Caps are for quick scanning, not drama. Following up on Keith Dunns' report about TUNDRA SWANS at the north end of Bathurst Street this weekend, I went out both yesterday and today. Two other swans had joined the original 11 as of this morning. There were also at least 12 NORTHERN PINTAIL (6 pairs) among hundreds of Canada Geese and Mallards. There were also at least 4 CACKLING GEESE, not dramatically larger than the nearby Mallards they were feeding beside. Some of these birds were very close to the roadside in the flooded fields, but the majority were quite distant on the west side of Bathurst. A walk down the dike that runs westward from Bathurst would likely offer better views, but it is now muddy as heck and might flush the birds anyway. A female NORTHERN HARRIER was hunting in the fields here and there was a NORTHERN SHRIKE near the northern terminus of Bathurst, where a ragged little marina is situated. On Queensville Sdrd. yesterday evening at 6:30 I observed my first GREAT BLUE HERON of the spring. It was crossing the road from north to south at River Drive Park, where the bridge is. After seeing three GREAT GRAY OWLS on Saturday morning, I have been unable to find even one despite subsequent searches. The area that had been best for GGOWs east of 2nd Concession was quite empty of birds and, although I described it as a "pretty area" scant days ago, it actually looks awful without its white blanket of snow. ATVs have already ripped hell out of the pathways and there are numerous car parts and tires now revealed. So much for the spell of northern owls and pristine winter mornings. Ron Fleming, Newmarket This section of Bathurst Street is actually on the western edge of Holland Landing and the eastern edge of Bradford. It is accessible by turning north from Yonge Street on the stretch of road that runs north out of Newmarket toward Bradford. There is a stoplight that indicates Bathurst north. Bathurst takes a quick jog left (west) then crosses the railway tracks and straightens out northward. By driving past Queensville Sdrd. and past the Albert's marina Road, you can easily see the flooded fields on the west side of the road. A scope definitely helps for identifying the sometimes distant waterfowl. There is a heronry at the edge of the woods that sits on the western horizon down the hill from Bradford. There should be Great Blue Herons there any day now. These flooded fields are can be very good for observing waterfowl during spring migration. From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Mar 28 16:11:47 2005 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: [email protected] Received: from smtp-08.primus.ca (mail.tor.primus.ca [216.254.136.21]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1DBB163AA3 for <[email protected]>; Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:47 -0500 (EST) Received: from dialin-208-30.ottawa.primus.ca ([216.254.208.30] helo=chrispc) by smtp-08.primus.ca with smtp (Exim 3.36 #1) id 1DG1eG-0001tH-0A for [email protected]; Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:19:48 -0500 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Christina Lewis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "OFO Sightings" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:18:54 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.3018.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.3018.1300 Subject: [Ontbirds]Addendum re: Ottawa - Thayer's Gull X-BeenThere: [email protected] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 21:11:47 -0000
Hi again Ontbirds people, The Thayer's Gull posted yesterday (see below) was NOT present at Remic rapids today. However, if anyone is interested in visiting this location, PLEASE NOTE: The filtration plant grounds are private property, therefore please DO NOT PARK behind the building. Instead, go to the next parking lot immediately east at the Parc Moussette community centre, and walk down to the river. Thank you & good birds to all, Chris Lewis Ottawa [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christina Lewis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "OFO Sightings" <[email protected]> Sent: March 27, 2005 6:07 PM Subject: [Ontbirds]Ottawa - Thayer's Gull > Hello Ontbirders, > > An advanced 1st winter Thayer's Gull was seen today (March 27) above Remic > Rapids on the Ottawa River, loafing on the ice with approx. 100 Ring-billed > & Herring Gulls, with Iceland, Glaucous (various ages) and Great > Black-backed Gulls also present. The bird was well-seen, preening, walking > and flapping between 15:00 - 15:30, when it settled down with the other > gulls. We saw the bird from the Quebec side, behind the water filtration > plant (Usine de Filtration D'eau) west of Parc Moussette along Lucerne Blvd. > > DIRECTIONS: > > >From Ottawa, take the Champlain Bridge (north end of Island Park Dr.) and > then the 1st right onto Lucerne Blvd. (a.k.a. the Lower Aylmer Rd.) The > filtration plant is opposite the Depanneur. Park behind the plant and walk > to the river. > > Bob Bracken & Chris Lewis > Ottawa > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > _______________________________________________ > ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. > Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] > To join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://mailman.hwcn.org/mailman/listinfo/ontbirds > ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm >
