My dog and I hiked the west side of Seneca College's property in King City on this balmy and beautiful Halloween. Four Wood Ducks and four American Wigeon were keeping company with six Trumpeter Swans, numerous Mallards, and scores of Canada Geese at the lake while the western edge of the main woods held a Pileated Woodpecker eating wild grapes. Southwest of the lake, ten lingering Eastern Bluebirds were all a-chatter sitting in a nervous line along a barbed-wire fence that encloses the skeletons of a few dead planes and helicopters. I soon discovered the focus of their concern: a Northern Shrike was perched on the same fence just across from them. One male Bluebird made a false charge at the "butcher bird" but the Shrike sat tight. When Sam and I eventually walked past, the bluebirds flew west to the big rusty-roofed barn and the shrike flew southeast. A flock of 30-40 American Tree Sparrows were actively feeding in the fields of goldenrod in that same area and, to my pleasant surprise, two Snow Buntings flew overhead as we looped around westward. Later in the day I had two groups of Snow Buntings - 37 in all - in the vegetable fields at the west end of Ravenshoe Road just south of Keswick. Ron Fleming, Newmarket King City is north of Toronto, just east of Hwy. 400. The Oak Ridges Trail runs east-west through the Seneca College campus, which is a very scenic property that is great for birding, hiking, and photography. It is in the north part of King City, between Dufferin and Keele Streets. The western part of it is most easily reached by parking on Keele Street about 1 km north of 15th Sdrd. (which is Bloomington Road running west out of Aurora/Oak Ridges). You will see a gravel pull-off and the trail stile on the west side of the road. Park there and walk east along the marked trail into the Seneca College property. A very nice side trail runs uphill on the south side of the main trail if you want to explore a bit. The main trail runs east, south, then east again, opening up into fields and a very rural setting. It continues east through open fields to the lake, then you can hike northeast into the woods or jog south to the gravel road and follow it west back to the barn and the old abandoned farm house. Keswick is northeast of Newmarket. Take Ravenshoe Road west from Leslie Street; follow it down the hill and on into the flats - this is a good area to check during the winter months if you are in search of species like Snow Bunting, Rough-legged Hawk, and Snowy Owl. It is desolate and windswept, but often productive. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdshow.htm ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm
