sorry if this is a duplicate – got a weird bounce message the first time ...
Nonquon lagoons were quite good today with lots of waterfowl and shorebirds. There is a lot of shorebird habitat in several cells at the present time. Highlights were: Common Gallinule – 1 – rare here Killdeer - 36 Lesser Yellowlegs - 8 Greater Yellowlegs - 5 Least sandpiper - 21 Spotted Sandpiper - 17 Osprey - 3 Black Tern - 22 also present was what appeared to be a black Indian Runner duck – here is some info on this domesticated duck ... Indian Runners (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) are an unusual breed of domestic duck. They stand erect like penguins and, rather than waddling, they run. The females usually lay about 150 – 200 eggs a year or more, depending whether they are from exhibition or utility strains. They were found on the Indonesian Islands of Lombok, Java and Bali where they were 'walked' to market and sold as egg-layers or for meat. These ducks do not fly and only rarely form nests and incubate their own eggs. They run or walk, often dropping their eggs wherever they happen to be. Duck-breeders need to house their birds overnight or be vigilant in picking up the eggs to prevent them from being taken by other animals. The ducks vary in weight between 1.4 and 2.3 kg (3-5 lbs). Their height (from crown to tail tip) ranges from 50 cm (20 inches) in small females to about 76 cm (30 inches) in the taller males. The eggs are often greenish-white in color, but these too vary. Indian Runners love foraging. They also like swimming in ponds and streams, but they are likely to be preoccupied in running around grassy meadows looking for worms, slugs, even catching flies. They appreciate open spaces but are happy in gardens from which they cannot fly and where they make much less noise than call ducks. Only the females quack. All drakes are limited to a hoarse whisper. Here is the complete list seen today: Scugog Twp--Port Perry - Nonquon Sewage Lagoons, Durham, CA-ON 8-Jul-2014 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.75 kilometer(s) 40 species Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 95 Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 5 pair + 3 young Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 17 females + 2 broods Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 180 many broods Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 7 female + brood Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 6 Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 11 2 females + 2 broods and 2 singles Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 3 adult + 2 yg. Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 1 Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 36 Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 17 careful count made to avoid duplication Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 5 Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 8 Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 21 Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 2 Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) 22 careful count made to avoid duplication Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 3 Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 1 Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1 Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2 Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 3 Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1 Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 3 Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 5 Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 50 Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1 Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 3 American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 4 American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 2 Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1 Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) X Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1 Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) X Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 5 Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1 American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 9 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19043916 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Directions: Permits must be purchased in advance of entering the lagoons. They cost $10.00 annually. The permits may be purchased at the Durham Region Transfer Site located at 1623 Reach Rd, Port Perry during the following business hours .... Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. To get to the transfer station, travel north on Hwy 12 past Port Perry [Hwy 7A] to the next traffic lights [Regional Road 8 Reach Rd.] and travel east to #1623 on the north side of the road. The lagoons are located one road north of the transfer site on Concession Rd. 8 [don't get confused as, despite the fact that these roads are both numbered "8", they are two different roads - one is a regional paved road, the other a dirt concession road.]. Access to the lagoons is from the east end of Conc. 8 only as the bridge is out west of the lagoons. Geoffrey Carpentier www.avocetnatureservices.com _______________________________________________ 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 Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
