This morning Ian Cannell and I birded a couple of roads north of Beeton and there was no shortage of shorebirds. Ian and I set personal records for the number of Golden Plovers in Ontario at 200+.
Along 12th Line we stopped to look at a single Black-bellied Plover that turned out to be the start of 35+ Golden and 50+ Black-bellied Plovers at this location. We got our scopes out and added 50+ Killdeer, Semi-palmated Plovers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Whimbrel, Semi-palmated, Least, 7 Baird’s, Pectoral Sandpipers and 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, heard a Sandhill Crane and saw a Merlin. We packed our scopes away and travelled further along 12th Line where we found more shorebirds including another 50+ Golden Plovers, 25+ Black-bellied Plovers, 15+ Killdeer, more Pectoral Sandpipers and 4 Short-billed Dowitchers. From here we went down to 11th Line and watched as 125+ Golden and 50+ Black-bellied Plovers flew into the sod fields from the south. If going check the fields that contain standing water or have had the sods lifted and now the areas left are quite muddy. I scope is recommended but you could see some of the birds closer in with binoculars but the smaller birds and Buff-breasted (unless an adult bird) are hard to ID further out. Tired of looking at shorebirds :>)) we headed hoe and on the way among the birds we saw were 20+ Turkeys and 2 Olive-sided Flycatchers. ================================================================================================================================================== Directions Exit Hwy 400 at Exit 55 ( Hwy 9 ) and drive west past Schomberg for approx. 11km to Tottenham Road, turn right or north on Tottenham Road and drive approx. 9.5 km and your in the area of 12th and 11th Lines. Norm Murr Richmond Hill Ontario, Canada _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
