I spent three hrs. this afternoon birding the marsh and adjacent woodland trails. The mudflats have never been better for shorebirds: Killdeer: 4; Black-bellied Plover: 2; Solitary Sandpiper: 2; Pectoral Sandpiper: 1; Baird's Sandpiper 1; Semipalmated Sandpiper: 4; Common Snipe: 2 (along creek year first bridge above marsh). There were 240 Red-necked Grebes well off shore in Lake Ontario. Waterfowl species included 2 Green-winged Teal and one female Ring-necked Duck. I did see a late Ruby-throated Hummingbird and 2 Tree Swallows. The woods were fairly quiet with only one species of Warbler: Yellow-rumped (3). There were two Great Blue Herons and one Great Egret (no leg bands or other markings).
Directions: The Conservation Area is located along the north shore of Lake Ontario just east of the village of Clarkson. The best access to the marsh and adjacent woodlands is at the south terminus of Bexhill which runs off Lakeshore Boulevard between Erin Mills Parkway and Mississauga Road. A map of the marsh and trails is available on the Credit Valley Valley Conservation web site. The best place to view shorebirds is from the outlet of marsh into Lake Ontario. Normally the mudflats can be seen scanned from the two major boardwalk viewing platforms but this year's extraordinary cattail growth has obscured most of these views. Wayne Renaud (289-828-0043) _______________________________________________ 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/
