. There was also a Sanderling and adult Lesser
Black-backed Gull.

The beach is at Seacliffe Park near the ferry dock.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

Greater Snow Geese have arrived en masse as of the weekend, a full two
weeks earlier than expected and record early in large numbers. Another
large flight may take place by next week. There is virtually no ice on the
St. Lawrence and little or no snow in the southern part of the United
Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry .

Birds were being seen in flocks of a few thousand late last week north of
Morrisburg. Yesterday, heading south on Cty Rd 31 from Winchester there
were flocks of geese both in the air and on the ground for about 10 km.
Most were Snow Geese. There were no massive flocks but numbers up to 1000
could be seen in some flocks and there were quite a few of them. Areas east
of there to past Chesterville and locations along the South Nation River
can be checked.

Today there was a flock of about 5000 north of Cornwall for a few hours,
but no Snow Geese whatsoever were seen from there to Lancaster or at Green
Valley. 5 km east of South Lancaster there were about 10,000 1/3 of the way
across the St. Lawrence, which is wide open. There is no bay ice to attract
them closer to shore.

Areas closer to Hwy 417 and further north still have enough snow cover to
deter flocks from advancing. For now the birds will stay closer to the St.
Lawrence but the river is not where you will find many during the day. They
are all heading to fields of corn stubble. For now there are no birds on
the sod farm along Hwy 138 so best bet is Winchester to Chesterville.


Brian Morin
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[Ontbirds] Great Cormorant in the 1000 Islands

[Brian Morin via ONTBIRDS]

This morning, along with Hans van der Zweep and Bob Scranton I had an adult
male Great Cormorant clearly showing white flank patches flying west over
the St. Lawrence at the U.S end of the 1000 Islands Bridge. While the bird
was over American waters, it could end up anywhere along Lake Ontario so
keep an eye on cormorants. I was not going to check this one since it was
"just another cormorant" but the decision to look proved to be a good one.


Brian Morin
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