Hi All, I was able to get away from work early and headed straight for Dunnville this afternoon. At around 4pm I found the breeding (not high-breeding) plumaged Cattle Egret with a small herd of about 30 cattle (surprise, surprise), it was feeding on insects next to and off of the cattle (never actually sat on their backs though), got some good pictures of the bird. This was on Haldimand-Norfolk Rd 3 (Talbot Trail) at King Rd (which is just east of Rock Pt PP), the bird was closest to H-N Rd 3 but you should be careful here as there is quite a bit of traffic and next to no shoulder. It's probably best to stop your car on King Rd and watch from there, the field is in the north-west quadrant from the corner of King & Rd 3.
I then dropped in at Rock Pt PP and from the lookout at the top of the sand dunes I had about 5 minutes of viewing time before the heavy rains came. In this time I saw 5 Sanderling, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper and a number of Semipalmated & Least Sandpipers, also from this spot I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling. I then headed for a long drive toward Exeter (north of London) and found the Eared Grebe at the Exeter Sewage Lagoons around 8pm tonight. The bird was in the southeast cell (the higher level cell with aeration/bubbles) with 100+ Ruddy Ducks, at least 1 female Northern Pintail, 100's of Mallards, a few Blue-winged Teal, a few Northern Shoveler, 2 American Coots & 1 male Ring-necked Duck. Very few shorebirds here, but amongst them were 2 Sanderling, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, a few Least & Semipalm. Sandpipers and many Spotted Sandpipers. Regards & good birding, Frank Pinilla DIRECTIONS: Cattle Egret, mentioned above, the area is along H-N Rd 3 southeast of Dunnville at the corner of King Rd (a short road that runs between Rymer Rd & H-N 3). Rock Point PP - straight west from the Cattle Egret along the lakeshore, you will see signs to the park, the lookout is straight south from the entrance gate in the midst of the camping area, I had never been there before so I'm not sure if this is the "normal" spot for viewing - there must be a better vantage point as there are many trees/bushes in the way. Exeter SL - From London head north on Hwy 4 to Exeter, near the north end of Exeter, turn left on Hwy 83, follow for about 2km to Airport Rd, turn left, you will see the raised area of the lagoons on your left, stop at the second gate on the left, permit (from town offices) required.
