Today Ian Cannell, Jay Peterson, Margaret Liubavicius and I birded the Long Point area and though we missed the White-fronted Geese reported as being at the Lee Brown Sanctuary and the Eurasian Wigeon we made up for them with the variety of birds we did find and following are some of the 90 species we found.
Common Loon, Pied-billed, Horned and Red-necked Grebes, Great Egret, Tundra Swan, Wood Duck, Blue and green-winged Teals, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle (3), Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle (adult) east of Lee Brown Sanctuary, Sandhill Crane, Greater Yellowlegs, Common Snipe, Bonaparte`s Gull, Forster`s Tern, Great Horned Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina and Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Old Cut Woods), Rufous-sided Towhee, Chipping, Fox, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, Rusty Blackbird and Pine Siskin. Not bad for early April EH!. Old Cut Woods and Lee Brown Sanctuary (just west of Port Royal) are usually productive areas as are the marshes and bays around Port Rowan. I recommend that you drive some of the roads in the area checking ponds, flooded fields and wood lots. The areas along Big Creek as it crosses the various Concessions above Port Rowan ( west of Hwy 59) are also good areas to check as the areas around the bridges are flooded and hold a good variety of Waterfowl. Other birds that we were told about by birders today were Wood Cock (Old Cut Woods), Pine Warblers (Long Point Provincial Park) – just beyond Old Cut, and Caspian Tern. Good Luck to anyone that goes down there. Norm Murr Directions: LONG POINT AREA - CENTERED ON PORT ROWAN Port Rowan is southwest of Hamilton, to reach it you can drive south on Hwy 6 from Hamilton, passing through Hagersville and turning right, west in Jarvis onto Hwy 3, drive to Simcoe and turn left, south on Hwy 24 and follow this to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of Simcoe) and your in the Long Point Area. Turn left (south) on Hwy 59 at Hwy 24 and Port Rowan is straight down Hwy 59 (about 6 kms) on County Rd 42 (Lakeshore Rd), Big Creek Marsh, etc. are just a little further south of County Rd 42. Or you can exit Hwy 403 just west of Brantford. Exit at Hwy 24 South at Exit 91 and drive south through Simcoe and follow it to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of Simcoe) and your in the Long Point Area. The wood lots, fields, marshes etc. are north, south, east and west of Port Rowan. LEE BROWN WATERFOWL SANCTUARY just west of Port Royal To get to the sanctuary drive south on Hwy 6 from Hamilton, passing through Hagersville and turning right, west in Jarvis onto Hwy 3, drive to Simcoe and turn left, south on Hwy 24 and follow this to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of town) turn left, south on Hwy 59 and drive right down about 7 1/2 km to Lakeshore Road (or Road 42) and turn right (west) off Hwy 59 onto this road. (This is the last road before the Long Point Causeway). (a gas station on your left and a driving range on your right). Drive over the bridge over Big Creek at Port Royal and watch on your left side (south) for the parking area with the viewing platform and a washroom and probably birders during migration. This is just a small pond and some cedars off the side of the road. OLD CUT WOODS AT LONG POINT Old Cut Woods at Long Point is southwest of Hamilton, directly south of Port Rowan. To reach it you can drive south on Hwy 6 from Hamilton, passing through Hagersville and turning right, west in Jarvis onto Hwy 3, drive to Simcoe and turn left, south on Hwy 24 and follow this to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of town) turn left, south on Hwy 59 and drive right down about 8 km and past the golf coarse and you will be on the causeway (Long Point Rd). Drive on across the bridge and continue past the marina on your left. The road comes to Lake Erie where it curves to the left (Erie Blvd) through the cottage / retail business area. Continue driving until you come to Old Cut Road. Turn left and drive a couple of hundred yards down this road (you will see the entrance to the banding area on your right) this is the entrance to Old Cut Woods. Drive another 100 feet or so and you will see a parking area on your left. Park here and walk across the road to the woods. NOTE: Be sure to lock your car and put your valuables out of sight). _______________________________________________ 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/
