I birded the marsh and all the trails of the Rattray Marsh Conservation Area for 3 hours this afternoon. Good diversity of warblers: Black-throated Blue:12; Yellow-rumped; 11; Magnolia: 2; one each of Orange-crowned, Black-and-White, Pine, Palm, Common Yellowthroat and Northern Waterthrush. The high Hemlock and Oak forest along upper Sheridan Creek (off Meadwood Road) contained 100+ Golden-crowned Kinglets, 15+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 3 Purple Finches and 7 Pine Siskins. Shorebirds on the mudflats of the marsh include 5 Killdeer, 2 Solitary Sandpipers and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper. There were at least 400 Red-necked Grebes feeding far out in lake off the marsh. The only flycatcher was one Eastern Phoebe.
Directions: the heart of the Conservation area is best accessed at the south end of Bexhill Road which runs south of Lakeshore Boulevard between Mississauga Road and Erin Mills Park; park anywhere along Gatehouse Road. There is large sign with a trail map at the bottom the hill or download a map off the Credit Valley Conservation Area web site. Wayne Renaud (289-828-0043) _______________________________________________ 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/
