Although bird movement has been relatively slow due to wacky weather there were some early dates for "spring arrivals" in this region just north of Toronto. Glenn Steplock had the earliest Great Blue Heron on territory when he observed one in northeast Richmond Hill Feb. 27th! This is likely a stubborn territorial male (met any of those in the human realm?) who wintered no further south than the Toronto lakeshore, but we'll gladly take him! (Hopefully the elements won't do that first.) Two Red-winged Blackbirds showed up in Stoufville at the feeders of Jack and Connie Walker on March 5th, which is also quite early for York region. Two days later Gene Denzel had a Common Grackle "grace" his feeders in Thornhill. On that same date (March 7th) I observed one of our local Sharp-shinned Hawks doing a territorial flight display, circling a woodlot near Quaker Hill (just east of Yonge Street in Newmarket) with its white undertail coverts all fluffed up and conspicuous. Common Redpolls appear to moving northward, showing up in big numbers at various feeders, then apparently moving on. Horned Larks continue to twitter in the Holland Marsh vegetable fields, though heavy snow cover must be making it tough to find food. I have had no luck finding the "local" Snowy Owl near Dufferin Street during my forays west of Newmarket the past week but that doesn't necessarily mean he's left for points north yet. I have heard no reports about the snowies on Ravenshoe Road in Keswick. The Merlin reported by Peter Wukasch near Devald Road in the Holland Marsh was present on Wednesday of this week. Up until that falcon's arrival there was a fairly "reliable" male Kestrel present near Hwy. 400 (i.e. all winter). Over the past two weeks I have not seen him but have had a male Kestrel farther east (near Dufferin Street and Emma Road), making me wonder if the visiting Merlin has forced the "Hwy. 400" Kestrel to shift his winter hunting area. It is possible that the Kestrel along Dufferin is a different bird, but I doubt it.
Good birding! Ron Fleming, Newmarket _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
