Migrants are gradually making their way past the Great Lakes to reach us birders who live north of hot birding spots like Long Point, Pelee, and the Hamilton/Toronto/Kingstson shorelines. Posts from those "southern" locales create a great deal of anticipation (and, yes, some migrant envy) for the rest of us. It's like the DEW line (Distant Early Warning) for birders. Early April brought the first "timber-doodles" of the year to York region north of Toronto and now American Woodcock are "peenting" and displaying every evening at places like Silver Lakes in Holland Landing, the Cawthra Mulock reserve in Newmarket, and the Seneca College/Mary Lake property in King City. Wilson's Snipe took a bit longer to arrive, but I flushed one at dusk April 15 on the west side of the Cawthra Mulock reserve. Another was winnowing north of Bradford this Saturday morning. Several species of sparrows started appearing (how's that for sibilance?) mid-month too: Swamp, Savannah, Field, Chipping, and Fox Sparrows joined the hardy Song Sparrows (from March) in and around the Seneca College property in April 15th. Numerous Tree Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, and Northern Flickers were there too while Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Belted Kingfisher, and Brown Creepers showed up at Silver Lakes and Scanlon Creek (Bradford) on the same date. (IMHO, Brown Creepers have one of the most under-rated spring songs.) Bruce Brydon had some good migrants on that same weekend: Yellow-rumped Warbler along the Bindertwine Trail in Kleinberg, Greater Yellowlegs and Eastern Meadowlark northeast of Keswick, and a nice variety of waterfowl in the open water sections of Lake Simcoe. These included Red-necked Grebe and Caspian Tern at Young's Harbour, Horned Grebes (8) at Orchard Beach, and Common Loons (2) at Sibbald Point. There were hundreds of Common Mergansers in the open water. Mike Van den Tillaart had Merlin at two different Newmarket locations April 16 - one in his yard on Waratah Avenue and another on Pony Drive. He also had our region's FOY (First Of Year) Broad-winged Hawk at the Bender & Graves forest tract east of Newmarket that day. Northern Harriers showed up west of Newmarket and north of Bradford in mid-April, but I have yet to hear about Red-shouldered Hawk or Goshawk in the area. Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shins have been active in Newmarket throughout the month, likely more noticeable due to the arrival of migrants. Numerous Osprey and at least one pair of Bald Eagles are back in the Lake Simcoe area. On April 19 Bruce observed the first two Eastern Bluebirds of the spring working the fields under the power lines along the southern fence line of the Cawthra Mulock reserve. He also heard Pine Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; more of both species started showing up in other locations after that. There were scores of Ruby-crowns in Newmarket and Bradford this weekend. The Holland Landing sewage lagoons have hosted several good-looking ducks over the past few weeks: Ring-necks, Northern Shovelers, both Teal, Wood Ducks (which nest there), and Buffleheads. Still waiting for a Pied-billed Grebe there. Across the West Holland River and just north of Bradford, Mike Van den Tillaart and I had five Rusty Blackbirds, some singing White-throated Sparrows (another great spring song), and three swallow species (Barn, Tree, and Cliff). Ron Fleming, Newmarket York Region is halfway between Toronto and Barrie.
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