[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
Locating birds has been a real challenge this spring. The large flock found Sunday at Lancaster left. Today we found the following: 250 on Cty rd 34 south of Green Valley. Small number On Cty Rd 43 just west of Avonmore 11,000 on Cty rd 43 immediately east of Chesterville. This flock dwindled by 3000 late this afternoon, an hour after we first saw it. Birds were easily viewed from the road. We did not locate any specialty species. As a bonus there was a Greater Yellowlegs in with them. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
Following a major push on Tuesday and a followup on Wednesday, no birds were noted anywhere in Eastern Ontario today to our knowledge. Areas were checked along the river and some points north, right into Montreal. Thousands of Canadas did stick around across a broad region but not one Snow Goose was among them in Ontario. We found only four birds near Montreal. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
After dozens to a few hundred birds appeared in recent days, the flood gates opened today and thousands of birds made their way east along the St. Lawrence from Iroquois through Lancaster. This is a couple of weeks later than last year due to the late winter. Thousands of Canadas moved through as well. Some Snows put down briefly in fields while others continued east. I am not aware of any points of concentration at this time. Birds will retreat to the short areas of open water at night and venture into corn fields during the day. The shipping channel was recently opened and with continued weather above freezing this week, ice will begin to move in the days ahead. There is no open water in the United Counties of SDG (aside from portions of the St. Lawrence) and snow cover is solid, although there is much standing corn. In the short term, areas near Iroquois, both on the river and in fields to the east along the 401, will have birds. Some flocks will venture a number of kilometres further north during the day and return at night. This weekend could be interesting at various points further east. The Long Sault Parkway is not accessible at this time although a small area of open water is present at Long Sault. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
Since the major flight on Tuesday, smaller numbers continue to drift in daily - a few thousand. With fields opening up, geese are heading north from the St. Lawrence River to feed but precise locations have not yet been identified. Yesterday I encountered small flocks totaling about 3000 birds heading north between Ingleside and Hwy 416. Large numbers are being reported further east along Hwy 401 east of Lancaster well into Quebec. The site identified on Tuesday just east of Lancaster on the river would be a good starting point to check for Greater Snow Geese. Brian Morin Directions: Exit Hwy 401 at Lancaster. At the stop light at the end of the exit ramp go straight, onto South Service Rd. Proceed 5 km to Westney Point, where you can clearly see the river. The birds were on ice floes today but may come onto the main ice edge as the floes continue downriver. ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
The spring movement has been a surprise in more ways than one. There was a small flight of a few thousand birds early last week heading east over Cornwall with a flock reported on the ground at Westley's Point which is 5 minutes west of Lancaster on the St. Lawrence River. No birds were observed anywhere on March 15 but on March 16 the main movement involving tens of thousands pushed through. They were reported on Cty Rd. 34 south of Green Valley and at other locations on #34 between Lancaster and the flats at Riviere Beaudette. Learning on Sunday of that sighting, I checked the entire area from there to the Quebec border. I observed none and the number of Canada Geese had fallen to a fraction of what had been present in the previous week. The hot weather and the absence of ice on the river, which seems to be an enticement for resting, may have encouraged them to move on. Even most of the diving ducks present on Thursday were gone on the weekend in the summer temperatures. In the days ahead, we'll see if any retrace their steps and head back from Quebec into Eastern Ontario which they have done in the past. All of the birds in the western portion of New York State have left so there are no more to come from that direction. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario - St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers
In addition to the positive post this evening from Peter Hall about the large flock still near the Quebec border in a bay along south service rd. east of Lancaster, another flock of 5000+ was seen on the Ottawa River at L'Orignal on Saturday and Sunday as noted by Jacques Rochon, Président Club de Miroise de l'Est ontarien ''MiroisEont''. The birds were on the ice near shore, on the water as well as periodically lifting off. Directions: From highway 17, turn left at the first set of lights in L’Orignal onto Longueuil Street. At the stop sign turn left again onto John Street. Turn immediately on your right on King Street. The second street on your left will be Wharf Street. The pier is at the end of Wharf. ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
