Wednesday and Thursday Bill Smith and I birded Presqui'le Point. The shorebirds were concentrated at Owens Point and Gull Island in several large mixed flocks which were kept on the move both days by a very active Merlin. Viewing conditions were ideal, sunny and warm with a light breeze. We saw the following 14 species of shorebirds included in the 51 species overall. 16 Black-bellied Plover 1 American Golden Plover plus a flock of 8 which arrived, circled, landed briefly, checked out the Merlin and left. 65 Semipalmated Plovers 1 Greater and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 6 Ruddy Turnstones 1 Red Knot (juvenile) 225 +/- Sanderlings 20/40 each Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers 12 White Rumped Sandpipers (adults) 2 Baird's Sandpipers (juveniles) 7 Pectoral Sandpipers 1 Dunlin (FOS) Also seen among the 37 other species of Ducks, Terns, Gulls and migrating Song Birds observed were a Common Loon, Winter Wren, American Pipit , Horned Lark and a Horned Grebe. Peter McParland _______________________________________________ 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/
