This morning Christian Friis and I were at the Great Egret roost at Luther Marsh, north of Grand Valley. Over the brief period that it took the egrets to leave the roost, from about 0633-0650, we counted 263 egrets leave the site. Along with Linda McLaren, who has been counting egrets there most of the summer, egret numbers in August started at about 100 individuals and reached a peak of just over 300. Although the egrets are too far away to discern colour bands at the roost proper, many of them fly to a roadside marsh/swamp south of Luther where up to 12 colour-banded individuals have been identified (by Clive Hodder) at one time. Ontbirders are encouraged to assist in identifying colour-banded Great Egrets in the Luther area, especially at the roadside site. Just after sunrise is a good time but they are present at the roadside site most of the day. If you are able to identify the letters and numbers on the red bands, pleased send them to me...along with the date and time of the sighting and number of egrets present at the time.
DIRECTIONS: TO THE ROOST AREA: Take Highway 25 north through Grand Valley, west of Orangeville. Turn left at Concession 8-9....that's the first Concession AFTER the Conservation Area sign for Luther Marsh. Follow it to where it ends at Sideroad 21-22...it makes a bit of a jog to the left at one point over the Grand River. At Sideroad 21-22 go right (north)...go past the main entrance to Luther Marsh, go over a small bridge....turn left into a small parking area at the first turn after the bridge...it's in a grove of trees. From here walk to the west southwest ...under a gate, alongside a grain field, across a fallow field, across a field of waist high flowers/weeds, over a small fence, across another natural field towards 2 Osprey platforms. From the Osprey platforms, the roost is directly out (west) into the flooded trees and shrubs about 100-200 m. TO THE ROADSIDE SWAMP/MARSH: Return to your vehicle, go south on Sideroad 21-22, past the main entrance, past Concession 8-9.....about halfway to Concession 6-7 there will be a marshy/swampy area of few inundated trees and many stumps and shrubs/bushes. This is one of the areas where the egrets gather to feed. Up to 80 egrets have been observed here at once shortly after sunrise. Good egretting ! Chip Weseloh email - [email protected] 416-518-4329 _______________________________________________ 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/