Unfortunately, the majority of the birds have flown, heading east into Quebec where they will link up with the balance of the migrating flocks near Quebec City. On Friday morning, there was still a good flock present off Westley's Point east of Lancaster but on Friday evening birds were hard to find. While they may have headed into the fields to feed, they may also have headed downriver. I was afraid that once the balance of the shore ice left, the local attraction would be seriously diminished. That appears to be the case. There are certainly thousand of birds left in the counties, probably near traditional locations such as St. Isidore, Chesterville, east of Casselman, Alfred and in 10 days or more from now, along the Ottawa River at Voyageur Provincial Park. Once the ice is fully gone from municipal reservoirs, those areas will be the new magnet for the balance of the birds remaining. Based on annual survey statistics, we can expect that about 65,000 or more will still be around until May in about a dozen flocks scattered throughout the eastern portion of the province. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario - Lancaster
The most recent sighting information is from this morning. From the most regular viewing location at Westley's Point, a large flock was observed offshore. The ice is out now so the birds will no longer be standing on ice edges. This will make viewing individual birds more challenging but will not diminish the experience of seeing tens of thousands of birds gathered together on the water and periodically lifting off en masse. It is still a breathtaking sight. A scope will help to try to find one or two Ross's Geese or a Ross's x Greater Snow Goose hybrid and you can also more closely examine the blue morph birds. There are also quite a few young geese in the flocks. These look gray. The daily routine is for the birds to spend most of their time on the water during the day. Some may leave to feed but most do not. At around supper time (of course) many to most will head north of Hwy 401 in small flocks (but usually lifting off at about the same time). They head several concessions north to favourite corn fields so going straight north from Westley's point one, two or three concessions and checking west or east you might find a large number of geese from 6:00 p.m. to dark. More often than not they head west towards county rd 34.They move around quite a bit from field to field scrounging what they can. They return to the river at sunset. Dr. Gilles Gauthier, a Greater Snow Goose researcher at Laval University in Quebec City runs a sightings database and encourages birders to submit sightings of neck collared or leg banded geese to his database. In return you find out when the goose was banded and any other resightings. He asks that people submit their sightings directly to the database because the banding office does not report sightings of neck collar or plastic leg band numbers to him (just when they are from the aluminum bands). He currently has over 60,000 resightings. Here is the link to the Greater Snow Goose sightings database: http://www.cen.ulaval.ca/gon-gsg/ It is a great way to participate in data collection and to see where your particular bird(s) were from so if you can read a collar (there are a number of marked birds present) log onto the site with your data at hand. To clarify a point made earlier this week, this event was even more significant than I had thought. The total number of Greater Snow Geese, based on a 2010 survey was probably up to 900,000 not the 1.4 million reported the year before. Revised data has brought that figure down to 1 million birds in 2009. That means that last weekend almost half of the entire population was present in Eastern Ontario, a phenomenon never before seen. Brian Morin Cornwall Directions : To access this area from the 401 take exit 814 (Lancaster cty rd 34) go straight ahead and follow cty rd 2/south service road eastward. There are several viewing areas of the river along this road with the first prominent one being at Westley's Point. Park on the road, not on the field. If you reach Westley's Point and see the birds further east, backtrack a short distance to Glengarry Park. You can walk down to the river. Immediately further east there are several side lanes or streets worth checking, notably 78th Ave and 94th Ave. You can also check at the Quebec border. Accommodation/food/gas : There are numerous motels in Cornwall accessed from Brookdale Ave. to Vincent Massey Drive. Super 8 Motel is right at the Brookdale Ave. exit. Cornwall is 25 minutes from the birds. There is a McDonalds, Tim Horton's, Dairy Queen and gas 5 minutes from the birds. The local MacEwen's gas station usually has a good discount (prices just went up everywhere by 6¢ today) ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario - Lancaster
