A field trip designed for two local nature clubs today yielded 66 species in 5 hours - all good numbers for York Region on May 1st except for the priceless fact that nobody showed up. As the trip leader I carried on solo, eventually picking up my dog for company, resulting in a very pleasant day of birding. Stop #1 was at Seneca College in King City where highlights included WINTER WRENS (at least two) singing heartily on both sides of the Oak Ridges Trail beside Keele Street, my first NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES, YELLOW, PALM and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS of the spring, a single RUSTY BLACKBIRD on the Mary Lake side of Keele, and my first BROAD-WINGED HAWK of the season circling over a field east of Keele. Stop #2 was the Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve in Newmarket which yielded my first NASHVILLE WARBLERS of the year, at least three EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, a pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, several RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, a loudly calling WILD TURKEY, numerous FIELD SPARROWS, and a very vocal BROWN THRASHER. The Holland Landing lagoons continue to have high water levels and precious little shorebird habitat but there were 16 WOOD DUCKS present, as well as 14 NORTHERN SHOVELERS. Ravenshoe Road West still offers views of nesting BALD EAGLES (a pair in the tamarack stand north of Best Asia Farms and visible by scoping from Ravenshoe Road) and OSPREYS. At least 3 NORTHERN HARRIERS were also present in this area. East of Woodbine Avenue southeast of Keswick there is good shorebird habitat on the north side of Ravenshoe Road. I observed one GREATER YELLOWLEGS, two LESSERS, seven DUNLIN, and about fifty ducks including Shoveler, Wood Duck, and both Teal. The Greater White-fronted Goose observed (and photographed) by Paul Wigglesworth on Thursday at this location was not present when I was there this afternoon. Craig Corcoran had his first CLIFF SWALLOWS and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW north of Nobleton this week. Ron Fleming, Newmarket York Region is north of Toronto and south of Lake Simcoe _______________________________________________ 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/
