At 10 am today my wife, Shirley, a friend and I found two black-billed cuckoos in a roadside tree about 50 feet north of the entrance to the Blue Bird Trail on Westney Road. A juvenile b-b cuckoo, possibly one of the above, was found in a deciduous tree a few hundred feet from the start of the trail on the left (south) side.
The identifications were confirmed by the under tail stripes, black beaks, and red orbital ring, although all three field marks were not visible on every bird. A yellow-billed cuckoo could be heard in the distance. Also seen: GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, FIELD SPARROW, INDIGO BUNTINGS, E. BLUEBIRD. Heard: E. TOWHEE. DIRECTIONS: TAKE 401 TO BROCK ROAD IN PICKERING. GO NORTH TO CLAREMONT, THEN EAST ON DURHAM RD 5 (ALIAS CONCESSION 9). AT WESTNEY RD., ABOUT A 3-MINUTE DRIVE FROM BROCK RD IS THE SPRING CREEK GOLF COURSE ON THE SW CORNER. TURN NORTH. YOU'LL SOON COME TO A STONE BRIDGE. GO NORTH 2.3 KM. FROM THERE TO THE BLUEBIRD TRAIL ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROAD. "Neil A. Macdougall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
