Hi folks, I wanted to pass along a quick note on behalf of Eric and Liz Jeffery...they were birding at the West Perth Wetlands this evening...and they had 11 HUDSONIAN GODWITS. All of these birds were well advanced into basic plumage.The godwits were found in the fenced in cell by the sewage treatment plant....towards the south end of the fenced in area.
This cell currently has excellent shorebird habitat....and other shorebird species were present including Stilt(at least 5), Baird's (2), Semipalmated (3), Pectoral (10) and Least Sandpipers (many)...Lesser Golden Plover (18), Killdeer(many), Semipalmated Plover (1)....Wilson's Snipe (5) and S.B. Dowitcher (1), I also spotted a couple of Sora ...one in the fenced in cell in the NE corner closet to the plant...and the other way at the back end of the big open water cell. This is also where you'll find waterfowl ,...including Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Wood Duck, Am. Black Duck and Mallards. NOTE: Those who've visited the wetland site recently will have seen that the usual shorebird cell behind the parking lot has overgrown...a result of the breakdown of our pumping system. We were unable to move water back into the cell ...and then we had no rain for a month and a half. The pump is now fixed and we've pumped a few inches of water back into this cell...which in turn has dropped the levels in the big open water cell at the back making that cell at least usable for the yellowlegs and other larger shorebirds. Our hope is that we get enough of a snowpack this winter and some good rains next spring to kill down the vegetation in the former shorebird cell which will breakdown into the cell bottom. Good birding... Dave Directions to Mitchell (West Perth) Wetlands: >From the East (Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, GTA) - take Hwy 8 thru Stratford heading west to first lights in Mitchell (Wellington St) and turn left (south) and continue till you hit the "T" intersection at the ball diamond. Lagoon cells are straight back behind the ball diamond and soccer fields and the sewage treatment plant. You can go straight ahead on the gravel and park next to the berm. >From the London area....take Hwy 23 into Mitchell from the south and just after you pass the "Welcome to Mitchell" sign...watch for Frank St...go right on Frank St and head down over the bridge till you get to the ball diamond (will be on your right). Again...the cells are behind the ball diamond and soccer fields. You can go straight ahead on the gravel and park next to the berm. >From Southampton area....take Hwy 21, to Goderich and then Hwy 8 to Clinton and down to Mitchell, turn south on Hwy 23 to Frank St. and turn left on Frank St. and head over the bridge to the ball diamonds (which will be on your right). You can go straight ahead on the gravel and park next to the berm. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