Requests for updates continue to come in daily so today's activity can be seen as encouraging. This morning at the most easily accessed site, Westley's Point, the geese did not disappoint. No solid numbers are available but there are many tens of thousands still within view from this site with others certainly within a few kilometres downriver. This afternoon's activity was quiet with birds resting in massive flocks on the water, occasionally lifting off and returning. At around 6:00 p.m., thousands left the river for the fields north of Hwy 401. They usually go a few concessions north, feed until sunset, then return for the night, which means that the return flight is generally around 7:20-7:30. Both the exit and return flights are impressive as the birds drift out and back. No assessment of real numbers will likely be made until sometime on the weekend at least but there are still plenty of birds to be an attraction for observers. If you are seeing a flock of 30,000 or 75,000 at one time, it's still an awesome sight. Rough weather is coming for the next couple of days which may just keep them tied down. The stimulus to migrate east is more likely to come when ice is more completely out and the weather warms significantly. With birds there are never any promises but it isn't over yet. Some of the Greater Snow Geese will remain (75,000+ spread out across the counties to the Ottawa River) into the first week of May but at some point the very large number that shifted from their normal migration pattern in Quebec last week will head east along the St. Lawrence to Quebec City. Brian Morin Cornwall Directions : To access this area from the 401 take exit 814 (Lancaster cty rd 34) go straight ahead and follow cty rd 2/south service road eastward. There are several viewing areas of the river along this road with the first prominent one being at Westley's Point. Park on the road, not on the field. If you reach Westley's Point and see the birds further east, backtrack a short distance to Glengarry Park. You can walk down to the river. Immediately further east there are several side lanes or streets worth checking, notably 78th Ave and 94th Ave. You can also check at the Quebec border. Accommodation : There are numerous motels in Cornwall accessed from Brookdale Ave. to Vincent Massey Drive. Super 8 Motel is right at the Brookdale Ave. exit. Cornwall is 25 minutes from the birds. There is a McDonalds, Tim Horton's, Dairy Queen and gas 5 minutes from the birds. - Forwarded by Brian Morin/NOTES/PC/CA on 03/30/11 11:12 PM - [Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario Brian.Morin to: Ontario Birding 03/27/11 08:04 PM Sent by: birdalert-boun...@ontbirds.ca Wow. That doesn't even come close to expressing what happened today from Lancaster to the Quebec border on the St. Lawrence River. Adding up all of the birds (as Tyler Hoar did) this was the largest concentration of Greater Snow Geese ever in Ontario by a factor of almost five and adding in the other birds Tyler saw just inside Quebec, this represents 33% of the entire population of Greater Snow Geese. It will go down as a personal wildlife spectacle milestone and with the beautiful setting on a clear (but brisk) afternoon, it will be very hard to beat. For those who have made the trip to Cap Tourmente east of Quebec City for the spring goose flight, you could have saved your travel money today. Eastern Ontario topped it hands down. This was absolutely incredible. The largest single group was likely the one present from Lancaster to Westley's Point. I spent the afternoon with other birders/photographers at one spot (out of the brutal wind) where the entire flock could be seen. I have yet to do a good count (digitally) but this alone should be comfortably 80,000+ and more likely well over 100,000 going as far as the eye could see. In flight the group was so massive that you couldn't get the entire flock in one shot. It took about four and much of it was at a distance. Rather than relocating from place to place to check out other areas, we could get our fill of the birds without moving because they rested on the ice edge for most of the afternoon, occasionally lifting off then returning. At one point a lead opened up in the ice along the shore and the gap widened very quickly. This soon became an ice flow taking thousands of birds with it. They rode for a while (Snow Geese love riding ice flows) then returned. There were only a few thousand in this area tonight but I don't know if they all just moved a bit further east to sheltered bays, out of the wind. Yesterday, at this same location, a Golden Eagle put up a flock of Canada Geese from the adjacent field. The eagle dropped down to almost ground level before swooping up, scattering the spooked birds in all directions. No lunch for the eagle that time. Directions To access this area from the 401 take exit 814 (Lancaster
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
A number of people are interested in following up on last weekend's post about the exceptionally high total of Greater Snow Geese along the St. Lawrence River between Lancaster and the Quebec border. I don't know how many are still present in the entire area but the number is very high (over 100,000 at one location) so a trip in the next day or two would be in order. Birds will stick around Eastern Ontario into early May but they will never be as easy to find as now or as abundant. The best viewing yesterday and today was again at Westley's Point. There is still an ice edge there which is very attractive to the birds. Careful scanning may reveal a Ross's Goose or hybrid Ross's x Greater Snow Goose. This particular location was Snow Goose central at 4:30 with an incredibly dense grouping both on the water as well as the ice. Brian Morin Cornwall Directions: Take Hwy 401 to Lancaster (exit 814). Proceed through the light onto South Service Rd. The first and best location to check is 4.7 km straight ahead, at Westley's Point. Turn right. Park on the road, not in the farm field. Birds may also be present at other locations further east so check access down 78th Ave and 94th Ave. as well as close to the border. In late afternoon many/most of the birds leave the river and head into the fields a few concessions north to feed before nightfall. They will return to the river at dusk. ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
