Folks, A small group of 8 of us from the University of Waterloo travelled from Branchton down the Grand River Valley to the Long Point area on Sunday March 30. This is a note of some of the findings.
We encountered 62 species. The highlight was the preponderance of Tundra Swans. They were in the air, resting on icy marsh edges, and bobbing in the inner bay by the thousands. The blue sky allowed great contrast photos of the white flashing wings. We found 2 Bald Eagles; one adult and one near adult. One flew over the Big Creek bridge at just tree top height, allowing for some great photos of the bird in flight. The nest in the forest to the north the Big Creek marshes did not contain an adult, but the nest looks to be in good shape. Sandhill Cranes were flying over the marshes, standing on the ice in the Big Creek marshes, and in the corn fields north of Big Creek marshes. They were quite noisy, so there many others detected that we did not see. I would estimate at least 15 cranes. At the Old Cut Banding Station we had Brown Creeper, Pine Siskin, White-throated Sparrow, and a very obliging Winter Wren. The Inner Bay contained thousands of ducks of many species, with a dominance of both species of Scaup, Canvasback, and Redhead. At Lee Brown's Pond there was a small flock of 7 Greater White-fronted Geese. There were quite busy eating the green grass around the verges of pond. At the Turkey Point Marsh there was very dark, dark-phase Rough-legged Hawk hunting the forest - marsh edge. While viewing the marsh from the viewing area at the top of the cliffs, a Wilson's Snipe flew up from the marsh, over our heads, and headed north over the fields. There is still ice clinging to the Lake Erie shore, with fingers in the lake. There were small groups of Common Goldeneye in the open water in this area. We found only one Horned Grebe. It was in the channel near the Big Creek viewing platform. On the Hastings Drive tree fringe we found a very noisy flock of Common Redpolls moving amongst the trees. Now comments on two allied issues. The Phragmites invasion if moving along very fast in these marshes. There are now massive waves of this reed flowing through marshes. The entire Long Point and Turkey Point marshes are going to be totally alerted in composition in a few years. The area will soon look like the Asian reed marshes that I have observed last year in Taiwan. The Red-winged Blackbirds seem to love using this reed for cover, but it is unclear to me what the change will do for the overall bird populations. There were many amateur birders and swan watchers in the area, but no organized program to help them find the birds, and understand what they were seeing. It is too bad that some kind of spring waterfowl festival cannot be run again, as used to exist in the Long Point area. There may be an entrepreneurial opportunity available for some enterprising person who offers to do swan tours and education. 37 Hughson Street Branchton Ontario, Canada N0B 1L0 _______________________________________________ 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/
