Today I birded all the shorelines of the park from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.
It was quite busy with people swimming, sunbathing, picnicking, etc.
but I finally found one small group of migrant shorebirds, one Western
and 7 Semipalmated Sandpipers sleeping on a large matte of algae at
north end of the second beach along north shoreline (this backs onto
the rip-rap walls abutting the narrow channel that drains the big pond
near the pavillion). This is also the only area where there were no
people or dogs. All the sandpipers were in adult breeding plumage:
the Western still had bright orangey-red on the cap, ear patch on the
front of the wings; the semipals still had a fair amount of streaking
on the breasts. The difference in size of the two species was quite
apparent when they sitting still together even though it is only
1/4". The only other shorebirds were Spotted Sandpipers (no
Killdeer!) There was a lot of activity with adults feeding newly-
fledged young of Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows and at least two pairs
of Eastern Kingbirds.
Directions: at the south end of Col. Samuel Smith Drive which is an
extension of Kipling south Lakeshore Boulevard.
Wayne Renaud (289-828-0043)
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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/
