The Huron Fringe Birding Festival has wrapped up its first weekend. A mixed bag of weather greeted us for the first four days. It has been mostly sunny but there has been some rain and even fog to tend with on some of our trips. The birding has been good so far with a 155 total species for the four days. A total of 21 warblers, 11 sparrows and many more. Our trips have been held in MacGregor Park, around Saugeen Shores, Paisley and up the Bruce Peninsula. A butterfly hike on Monday afternoon produced 10 butterflies which is good for the time of year at the park. Monacrch Butterfly American Lady Cabbage White and Spring Azure were just few that were seen.
The warblers seen on our trips were: Blue-winged Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler Tennessee Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackburnian, Pine Warbler Blackpoll, Black and White Warbler, American Redstart Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler and Canada Warbler The Sparrows that were seen were: American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savanah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow hite-crowned Sparrow, and Swamp Sparrow Other birds of note were Ruffed Grouse, Common Loon, American Bittern Least Bittern, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Sandhill Crane Upland Sandpiper, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Forster's Tern, Black Tern, Common Nighthawk, Whip-poor-will Chimney Swift, Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Towhee, and Brewers Blackbird Still time to sign up for the second weekend. The HURON FRINGE BIRDING FESTIVAL takes place every year at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. This year the 10th Annual Festival takes place MAY 25 TO JUNE 3, 2007 There are over 80 events and over 40 top notch leaders. The migration corridor along the shore of Lake Huron known as "The Huron Fringe", extending from Kincardine to Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula is the area we cover. Our birding hikes, presentations and workshops are lead by very competent birders and naturalists from all over Ontario and Michigan. All birders and naturalists from the beginner to the more advanced will find something to pique their interests. Birds of Prey with Ross Snider, Sabrina and Scooter (flying Sqirrels) with Steve Patterson, the truth about Bats with Erin Fraser and Wonderful Wings with Chris Guglielmo a talk on migration are some of the evening events that naturalists will find entertaining. To find out more about our program and down load a registration form, visit the Friends of MacGregor Point web site. Spaces on our some of our events are still available. Sign up at the Park. http://www.friendsofmacgregor.org (Click on "Birding Festival" and then on "Events") for accommodation in Saugeen Shores visit http://www.sunsets.com
