ONTBIRDS for Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Time   [Ontbirds] Eastern Ontario - Baillie Birdathon - American Golden Plover, Mute Swan, Red Crossbill   Tony Beck    3:02am   [Ontbirds]Reesor- Black Tern   STAN LONG   3:51am   [Ontbirds] Darlington, Oshawa Second Marsh, Thicksons Woods, Cranberry Marsh, Ajax, Port Perry, Carden Plains - May 26/09   Geoff - Birds   10:16am   [Ontbirds]James Bay - Akimiski Island Report # 3   Jean Iron    10:31am   [Ontbirds]Ottawa/Gatineau 26May08... Mute Swan, American Golden-Plover, Arctic Tern, Shorebirds   Gordon Pringle    11:16am   [Ontbirds] Baird's Sandpiper, Red Knots among 300+ shorebirds at Darlington Provincial Park   Tyler Hoar   3:25pm   [Ontbirds]Trumpeter Swan Nest Location Search   Kyna Intini    6:56pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds] Eastern Ontario - Baillie Birdathon - American
         Golden Plover, Mute Swan, Red Crossbill
From: Tony Beck <beck.tony(AT)sympatico.ca>
Date: 27 May 2008 3:02am

Hello Ontbirders

With friends Heather Pickard, Susan Goods and Rick Collins, I just  
completed this year's Innes Point Ballie Birdathon. Hampered by  
winds, cool temperatures and intermittent rain, we still managed 145  
species including some entertaining highlights.

We started at 5:00 pm on Sunday afternoon going until dusk in  
Ottawa's west end. The highlight was a distant immature Glaucous Gull  
(first/second cycle) at the Moodie Drive Quarry Pond.

We then had a rest, returning to the field for 3:30 am Monday morning  
as hundreds of Swainson's Thrushes were heard calling over Ottawa's  
night sky. In the Munster area, we picked up several nocturnal  
species including Saw-whet Owl and Whip-poor-will.

Dawn in Larose Forest was unexpectedly quiet. A few nice surprises  
were Evening Grosbeak and a flock of 25 silent Red Crossbills feeding  
in the top of a spruce. Their bills appeared relatively slender.  
Although songbirds were eerily silent, we managed to pick up 18  
species of warbler including: 3 Cape May, 3 Blackpoll and one  
Tennessee. One Red-shouldered Hawk was heard calling just west of the  
forest.

We arrived at the Alfred Lagoons after a heavy downpour. This turned  
out to be our most productive spot with good numbers of waterfowl,  
and hundreds of shorebirds, most advanced into near-full breeding  
plumage. The highlights were a juvenile Mute Swan (still rare away  
from St. Lawrence River), and an American Golden Plover (rare in  
spring) accompanying 11 Black-bellies in the plowed field beside the  
lagoons. Other shorebirds included Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin,  
Semipalmated Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope.

We worked hard for the remainder of the day fitting in things like  
Lincoln's Sparrow at Alfred Bog, Yellow Palm Warbler at Mer Bleue and  
Grasshopper Sparrow behind the International Airport.

We ended 5:00 pm Monday at Britannia just as the sun was coming out.

Directions to specific locations mentioned above can be found at  
Neily World: http://ca.geocities.com/larry.neily(AT)rogers.com/birding.htm

Thanks to all who pledged in support of Innes Point.

Cheerio

Tony Beck
http://www.tonybeck.ca
Always An Adventure

_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds]Reesor- Black Tern
From: "STAN LONG" <stan.long(AT)sympatico.ca>
Date: 27 May 2008 3:51am

   6.30am at Reesor pond, one Black Tern - first I have seen in this area
   -  stayed  in  flight during the 15mins while I observed it - the pond
   lies just north of Hwy 7 on Reesor Road in Markham - S Long
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds] Darlington, Oshawa Second Marsh, Thicksons Woods,
          Cranberry Marsh, Ajax, Port Perry, Carden Plains - May
         26/09
From: "Geoff - Birds" <avocet(AT)rogers.com>
Date: 27 May 2008 10:16am

I did my Big Day of the spring yesterday, May 26th. I actually tried to do one
May 25th but had to abort so retried it the next day ... total for the two days
was 172 and for May 26th was 157 ... sadly many of the birds that were present
on May 25th were gone by the next day ... so here's the results for May 26th
only:

Oshawa Second Marsh & Darlington Barrier Beach - 4 Ruddy Turnstone, 3
Black-bellied Plovers, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, 4 Semi-palmated Sandpipers, 2
Sanderling, 20+ SP Plover, 5 Least Sandpiper, 10+ Spotted Sandpiper, 25+ Dunlin,
 Redhead, 3 Greater Scaup, 10 White-winged Scoters, Common Merganser, 3
Moorhens, 1 Blue-winged Warbler

