----- Original Message ----- From: Stuart Mackenzie To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 4:25 PM Subject: Black-billed Magpie; Guelph
A Black-billed Magpie show its face today while I was driving school today at about 750 on Hwy #6 (Gordon St.) just north of the Gordon St./Lowes intersection south of Guelph. It was in some of the scrubby/urban/agricultural mixed areas just south of the city. The magpie was hanging on a small tree in a fairly open/scrubby area with houses intermixed on the west side of Gordon St, and I watched it for about 5 minutes before having to take off. There were a bunch of Grackles hanging out a near by and at first glance I thought it may have been a partial albino Grackle. I saw the bird flying away from me at first as it went to perch in the tree, showing off the white in the primaries and scapulars but as it landed it quickly grew to about a 1/3 bigger, a lot more colourful and white!!! Blew my mind at first. I am sceptical about the origin of the bird, as the probability of it being an escapee is quite high, but never the less I thought some may want to take a look for it, or just for interest sake. Stu Mackenzie Guelph,ON [EMAIL PROTECTED] Old Hwy # 6 or Gordon St. is the main road into Guelph from the south, NOT the Hanlon expressway (new Hwy#6). The Gordon/Lowes intersection is a small stop light just north of the Gordon St./Clair Rd intersection (although that may not help), and about 5 to 10 minutes south of the University. "Stuart Mackenzie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
