This morning I went to Algonquin Park, hoping to find some Nelson's and Le Conte's Sparrows. While I dipped on Le Conte's Sparrow, I was successful with Nelson's. I had one bird flush up from some vegetation into an alder just east of the airfield. I had spent a fair bit of time working south along the shoreline of Lake of Two Rivers from the northern River mouth and gradually made my way into the mouth of the southern river where I had the bird in a protected pickerelweed marsh surrounded by small sedge meadows. You'll need rubber boots if you want to try and relocate it or search for others.
Lots of other sparrow (and other bird) activity on and around the airfield. Here's my full checklist for the morning: http://ebird.org/ebird/canada/view/checklist?subID=S8887131 Directions: A park permit is required to use park facilities (including walking trails). These can be purchased at the Mew Lake campground office or the east or west gate or the Visitor Centre (KM 43). The airfield is reached by exiting Hwy 60 into the Mew Lake campground and driving past the gate house. Go past the woodyard on the left and park in the first parking lot on the left after the wood yard. You're now at the northern edge of the airfield and a trail goes south across the airfield from here and one goes east along the northern edge that will take you to the NE corner (where the northern river mouth is). Le Conte's Sparrows are often found along the eastern edge of the airfield at this time of year and Nelson's Sparrows are usually a bit tougher to find in marshy areas, usually requiring rubber boots (as did the one today). Good birding, Mike Burrell [email protected] _______________________________________________ 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/
