It was the 82nd consecutive running of the Fall Field day on Sunday, a tradition that refuses to die. Our weather was perfect and we found 152 species for the day which ended at 5 PM. Counts were higher than usual with teams recording as many as 117 and 113 species. The most notable rarity was the Red-necked Phalarope at the Nonquon sewage lagoons but there were several record high numbers.
Breaking previous highs were 175 Northern Shovelers, 114 Common Mergansers, 2 Forster's Terns and 5956 Blue Jays. Nocturnal counts were performed for the first time resulting in 239 Swainson's Thrushes and 47 Gray-cheeked Thrushes among others.There were 2237 Broad-winged Hawks in the Thickson's Woods area alone and a grand total of about 2800 by all teams. We found 3 Barred Owls, 23 warbler species and a lone Red Crossbill near Uxbridge. Shorebird numbers however were down due to high water levels in Lake Ontario and Nonquon. A good time was had by all and special thanks to the Henshaw's for hosting a fun roundup. _______________________________________________ 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
