Snow in many off-trail areas is still knee-deep. On cold days you can walk anywhere on top of the crust, but you will break through during milder weather without snowshoes.
Here are some sightings from the past week: Wild Turkey: same two still in the Two Rivers Store area on March 25 and 26. Red-tailed Hawk: 1 near Peck Lake on March 21. Spruce Grouse: Male and female on Spruce Bog Boardwalk on March 20; a male northeast of the gate on Opeongo Road on March 21; and one north of the culvert (on the east side) on March 22. American Three-toed Woodpecker: No reports received this week. Black-backed Woodpecker: One on north side of Highway 60 across from West Gate parking lot on March 20, and a pair on utility poles at km 8 on March 21. Gray Jay: Opeongo Road, and Spruce Bog. Boreal Chickadee: Three along Opeongo Road, and two at Spruce Bog parking lot during the week. Pine Grosbeak: Single female at Vistitor Centre to March 21, and a small flock flying over Spruce Bog on March 22. They may be all gone by now. Purple Finch: Single males at West Gate and Visitor Centre feeders on March 21. First of the winter. Red Crossbill: Two at Spruce Bog parking lot, and 2 or 3 near Kearney Lake on March 20; and two in Visitor Centre parking lot on March 22. White-winged Crossbill: Five along straight northern stretch of Opeongo Road on March 22. Virtually all gone, it appears. Common Redpoll: Still 1 at Visitor Centre feeder on March 25. Pine Siskin: 30+ at Visitor Centre feeders. Evening Grosbeak: 15+ at Visitor Centre feeders all week. Three at Spruce Bog parking lot on March 22. Notes: Pine Marten: Being seen at Mew Lake Campground refuse containers, Visitor Centre feeders, Spruce Bog parking lot, and eating sunflower seed at gate area on Opeongo Road. New arrivals this week included: Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Killdeer. Arowhon Road and Rock Lake Road are now closed to public travel due to muddy spring melt conditions. Cross-country ski trails will be closed for the season, as of March 27. Please report your Algonquin sightings to me (including date, number and location) for our park records. Thanks. Good birding. Ron Tozer Algonquin Park Naturalist (retired) Dwight, Ontario Directions: Algonquin Park is three hours north of Toronto, via Highways 400, 11 and 60. Follow the signs, which start in Toronto on Highway 400. From Ottawa, take Highway 17 to Renfrew, then follow Highway 60 to the park. Kilometre markers along Highway 60 in the Park go from the West Gate (km 0) to the East Gate (km 56). Get your park permit and the park tabloid (with a map of birding locations mentioned here) at the gates. The Visitor Centre at km 43 has recent bird sightings and information. The centre is open on weekends from 10 am to 5 pm. When closed to the public, access to watch the birds is possible by entering at the service entrance and contacting the staff. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