Thickson's Woods - warblers were very thin - Yellow-billed Cuckoo - singing,
Merlin on a kill, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Cranberry Marsh - Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, 3 Am. Coots

Rotary Park - Ajax - 2nd summer Iceland Gull

Port Perry - 1 Stilt Sandpiper, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 1 Wilson's Phalarope, 100+
 Least Sandpiper, 50+ SP Plovers, 10+ SP Sandpipers, 2 Black-bellied Plovers, 2
Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper , 50+ Dunlin, Black Duck, 50+ Black
Terns

Carden Plains - Merlin at Cranberry Lake, 2 Golden-winged Warblers &
Black-billed Cuckoo on Wylie Rd., 10+ Common Nighthawks, Grasshopper Sparrow,
Loggerhead Shrike, Sedge Wren

Here and there in Durham - Barred Owl, Long-eared Owl, Clay-coloured Sparrow

Not a bad day all in all - weird misses: Red-tailed Hawk, any accipiter, Purple
Martin, YB Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Blackburnian Warbler, and White-crowned
Sparrow

Directions:

Oshawa Second marsh & Darlington Barrier Beach - Exit from the 401 at the
Harmony Rd. Exit(419) in Oshawa. Go south on Farewell St. Colonel Sam Drive.
Turn East onto Colonel Sam Drive and follow to the parking lot at the GM
Headquarters. Park in the west parking lot close to the marsh. The east (GM)
platform is visible from the NW corner of the lot. To the Barrier Beach head
south to the lake and then east along the shoreline

Thickson's Woods - foot of Thickson's Rd. off the 401

Cranberry Marsh - exit 401 at Brock St, Whitby, south to Victoria St, west to
Hall's Rd, and south to the Marsh

Ajax Waterfront- 401 to Westney Rd. south to Lakedriveway, east then south to
Rotary Park.

Port Perry - The permits may be purchased at the Durham Region Transfer Site
located at 1623 Reach Rd, Port Perry during the following business hours ....
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursday
 from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.  To get to the transfer station, travel north on Hwy
12 past Port Perry [Hwy 7A] to the next traffic lights [Regional Road 8 = Reach
Rd.] and travel east to #1623 on the north side of the road. The lagoons are
located one road north of the transfer site east off Hwy 12 on Concession Rd. 8
[don't get confused as, despite the fact that these roads are both numbered "8",
 they are two different roads - one is a regional paved road, the other a dirt
concession road.]

Carden Plains north of Kirkfield (Wylie Rd.) and north of Bolsover (Cranberry
Lake)

Geoff Carpentier
Ajax, Ontario
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds]James Bay - Akimiski Island Report # 3
From: Jean Iron <jeaniron(AT)sympatico.ca>
Date: 27 May 2008 10:31am

Jean Iron called yesterday evening (26 May 08) from Akimiski Island 
in James Bay. Shore ice is breaking up with the first inshore tidal 
flooding yesterday, but temperatures are below average and migration 
is late. Studies on the island are under the general direction of 
Research Scientist Ken Abraham of the Ontario Ministry of Natural 
Resources (OMNR).

SAY'S PHOEBE found by Ken Abraham on the 25 May. Two photos were 
taken. First record for Nunavut (Jim Richards, pers. comm.).

Canada Goose: 240 nests found to date. John Brunjes, Department Fish 
and Wildlife Government of Kentucky, is assiting OMNR's long-term 
study of the interior subspecies as part of international agreements.

Brant: 750 on 25 May and 500 on 26 May. Peak numbers yet to arrive.

Shorebird Habitat Study: Master's student Lisa Pollock and thesis 
supervisor Erica Nol of Trent are studying the habitat (including 
core samples) of Akimiski's north coast to quantify its important to 
migrating shorebirds. Habitat protection is the focus of conservation efforts.

Marbled Godwit: Numbers increasing with 16 observed 25 May. Adrian 
Farmer and Bridget Olsen have now placed transmitters on 3 godwits 
with 2 more to go.

Hudsonian Godwit: 30 migrants on the coastal flats on 25 May. They 
generally feed on the flats farther from shore than the Marbled and 
the two species are not mixing. The Hudson Bay Lowlands may represent 
50% of the Canadian population, with much of that in Ontario (Ross et 
al. 2003, Ontario Shorebird Management Plan).

Shorebirds Sightings: 13 species including Black-bellied Plover, 
Dunlin and Ruddy Turnstone, which are going farther north to breed.

Other Bird Sightings: Bald Eagle, Northern Harriers, 2 Peregrine 
Falcons, light morph adult Parasitic Jaeger chasing a Herring Gull, 
adult Glaucous Gull, large migration of hundreds of Lapland Longspurs 
on 25 May with smaller numbers of American Pipits, Snow Buntings and 
Common Redpolls.

