Went out at lunch today to see if the numerous American Robins are still in Queensville, and theyare, perhaps even more abundantly! This time I walked the perimeter of the harvested cornfield around which they seem to be concentrated (due to numerous crab apple trees, full sized apple trees, some mountain ash trees, high bush cranberries in places, and some other wild fruit-bearing bushes). I took just over an hour to do a conservative count going around the field perimeter, and came up with at least 150 Robins, 50 Cedar Waxwings, and 15 European Starlings all feasting on the same fruit trees. Most were along the south edge of the harvested cornfield, but periodically a group of 40 or so Robins would leave the others and fly over to the north edge of the field for several minutes before returning.
If you wish to visit, across the road (Leslie St.) from the veterinary clinic/farm near the south end of Queensville, there is a gated former farm laneway (land is owned by developers but still rented for agricultural purposes), and many in the community still walk along the laneway by easily skirting around the gate. About 100 m west of Leslie St. the laneway comes to the edge of the harvested cornfield. Most activity now seems concentrated along the treed fenceline along the south edge of the field. I walked back to the first north-south fenceline that also has apple trees, and there were about 40 Robins back there (about 3/4 km or so back from Leslie St., but included in the count of 150+). Steve Kinsley, RD (College of Dietitians of Ontario: Reg. # 1083) Nu Connexions: Your partner in nutrient analysis, Canadian food labelling and food photography services http://www.nuconnexions.com/ http://www.nutritionlabels.ca/ http://www.purspectivephoto.com/ Tel:(905) 478-8915 P.O. Box 269 Queensville, ON L0G 1R0 Canada _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca 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
