Thirty two participants met at the parking lot at Lynde Shores
Conservation Area at 7:30 a.m. and walked through the Lynde
Shores woodlot down to Cranberry Marsh. We saw few species on
the
way there - mainly Eastern Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings and
American Goldfinches.
Once there, we did get to see a variety
of Herons�CGreat Blue, Great Egret, Green, and
Black�\crowned
Night�\Herons. Waterbirds consisted of Mute and Trumpeter
Swans, Common Moorhen, Pied�\billed Grebe,
and Mallard
ducks. Caspian Terns and a Belted Kingfisher patrolled
the marsh. A small area of shorebird habitat yielded Lesser Yellowlegs,
Least and Pectoral Sandpiper. The highlight was a great long look at a
Least Bittern sitting in the cattails on the far side of the
marsh.
We next went to the small woodlot and beach at the foot of Gordon
Street in Whitby where we had Red-eyed and Philadelphia Vireo,
Black-and-white Warbler and
Blue�\gray Gnatcatcher.
We stopped for lunch at the local Tims and then went to Oshawa Second
Marsh where we added American White Pelican and Wood Ducks on the marsh
and American Redstart, Yellow, Cape May, and Magnolia Warblers on the
walk down to the lake. Some, unfortunately, were also introduced to
"European fire ants" - nasty, little guys.
We had 68 species for the day �\�\ despite the heat and humidity and, for the
third consecutive year, having
virtually no shorebird habitat.
Rayfield Pye and John Stirrat
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