The water level in the lagoons are quite high so shorebird habitat was minimal. I did find 7 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Greaters, 3 Least Sandpipers, 6 Spotted and 1 Killdeer. Also present were 3 Trumpeter Swans (adult + two young), an American Wigeon, a Lesser Scaup, a Ruddy Duck, 429 Bonaparte's gulls, 2 Caspian Terns, two Osprey, one Northern Harrier, 16 Black Terns, two Marsh Wrens and two Merlins.
While the shorebird habitat has been substandard of late, the lagoons are still a wonderful place to visit for odonates, herptiles, lepidoptera, mammals and of course other birds. Pls remember your permit. Permits must be purchased in advance of entering the lagoons. They cost $10.00. The permits may be purchased at the Durham Region Transfer Site located at 1623 Reach Rd, Port Perry during the following business hours .... Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. To get to the transfer station, travel north on Hwy 12 past Port Perry [Hwy 7A] to the next traffic lights [Regional Road 8 = Reach Rd.] and travel east to #1623 on the north side of the road. The lagoons are located one road north of the transfer site east off Hwy 12 on Concession Rd. 8 [don't get confused as, despite the fact that these roads are both numbered "8", they are two different roads - one is a regional paved road, the other a dirt concession road.] Geoff Carpentier www.avocetnatureservices.com _______________________________________________ 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/
