Happy New Year, We had a wonderful holiday in Algonquin this week and started our bird list off today with 11 Evening Grosbeaks at the Algonquin Inn just east of the Oxtongue Lake Bridge on Hwy 60 (about 8km east of Dwight, or 30 km east of Huntsville). They have several feeders and, what caught Angie's attention initially, was a large accipiter above the Inn, which dropped down while we were turning around to take a look.
We had 9 Pine Grosbeaks 1 km west of the west gate of the park on hwy 60 yesterday on the road and in the trees. It is very quiet in the park, with no Crossbills or any finches beside the 5 dozen Godfinches at the visitor centre ove our 3 day visit. This afternoon, we had 2 Boreal Chickadees on the track between the top of Arrowhon Rd. and Mizzy Lake Trail. There is a quite tame Red Fox there as well as 3 Canada Jays. The Whitethroated Sparrow was at the vistior centre yesterday and the female Pine Grosbeak was there today. A Ruffed Grouse was feeding at the gate on Opeongo Road today and up the logging road yesterday in high branches of birch trees. We could not re-find the Black-backed Woodpecker that we had 2 days ago in the same location as the Boreal Chickadees we had today halfway between the Mizzy Lake trail and the "parking area" for the grader off Arrowhon Road. I'm sure that it counts for count week, though. One Wild Turkey was walking across the Lake of Two Rivers yesterday. 18 inches of snow made our new snowshoes feel like greased lightening. I'll never do the level trails on boots again. It snowed some every day this week but what a wonderful trip. Directions: From Hwy 11 at Hunstvile, follow hwy 60 east of Huntsville through Dwight and watch the trees at the roadsides for grosbeaks and other birds. Get a permit and a map at the west gate so you know where to spend some quality time. P.S. Wolves were howling at the west gate parking lot last night at 6:00 Blesssings in your new year, Ken Angie and Ken Williams 83 Edinburgh Ave. Hamilton, Ontario, L8H 2C6 905 547 8580 _______________________________________________ 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/
