10‐11 April 2010 Manitoulin Island
Leaders: Gordon Cameron and Steve Hall.
On the snowy drive up, a Great Blue Herony of five active nests was observed at
km 198 and a Northern Goshawk was seen at km 200 on Hwy 400 near MacTier.
Eight OFO members attended the trip which started with wintery weather on the
way to and spring weather on the way back from Manitoulin Island. Weather on
the island ranged from light snow flurries, rainshowers, strong winds and ice
cold fog rolling in from Lake Huron to almost mild calm and clear skies.
Late Friday evening was spent on Airport Road, Gore Bay, listening to Wilson's
Snipe and American Woodcock display flights and Killdeer calls.
On Saturday morning, Steve Hall kindly agreed to guide us through his favourite
birding haunts around Gore Bay. On Barrie Island, we heard the grouse before
we saw them. We observed about a dozen male Sharp‐tailed Grouse displaying on
their lek with several females watching. Everyone had great views of the
yellowish eye combs and the inflated purplish neck sacs on the males. For six
of the OFO members, except the leaders, this was a lifer. After seeing this
undisturbed (by humans) lek habitat, it was easier to understand why the
airport lek was closed to viewing for the first time in many years. Whereas
the birds on Barrie Island were standing in short grass just up to head height,
the Gore Bay Airport birds were literally dancing in the bushes which were two
to three times the birds's height. Other good birds seen were Bald Eagles, 4
dark phase and 1 light phase Rough-legged Hawks, Sandhill Cranes displaying,
Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Winter Wren, Wood Du
ck and two Savannah and four Fox Sparrows. After returning Steve to his home,
we birded Kagawong including Bridal Veil Falls which produced a male and female
Rusty Blackbirds, Brown Creeper and many Golden-crowned Kinglets. The Kagawong
River held Pied-billed Grebe and Hooded Merganser. Mudge Bay produced 3 Common
Loons, and a Merlin. Numerous Bald Eagles and Common Ravens were seen sitting
on nests between Gore Bay Airport and Kagawong. All lakes were ice-free.
Indian Point / Lake Wolsey area produced an Osprey building a nest and hundreds
of waterfowl including a pair of Red-necked Grebes. In the evening, one of
only two Red-tailed Hawks on the trip was seen and excellent views were had of
both snipe and woodcock display flights on the Noble Sdrd.
Sunday was spent birding from Gore Bay to South Baymouth then to Little
Current. Good birds seen or heard were two Lincoln's and one Swamp Sparrows,
numerous Sandhill Cranes, Pileated Woodpecker, Ruffed Grouse, Ring-necked
Pheasant, Merlin, Northern Harrier, one Pine Siskin, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern
Meadowlark, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Shrike, two Blue-winged Teal, and seven
Trumpeter Swans. Three more Sharp-tailed Grouse were seen perched atop a tree.
Thousands of waterfowl were seen in the Strawberry and the North Channels from
the Hwy 6 lookout above Strawberry Channel between Sheguiandah and Little
Current.
We observed 76 bird species on Manitoulin Island from Friday to Sunday
including 20 species of waterbirds, nine species of raptors, but only three
species of shorebirds.
Mammals seen were Mink, Porcupine, Red Squirrel, (white) Snowshoe Hare, two
Coyotes, Red Fox with a vole, and several hundred White-tailed Deer. Spring
Peepers and Northern Leopard Frogs were heard. Only Common Blue Violet and
Coltsfoot were seen in bloom.
OFO wishes to thank Steve Hall for sharing a morning of his time birding with
the group, Irwin Meisner for suggesting birding hotspots, and Andrew Keaveney
for providing his previous Ontbirds report. I wish to thank Steve Hall, as a
passenger in my car, for sharing the birding and human history of the island,
too.
Reported by Gordon Cameron.
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