Ontbirds subscribers, As Brian Henshaw posted previously, the morning fog and intermittent showers all day delivered quite a nice fall out of migrants at Thickson's Woods today. A high diversity of species was more noticeable than a very large volume of birds, although a new mix of birds seemed to appear after each shower occurred. I observed a total of 27 species of warblers in the area of Thickson's Woods today. Highlights were: a Kentucky Warbler foraging on the ground on my neighbour Jay's property immediately to the west of my house (#330) late in the afternoon, a male Golden-winged Warbler foraging in the leaf litter on the empty lot to the west of my house at noon, a Blue-winged Warbler singing in the cedars on the east side of my house early in the morning and a male Mourning Warbler singing in the northwest corner of the woods in the afternoon. Most unexpected sighting of the day though was a Least Bittern found perched low in the same Eastern White Pine that a resident Great Horned Owl has used as a daytime roost for the last two weeks (just before the rains became continous at about 6:00 p.m.). At one point, my finch feeders were being visited by five male Indigo Buntings and six Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. In the late afternoon, there were 56 White-crowned Sparrows feeding on the spilled seed on the ground underneath my feeders. Two Pine Siskins and a female Purple Finch have been accompanying the American Goldfinches and House Finches to the feeders the last two days. Here's hoping this broad low pressure cell will deliver plenty of migrants tomorrow as well. To reach Thickson's Woods, take Hwy 401 to Exit 412, Thickson Rd., and follow Thickson Rd. South to its terminus at a cul-de-sac for the Waterfront Trail. Proceed east of Thickson Road on the Waterfront Trail to the entrance to the woods on the south side of the trail or the meadow on the north side of the trail. Glenn Coady Whitby _______________________________________________ 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/
