John Schmefelske and I birded the Long Point area today with some good "winter"
birds.
At the Finney's house at the top of the Causeway (# 1024 Highway 59) we saw the
Spotted and a female Eastern Towhee at 8.20 am., plus Cowbirds, Grackles and
Red-winged Blackbirds.
Several hundred icterids left the Big Creek Marsh at dawn along with Sandhill
Cranes and many Tundra Swans. Over the marsh we saw 10 Snow and 5 Cackling
geese mixed in with the huge numbers of Canadas. There were several Swamp and
Song sparrows in the marsh itself. 2 Pied-billed Grebes were in the water near
the bridge over the causeway. On the Bay were 9 Bald Eagles, many swans, coots,
Redhead, Canvasbacks, American Wigeon, Ruddy Ducks, mergansers.
Along Big Creek river near Lee Brown's were male and female Wood Ducks,
Green-winged Teal and Hooded Merganser.
Numerous raptors were encountered in the Big Creek area including dark and
light-morph Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers, Coopers and Sharp-shinned
hawks.
At Turkey Point, near the lighthouse we found a Savannah Sparrow; a 2nd-year
Glaucous and 2 Little Gulls and 2 Wilson's Snipe migrating along the shore with
Bonaparte's Gulls.
Other good finds were Great Horned Owl at Hahn's Marsh, Northern Flicker at St.
Williams, Horned Larks and Snow Buntings near Spooky Hollow, Winter Wren in
Port Rowan, Carolina Wren, Robins and Golden-crowned Kinglets at Fisher's Glen,
and Eastern Bluebird at Big Creek.
Dave Milsom
For birding tours see www.florafaunafieldtours.com
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