Polar Bear tracks 2-3 km from camp on 25 May noted heading onto the 
island and then returning to the sea ice. When the ice goes out up to 
50 bears (most southerly Polar Bears in the world) will summer on the 
island making life for researchers interesting.

Map of snow and ice conditions. Akimiski Island is close to the 
Ontario coast half way along west side of James Bay.
http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif

Next update in a few days.

Ron Pittaway
Minden and Toronto ON 
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds]Ottawa/Gatineau 26May08... Mute Swan, American
         Golden-Plover, Arctic Tern, Shorebirds
From: Gordon Pringle <parula(AT)magma.ca>
Date: 27 May 2008 11:16am

- RBA

* Ontario
* Ottawa/Gatineau
* 26 May 2008
* ONOT0805.26

- Birds mentioned

MUTE SWAN
Surf Scoter
Horned Grebe
Peregrine Falcon
Black-bellied Plover
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
Semipalmated Plover
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Glaucous Gull
Black Tern
ARCTIC TERN
Red-headed Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Alder Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Cape May Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Canada Warbler
Red Crossbill
Evening Grosbeak

- Transcript

hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
date: 26 May 2008
Number: 613-860-9000
For the status line PRESS * (star)
To report bird sightings, PRESS 1 (one)
Rare bird alerts are now included in the introductory message
coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Can. Nat. Capital Reg.), E.Ont., W.Que.
compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis  hagenius(AT)primus.ca
internet: Gordon Pringle  parula(AT)magma.ca

THE OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE @ 5:00 pm, MONDAY MAY 26, 2008

This is Chris Lewis reporting.

A very active week for migrants, breeders, and a few "uncommoners" for this
time of year in the Ottawa area.

Unusual (and rather out of place) for the 3rd week of May were an
immature MUTE SWAN and a rare-in-spring AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER at
the Alfred lagoons on the 26th, a male Surf Scoter and a Glaucous Gull at
the large quarry pond on Moodie Dr. on the 21st, and a Horned Grebe at
the Embrun sewage lagoons on the 24th and 25th.  A couple of Greater
Yellowlegs at the Embrun and St. Albert lagoons were very late migrants on
the 25th, as was a Pectoral Sandpiper in the small ponds along March Valley
Rd. west of Klondike Rd. on the 24th. A report of 2 ARCTIC TERNS at Shirley's
Bay on the 20th was on the early side, but now is certainly the beginning of
the time for their almost annual flight up the Ottawa River during dynamic
weather conditions.

The habitat at Embrun and St. Albert was attractive for shorebirds on the
25th, with Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper in
the majority, along with a few Wilson's Phalarope and Dunlin. Two Black Terns
flew over St. Albert the same day. The March Valley ponds hosted 8 species
during the week including Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, the late
Pectoral, and one each of White-rumped Sandpiper and Dunlin select.
Showers on the morning of the 26th brought in a lot of shorebirds to the
Alfred lagoons, with perhaps 1,000 individuals including 11 Black-bellied
Plovers, the aforementioned AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, approx. 200
Semipalmated, numerous Least, a few White-rumped Sandpipers and
approx. 100 Short-billed Dowitchers.

Good news on the breeding front: The resident pair of Peregrine Falcons has
re-nested after losing their first clutch and are tending 3 eggs on the Crowne
Plaza Hotel as of at least May 6th, and a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers
has returned for their 7th consecutive year to their breeding area in
Constance Bay and were first reported on the 17th.

Passerine migration remained very active throughout the past week, with
several species still moving through.  A Gray-cheeked Thrush and a couple
of Swainson's Thrushes were observed in the woods along Island Park Dr. on
the 25th along with several species of warblers and a large influx of Cedar
Waxwings. The Britannia Conservation Area was still busy over the past week,
with the first reports of Eastern Wood-Pewee and Blackpoll Warbler among
many other migrants and residents. A Philadelphia Vireo and an
unexpected Golden-crowned Kinglet were seen at Britannia on the 25th, and
Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireos were also noted near the
Champlain Lookout in Gatineau Park on the 24th. A visit to the Larose forest
on the 25th revealed 17 species of breeding warblers with the highlights
being Cape May, Mourning and Canada, as well as Blue-headed Vireo,
Evening Grosbeak, and the first local report of Alder Flycatcher. Red
Crossbills were seen again in Larose  - 25 were feeding on spruce cones on
the 26th.

Thank you - Good Birding!

- End transcript

_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds] Baird's Sandpiper, Red Knots among 300+
         shorebirds at Darlington Provincial Park
From: "Tyler Hoar" <thoar(AT)rogers.com>
Date: 27 May 2008 3:25pm

I took a lunch break stroll on the Darlington Provincial Park barrier beach 
today at 1 pm.  The shorebirds were scattered from the east end of the beach 
to the pond in the middle of the beach.

