Ontbirders, Although not normally an acceptable ''Ontbird'', I thought observations today of Bonaparte's Gulls in the black muck and vegetable fields of SW Oxford to be exceptionally noteworthy.
A rather uncommon spring migrant in the county - myself, my wife Mary, Dave Martin and Linda Wladarski counted at least 1200 birds feeding on worms in the wet fields along Pigram Line and Avon Drive. Mary and I found another 400 birds nearby on the way home - for a total of 1600 birds. I can't say that I have ever seen more than a handful of Bonies using wet fields in over 40 years of county birding. Our previous spring maximum was just 100 birds, recorded more than 50 years ago. Most of the birds were adults in alternate or pre-alternate, with a small percentage of 2nd year birds. Other birds of note included a FOS Black-bellied Plover, 80 Pectorals and both Yellowlegs in moderate numbers. A pair of displaying Sandhill Cranes may have been a local pair. Most of the wet fields were located along Avon Drive, west of Culloden Road, and Pigram south of Avon. Cheers, James Holdsworth, Biological Consulting Services 14 Marian St, RR#1 Woodstock, On, N4S-7V6 [519]537-2027 226-228-0093 [cell] [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/
