The very predictable spring movement of mostly Greater Snow Geese is on schedule. I expected small flocks to be reported by this weekend with the main flight taking place next week at some point. That forecast stands, especially with a significant warm up by next Thursday.
A flock of 500 was reported migrating downriver west of Ingleside this morning and I had 1000+ overhead at my house in Cornwall. There were likely scattered flocks that I missed. A weather event from late today through Saturday will drop 7-15 cm of snow and with cold overnight on Saturday and below freezing daytime temperature on Sunday, the bare sections of fields will again be covered. By mid week some will melt again. Areas north of the St. Lawrence will receive less snow so eventually they will be able to feed in harvested corn fields. They do not feed at the river, they only rest or roost there. Many of the 100,000+ geese will come through on a single day, flying high and heading into Quebec. Some may stop in the days immediately ahead and some that moved on may retrace their steps later. In the early days the best places to check on the river are east or Cardinal and between Iroquois and Morrisburg. In the large flock, currently in western New York below Lake Ontario, there is a Tundra Bean Goose so with any luck at some point it will be a bird to search for once they have settled in. Also within the flock could be Pink-footed and Barnacle Goose. Brian Morin -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
