Hi
I had a brief (5 minutes) look at Lookout 3 of Owen Pt Trail before being intimidated by the approaching lightning. Shorebirds seen 15 Least Sandpipers 25 Semipalmated Sandpipers 4 Semipalmated Plovers 2 Spotted Sandpipers 2 Ruddy Turnstones 1 Sanderling 1 Lesser Yellowlegs There was also a fly past of 3 Whimbrel yesterday (I. Shanahan) So there is a nice selection present and looking at the radar map this band of rain should pass through shortly with nothing noticeable behind. Also as a point of clarification the algae on the shoreline on beach 4 that looked like it was raked away last Aug 21 (contrary to our beach management plan) was actually taken away by the storm of Thursday the 20th. Our beach management plan calls for the harrowing of the back-beach area of Beach 4 to keep vegetation from growing up to enhance shorebird habitat. The crew was in to do that on the Friday. In going in they drove along the then bare shoreline area leaving drag marks behind that looked like the beach shoreline had been raked. At present the algae is starting to build back up on Beach 4 but remains sparse. The south natural beach towards Owen Point is still narrow - about 2 meters wide - but is getting wider and that is where most of the shorebirds can be seen, at Lookouts #2 and #3. Often quite close. Interestingly this rain has created some back beach pools all along the beach which can be attractive to shorebirds if they stay. It is still too soon after the rain however to determine if they will be there awhile or will seep away. David David Bree Natural Heritage Education (NHE) Leader Presqu'ile Provincial Park 328 Presqu'ile Parkway Brighton, ON K0K 1H0 Tel: (613) 475-4324 ext. 225 Fax: (613) 475-2209 _______________________________________________ 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/
