Yesterday Bob Tyler and I birded Ward’s Island a nd a small part of Algonquin Island and migration down there in Water World is winding down and though we didn’t get many species we did OK despite only having access to about 30% of the better birding areas.
Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, American Bittern, lots of Mallards in the flooded areas plus a female Mallard off the boardwalk with 22 very small ducklings, Osprey, Spotted Sandpipers, Common Terns, E Wood-Pewees, Least Flycatchers, E Phoebe, E Kingbirds and a close encounter with an Acadian Flycatcher, Purple Martins, White-breasted Nuthatches, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, House Wrens, Swainson’s Thrush, lots of Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, many Warbling Vireos, Red-eyed Vireos, only 6 Warbler Species including Nashville, Chestnut-sided and Wilson’s, Indigo Buntings, we watched as a male Indigo offered a seed to a female Indigo, and Purple and House Finches. A nice ending to the Spring migration and now I can hang up my binoculars until after mid-August with hopes that The Islands are still above water. One of the best May bird outings down there in a long time. For those who plan on a last Spring trip down there be advised that Hanlan’s Point is closed so no ferry to or from that area and the road between Centre Island and past the Trout Pond is under approx. 2 feet of water. Centre Island and the facilities are open as are the Cafes on Ward’s but if you want to go between Centre and Ward’s or Ward’s to Centre then most of the walk will be along the boardwalk unless you are wearing rubber boots. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON Sent from Mail for Windows 10 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