Highlights:

1 Baird's Sandpiper.  The second shorebird who lost its way this week. I 
have not seen or heard about the Willet since Sunday.

other Shorebirds:

3 Red Knots
25 Ruddy Turnstones
2 Sanderling
159 Dunlin
77 Semipalmated Sandpipers
11 White-rumped Sandpipers
12 Least Sandpipers
7 Spotted Sandpipers
4 Killdeer
4 Semipalmated Plovers

Offshore visibility was greatly impaired by the heat shimmers, However the 
waterbird numbers appear to be down.

Between the beach and the park office a few Blackpoll and Mourning Warblers, 
and several Indigo Buntings observed.

Direction:

The McLaughlin Bay Barrier beach can be accessed from either Oshawa Second
marsh (west access point) or Darlington provincial park (east access point)

Oshawa Second Marsh

Exit from the 401 at the Harmony Rd. Exit(419) in Oshawa. Go south on
Farewell St. Colonel Sam Drive. Turn East onto Colonel Sam Drive and follow
to the parking lot at the GM Headquarters. Park in the west parking lot
close to the marsh. The east (GM) platform is visible from the NW corner of
the lot.

To the Barrier Beach head south to the lake and then east along the
shoreline

For a trail map of the Oshawa Second Marsh area visit
 www.secondmarsh.com and check the link for a trail map of
the area

Darlington Provincial Park
borders the east side Oshawa Second Marsh/McLaughlin Bay Nature Reserve.

To access the campground and park store area from the east.Take the Courtice
road exit from the 401 and follow the park signs. There is a small parking
lot at the gatehouse. Park here and walk the trail to the south. This will
take you into the campground area. The park store is just south of the main
office past the main gate.

For the Barrier Beach park at the beach parking lot and head west along the
maintained beach. 

_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: [Ontbirds]Trumpeter Swan Nest Location Search
From: Kyna Intini <kynadawn(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 27 May 2008 6:56pm

I am a student at McMaster University, in the Honours Bachelor of Science,
Biodiversity Specialization.  I am entering my fourth year and will be working
on an undergraduate project, involving creating a GIS database of Trumpeter
swans.  With the goal of documenting the success of the re-introduction program,
 and eventually to conduct a spatial analysis of successful nest locations in
relation to land uses.  This project will be carried out under the supervision
of Dr. Chow-Fraser, Coordinator of the Biodiversity program in the Department of
 Biology at McMaster University.  Since 2005, a number of Dr. Chow-Fraser’s
students' research have contributed to the on-going mission of Parks Canada
(Fathom Five National Marine Park, Georgian Bay Island National Park and Point
Pelee), Ruthven National Historic Park, as well as the Hamilton Harbour Remedial
 Action Plan, Ministry of Natural Resources.

Originally native to Ontario, the Trumpeter swans were extirpated from eastern
Canada over 200 years ago was primarily due to hunting pressure and habitat
loss.  Biologist Harry Lumsden began a provincial reintroduction program in the
early 1980's to re-establish the Trumpeter swan in its former habitat and range.
  Today, as a result of an intensive reintroduction and conservation effort,
there are about 1000+ wild Trumpeter Swans in Ontario.  Along with the
reintroduction, swans must breed in the wild to maintain a sustainable
population.  There is a continued effort to identify where pairs are nesting.
Birds are banded and tagged during winter so we can keep track of the number of
wild birds in Ontario.  Some birds you observe may have yellow wing tags and
metal leg bands.  The wing tags make it easier to identify the bird from a
distance.  Write down the number if you can see it.

To help identify the swans here is a website:
http://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/id.html

I have been involved in the banding and tagging of Trumpeter swans for the last
two winters, working with Beverly Kingdon and Harry Lumsden.  This involves
catching swans as well as keeping daily records of swans in the Hamilton Harbour
 and surrounding wintering areas.

It would be greatly appreciated if everyone could keep an eye and ear open for
Trumpeter Swans who might be nesting in your area or on your property.  Many of
you many have some wetland areas, which are the preferred habitat for the birds
to nest.  Breeding birds select nest sites that are surrounded by water from 10
cm to several meters in depth.  They frequently construct their nests on old
beaver and Muskrat houses, but they also build on emergent vegetation, either
floating or anchored to the bottom.  Pairs often begin to build or repair their
nest even before a site is completely free of ice.  Most nests are used year
after year, usually by the same pair.  Rebuilding does not usually involve much
more than adding plant material to an already substantial mound.

Write down the wing tag number if you can see it.  If possible please provide
coordinates for a point near the location of the nest, and/or the name of the
marsh and bearing and distance from the nearest town.

Please contact Kyna Intini at 905-627-0660 or intinikd(AT)mcmaster.ca

_________________________________________________________________
If you like crossword puzzles, then you'll love Flexicon, a game which combines
four overlapping crossword puzzles into one!
http://g.msn.ca/ca55/208_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS(AT)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