Hello Ontbirders and OFO members, Intending to join an OFO field trip advertised for today http://www.ofo.ca/site/Tripsupcoming I arrived at the meeting place in Casselman ~ 7:50 AM, and by ~ 8:05 realized something was not happening. Fortunately another prospective participant arrived & asked if I was there for the OFO trip to Larose forest and I said yes but was beginning to wonder if there was an error as nobody else was here. He (Brian) kindly provided Jacques Bouvier's phone # listed on the OFO News field trips insert. I called Jacques and he told me that the trip was YESTERDAY, but nobody showed up!.....Another birder (Peter) who showed up this morning said he checked the website and there were no changes to the date on the website. I had also checked the website before leaving home this morning. Then another birder (Paul) -- who I now realized had been sitting in his car next to me at the meeting place since my arrival -- approached us & we explained that there seemed to have been some mistake re: the date.
In any case Jacques apologized for the confusion and said he would look into this....and Peter, Brian & I decided to go ahead to the forest ourselves. Paul re-joined us later along Bertrand Rd. after taking a different route into the forest. As it turned out, we had a great time. Perfect weather, bugs that bugged a bit but did not bite, and some very enjoyable birding from approx. 8:30 - 11:00 AM Several roadside stops along Bertrand, Clarence-Cambridge and Grant Rds. yielded 38 species our impromptu group, mostly heard, but some nice looks at a few of the highlights. Highlights included: - a pair of very vocal Broad-winged Hawks soaring and circling overhead - many Alder Flycatchers, a few showing off (always nice to "see" them singing) - Blue-headed Vireos singing on territory at 2 locations (Bertrand Rd. and Grant Rd.) - a family of Common Ravens, with raucous young'uns - several vocal Golden-crowned Kinglets, Veeries, Hermit Thrushes & Scarlet Tanagers - 10 spp. breeding warblers including at least 2 Cape May singing on territory (Bertrand Rd., great looks at a male carrying food); nice looks at singing Pine and Yellow-rumped; 1 singing Canada (heard only, Bertrand Rd.) Not a lot of butterflies along the main roads, but we did see a few common species: Hobomok Skipper, Northern Crescent, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, and another species that I ID'd after checking field guide @ home -- not a Crescent but a Silvery Checkerspot (I'm rusty after the long winter). Dragonflies were busy snapping up the mosquitoes, deerflies & horseflies (which, surprisingly did not bite us -- at least not me!). All were common species -- Chalk-fronted Corporal, Four-spotted Skimmer & Dot-tailed Whiteface. I'm sorry that nobody attended Jacques' excursion yesterday, but I'm not sorry I joined Brian, Peter & Paul to "wing it" on our own (though I do apologize for not acquiring their surnames). Fine gentlemen all, very pleasant & enthusiastic company. Thanks guys, I personally had a lot of fun! Chris Lewis Ottawa, ON hagen...@primus.ca _______________________________________________ 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 Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
