Mud Lake Conservation Area near Port Colborne has drawn down water levels this summer and shorebirding has been good on most visits. No rarities to report at the moment, but a good variety of shorebirds are usually present and it is a worthy stop to add to a day of birding along the Lake Erie shoreline in Niagara/Haldimand. This morning the following species were present:
7 Semipalmated Plover 43 Killdeer 1 Stilt Sandpiper - juv 1 Baird's Sandpiper - juv 76 Least Sandpiper 15 Pectoral Sandpiper 26 Semipalmated Sandpiper 2 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Lesser Yellowlegs Mud Lake Conservation Area is accessed from Elm Street, running north from the City of Port Colborne, Region of Niagara. There is a small parking lot on the east side of Elm Street adjacent to the south part of the Conservation Area. There are two good vantage points to scan for shorebirds - the first is from the southwest corner of the lake, only about 50 meters from the parking lot. Most of the peeps and the Baird's Sandpiper were viewed from here, looking north. Walking north up the trail along the west side of the lake will take you to the northwest part of the lake which also has good habitat. This is where most of the Pectoral Sandpipers and the Stilt Sandpiper were today. Good birding, Josh Vandermeulen Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario joshvandermeulen.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
