Further to Lev Frid's recent posts regarding cuckoos in York Region, I will mention - at least for GTA records - that there is also a Yellow-billed nesting in the U of T's "Joker's Hill" property (just west of Bathurst St. in southwest Newmarket) and a Black-billed at the Cawthra Mulock reserve (the reserve is also on the west side of Bathurst but in northwest Newmarket, north of Green Lane). While cycling west of Bradford today (which is actually Simcoe County) I had a Black-billed Cuckoo at the bridge where 5th Sdrd. meets Line 4 east of Dunkerron. The bird caught my attention by doing snippets of its croaking call, so I stopped and got off my bike. I wasn't entirely sure which of the two cuckoos it was so I whistled a few "coo-coo...coo-coo-coo" refrains in a half-hearted attempt to lure it in and - low and behold - it flew into a willow at the roadside, allowing me good enough views to identify it as a BB cuckoo. This bridge crosses the Schomberg River a few kms west of Hwy. 400 and about 5-6 kms north of Hwy. 9. The hamlet of Dunkerron is a few kms north of Hwy. 9 on #27 north of Schomberg. For GTA birders who do local lists, there is also an Upland Sandpiper on territory northwest of Kleinburg in the Hydro One property south of Kirby Road and east of Cold Creek Road. Keith Dunn found it on this year's Gerry Bennett count, which is run by the West Humber Naturalists each June. We had this bird for several consecutive years but then stopped having luck with it and presumed the species was no longer nesting there. Ron Fleming, Newmarket _______________________________________________ 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/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
