Scouting Tiny Marsh well in advance of the upcoming OFO trip on April 24, Allan Roitner and I found a good mix of bird species today, though this provincial wildlife area was still relatively "pre-passerine" (or at least pre-warbler). We did not manage to find the Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers we were hoping for, but they should be showing up any day now. (Last year on the OFO trip to Tiny Marsh we had both species on April 17.) We did observe about forty TREE SWALLOWS, two BARN SWALLOWS, six EASTERN PHOEBES, numerous SWAMP and SONG SPARROWS, plus several goldfinches, juncos, chickadees, brown creepers and golden-crowned kinglets, but insects and buds were in limited supply. Starting at the "Trotter" dike that runs straight north into the heart of the marsh, we circled the eastern half of the wetland via the Dike Trail (8 kms all the way around). Although many waterfowl have already passed through, there were still numerous ducks, most of them BUFFLEHEAD, MALLARDS and RING-NECKS. We also had a handful of AMERICAN WIGEON, WOOD DUCKS and HOODED MERGANSERS. A pair of OSPREY is using one of the platforms in the eastern section of the marsh and there were three SANDHILL CRANES flying and calling on the north side of the "North Carolina" dike. We also observed two BELTED KINGFISHERS, three NORTHERN HARRIERS (all adult males), and numerous PIED-BILLED GREBES calling throughout the marshland. A light but steady flight of TURKEY VULTURES passed over us as we hiked; we also observed two AMERICAN KESTRELS, two RED-TAILED HAWKS and a single SHARP-SHIN. The most pleasant surprise was a single SHORT-EARED OWL that flew up from the ground only meters from us as we were about 3/4 of the way around the dike loop, along the southeastern section that leads back to the parking lot. The owl flew low over the marsh in its distinctly buoyant, loping style, giving us excellent views as it made a wide arc west, then north, then east again before disappearing from view. In Barrie, on the way up, we observed about 30 WILD TURKEYS in a field just south of Snow Valley Rd. on the east side of George Johnston Road (aka Road #28). DIRECTIONS: Tiny Marsh is about a 20 minute drive northwest of Barrie and about 10 minutes east of Wasaga Beach. Exit Hwy. 400 at the Bayfield St. ramp in Barrie, then follow Bayfield northwest. Bayfield "splits" when #26 turns west toward Stayner and Wasaga. Keep going north - Bayfield becomes (or already is) County Rd. 27. Take it north through Elmvale (there is a Tim Horton's in the south part of town!), cross the little Wye River, then look for Simcoe Road 6 and turn west (left). The road quickly angles northward through the hamlet of Saurin (no relation to Tolkien's Sauron, but a good mnemonic). Go a short distance to 1st Conc., which is the Tiny-Flos Townline. Turn west (left) & go about 4 kms. to the Interpretive Centre parking lot, or you can park at the smaller lot that is about .4 kms east of the main one if you want to be at the southern base of the Trotter dike. Ron Fleming, Newmarket