Wow. That doesn't even come close to expressing what happened today from Lancaster to the Quebec border on the St. Lawrence River. Adding up all of the birds (as Tyler Hoar did) this was the largest concentration of Greater Snow Geese ever in Ontario by a factor of almost five and adding in the other birds Tyler saw just inside Quebec, this represents 33% of the entire population of Greater Snow Geese. It will go down as a personal wildlife spectacle milestone and with the beautiful setting on a clear (but brisk) afternoon, it will be very hard to beat. For those who have made the trip to Cap Tourmente east of Quebec City for the spring goose flight, you could have saved your travel money today. Eastern Ontario topped it hands down. This was absolutely incredible. The largest single group was likely the one present from Lancaster to Westley's Point. I spent the afternoon with other birders/photographers at one spot (out of the brutal wind) where the entire flock could be seen. I have yet to do a good count (digitally) but this alone should be comfortably 80,000+ and more likely well over 100,000 going as far as the eye could see. In flight the group was so massive that you couldn't get the entire flock in one shot. It took about four and much of it was at a distance. Rather than relocating from place to place to check out other areas, we could get our fill of the birds without moving because they rested on the ice edge for most of the afternoon, occasionally lifting off then returning. At one point a lead opened up in the ice along the shore and the gap widened very quickly. This soon became an ice flow taking thousands of birds with it. They rode for a while (Snow Geese love riding ice flows) then returned. There were only a few thousand in this area tonight but I don't know if they all just moved a bit further east to sheltered bays, out of the wind. Yesterday, at this same location, a Golden Eagle put up a flock of Canada Geese from the adjacent field. The eagle dropped down to almost ground level before swooping up, scattering the spooked birds in all directions. No lunch for the eagle that time. Directions To access this area from the 401 take exit 814 (Lancaster cty rd 34) go straight ahead and follow cty rd 2/south service road eastward into Quebec (Hwy 338). There are several viewing areas of the river along this road with the first prominent one being at Wetley's Point. Immediately further east there are several side lanes or streets worth checking, notably 78th Ave and 94th Ave. Very few birds headed into the fields in the afternoon. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
After last weekend's influx of Greater Snow Geese (50,000 +) the birds are spreading out in the southern portion of the region. The flooded fields along County Rd 34 near Green Valley have dried up quickly so this area is no longer the draw that it was although birds may periodically land near Riviere Beaudette (now a creek). Last evening, many of the birds moved from areas close to the St. Lawrence from Lancaster to the Quebec border into fields north of Lancaster. The largest single group was about 20,000 but the numbers changed as the flock gradually split up. If the pattern is repeated in the days ahead, early evening concentrations may be noteworthy. During the day, the birds are more likely to forage across a broad area both north and south of Hwy 401 from Lancaster to the Quebec border. As the St. Lawrence opens up in this area, there may be locations where flocks are also seen on the river itself. Check the pier at South Lancaster for a clear view, at Bainsville and the bay right at the Quebec border. Cool daytime temperatures have kept ponds frozen longer this spring so traditional locations of interest are not currently being frequented by the geese. Brian Morin Cornwall Directions: Take Hwy 401 to Lancaster (exit 814). You can head north (left) for a few km out of town to see if any birds are along cty rd 34 or adjacent concessions. If not, head back over Hwy 401 and head south into South Lancaster, checking the river from the community dock. Backtrack to the lights and turn right on on South Service Rd. There are a few locations to check along the way. This will take you to the Quebec border. If you are remaining in Ontario, retrace your route a short distance from the border and cross over Hwy 401 to the North Service Rd. The birds could be along here or along other concessions a few km further north. ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
I must have had thoughts of warblers in my head when I mentioned late last night that the first Greater Snow Geese arrived on May 11 (should be March 11). That would be closer to a departure date. I checked with my contact at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in upstate New York this morning and they have a full complement of the birds there now and likely within a few days more of the geese or possibly even the main flocks will head down the St. Lawrence towards Quebec. They also have an early Greater Yellowlegs. There is no single location to expect to see any this weekend and it is early in the migration yet but flooded fields north of Hwy 401 near Ingleside can be checked, as well as on the river along Hwy 2 at Long Sault. East of Cornwall, immediately east of Williamstown is worth checking as is Cty Rd 34 north of Hwy 401 to Green Valley, then both south and north of Hwy 401 along the service roads from Lancaster to the Quebec border. The St. Lawrence is opening up in sections and it will likely be another week before there is much open water. For those familiar with the Long Sault Parkway which runs from Ingleside to Long Sault, the Parkway is closed while construction is being completed but you can still cross the causeway at Long Sault and go onto the first island. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
To further Brian Morin's post earlier today, I first observed a large flock (500) over the Finch-Chesterville corridor on March 11. The past few days the Snow Geese have been prevalent on the South Nation River east of Chesterville at the confluence of Kirby Creek. The field on the west side of Kirby Creek is flooded and they have been mixed in with the Canada's. Snow Geese numbers have stabilized in this area this week, but the Canada Geese numbers have exploded in this area. Many portions of the South Nation River will surely be open after this weekend. Another spot where Snow Geese are prevalent is along the South Nation River north of County Rd. 9 (Berwick Rd.). Finch and Chesterville are located along the Highway 43 corridor east of Winchester. Josh Mansell ___ 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/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
If you have seen ANY Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario since late March please respond to me privately. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
There has been a good initial movement of birds today in two areas. About 4-6000 flew east over Apple Hill north of Cornwall early this morning and another roughly 3-4000 flew over Cornwall this afternoon. No reports of birds on the ground yet. Location details will be published when ground sightings come in. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
The spring goose migration is winding down but there may still be significant flocks of Greater Snow Geese at traditional locations in Eastern Ontario. If you spot any this month, please e-mail me privately with the location, date and if they are on the move, which direction they are headed. An aerial survey of Greater Snow Geese on May 4 by Canadian Wildlife Service biologists revealed a total of approximately 61,000 birds at over 10 locations, including most of the known sites. The South Nation River area at Chesterville had the largest total, with over 18,000 birds in two concentrations. This is the largest total recorded to date, topping last year's record. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
I received a report of a significant flock of Greater Snow Geese on the St. Lawrence River right at the Ontario-Quebec boundary on Saturday. There were well in excess of 10,000. I would appreciate receiving any reports of Snow Goose sightings in Eastern Ontario. You can e-mail me privately. This morning in Cornwall I had 15 Bohemian Waxwings (not many this winter locally) and our first Tree Swallow of the season. Woodcock are now commonly heard on staging grounds at dusk. Brian Morin Cornwall The location for Snow Geese can be reach by heading east on Hwy 401 and taking exit 825. Head south a short distance to County Rd 2 and turn left (east). Proceed for a couple of kilometres and check the river. ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
There are still reports of hundreds to occasionally several thousand in the area from Williamstown to east of Lancaster but the birds are unreliable. Additional reports of several thousand came in from further north in the Riceville - St. Isidore areas. Information from the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in New York, south of Lake Ontario, indicates that about 15,000 birds remain. There were 55,000 on the weekend. This is where most of the Eastern Ontario flock comes from. Williamstown is accessible from Hwy 401. Take the Summerstown exit and head north (left) to Cty Rd 19. Turn right and pass through Williamstown. Snow Geese move around various back roads. I would appreciate receiving any reports of sightings in Eastern Ontario. You can e-mail me privately. For the Lancaster area, take the South Service Rd for about 5 minutes drive until it reaches an opening along the St. Lawrence, right beside an overpass for the 401. There may be some on the water there. You can't exit the 401 from the destination location, you have to do it from the Lancaster area. On the highway into Quebec, there are regular sightings right along Hwy 20 (that's what the 401 changes into). Specific locations for the more northerly sightings are not available. Riceville and St. Isidore are north of Hwy 417 and east of Casselman. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds]Greater Snow Geese in Eastern Ontario
A check of the Riceville-Fournier area today failed to turn up any Snow Geese, although there were still scattered flocks of Canada Geese in fields across a broad area. The South Nation River is back within its normal channel and with over a week of warm weather, the birds may have moved on. If anyone has seen any Snow Geese anywhere in the region this week, please let me know the location and estimated number so I can document the latest report. Brian Morin Cornwall ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
