At 4 pm this afternoon while looking for a record-early Forster's Tern seen by Terrie Woodrow along the causeway here at Long Point, I observed an adult male Smew. The bird was observed on the bay southeast of the causeway.
I left the spot to alert several of the staff at Bird Studies Canada's office nearby. When we returned the bird was not present at the location that I observed it. We were unsuccessful in locating it before dark. There are currently several thousand ducks of several species in the southwest corner of the Inner Bay. Best viewing of them seems to be along the causeway. If people are looking for this bird from the causeway, please park in the parking lot to the Big Creek NWA viewing stand at trail. There is no parking along the sides of the roadway as there are no shoulders. Please be very careful about traffic and do not stand on the pavement when viewing the waterfowl. Directions to Long Point are: Hwy 59 south from the 401 (or Hwy 24 south from the 403 to Hwy 59 and then south) to the shore of Lake Erie. Travel past the flashing yellow light at the intersection of Front Rd. (into Port Rowan) and continue south to Lake Erie. Upon driving down onto the causeway, you enter the Big Creek NWA (marsh on both sides). You will cross the bridge over Big Creek and 1km south of this bridge you will see the parking lot for Big Creek NWA on the right. Park here or in a small parking area on the left 1 km south of this parking lot (on the north end of the Sandboy Marina parking lot. Best viewing of the Inner Bay is between these two lots which requires some walking. Please, please, please be very careful of traffic. Ron Ridout Bird Studies Canada P.O. Box 160 115 Front Rd. Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0 519-586-3531 Ext. 114 [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/
