Red-headed Woodpecker, nw of Parry Sound - May 30, 2002

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hi all

In response to Stan Fairchild's Red-headed Woodpecker at his feeder near
Hurdville,  I saw another one on May 24 at Sand Bay, in Carling Township, just
north of Franklin Island.

This was only my second sighting for Parry Sound area.  My last was on May 20,
1979, on Franklin Island just 1.0 km to the southeast across the water from
the current sighting.  However Bill Davis who reported it to me said he
usually got Red-headed Woodpeckers for 1 - 3 days in the spring (sometimes in
the fall) at Sand Bay Resort.  This is only 1 km to the north of the current
sighting.

I didn't see it at first in the morning of May 24, and thought it had moved
on.  Later it turned up at the neighbour's feeder where I watched it coming to
get oilseed and take it to a dead snag to eat it.  I watched it until 7 pm but
understand that was the only day it was seen.  Last year, I also got a phone
call about a Red-headed Woodpecker at Sand Bay Resort on May 26.  It had been
there several days before I heard about it but I didn't find that one.

At last the later migrants have arrived -- Black-billed Cuckoo, Cedar
Waxwings, Alder Flycatcher, all seen today.  The Eastern Wood Pewees were
first heard yesterday.  The Point Counts for the Breeding Bird Atlas can
begin.  The blackflies are ferocious now that the weather warmed up and winds
died down.

Directions:  I won't give any since the woodpecker is gone.

Jean Niskanen
Dillon Cove, Carling Township, Georgian Bay
jniskan@vianet.on.ca

Red-headed Woodpecker in Parry Sound - May 30, 2002

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

I have had a Red-headed Woodpecker coming to my feeder at the back of my
house since May 25.I think there is only the one but it is here most of the
time .It even comes down to the lawn sometimes . I recently saw them in
Pelee but this is my first in Parry Sound.

Directions , At Parry Sound go east on Hwy 124 to Waubamik turn right on
Hurdville rd. go approx. 8km.
turn left onto Hardies rd. go another 1.5km. to large pine house fire route
# 8 bird comes to feeder in back.

Stan. Fairchild
aquacage@zeuter.com

Intense warbler activity near Huntsville - May 18, 2002

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Dear Ontbirders,

The woods surrounding my home on Bay Lake north-east of Huntsville were humming with warbler activity today.

In fact, looking out the window from my breakfast table I counted 10 warbler species in 10 minutes in one cedar tree including 1 male Wilson's, 2 Northern Parula and a Blackburnian.

Also, seen from my window today were 2 Pine Siskin, 2 Common Loon and a Spotted Sandpiper as well as several Red-breasted Nuthatch and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

In the woods nearby, I observed a total of 15 species of warblers including 10 Northern Parula and 4 Bay-breasted. I also counted 3 species of vireo, several Veery and Hermit Thrush, 1 Baltimore Oriole and 5 species of woodpecker including a probable Black-backed woodpecker (brief look noting apparently uniform black back and larger-than-Hairy size)

DIRECTIONS
To access Bay Lake take Hwy 11 north from Huntsville to Novar. Turn right on Hwy 592 and follow to Bay Lake Rd. Turn right and proceed 5 minutes or so to the lake.

CONTACT
Kip Daynard
Emsdale, ON
(705)636-9452
whereiskip@canada.com

Dillon Cove, Parry Sound Area Report, Apr. 18 - 23. - April 25, 2002

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hi Birders

I got a chance to check out the birds in Dillon Cove and Carling Township.
(Killbear Prov. Park is part of Carling Township), northwest of the town of
Parry Sound on Georgian Bay.  The ice had gone out on Sunday, April 14 and
there was no snow left in the bush.  The temperature dropped dramatically
after April 18, with little bird song.  The frogs quit singing too as I was
doing surveys.  Besides Spring Peepers, it seemed really early to hear
American Toads and Leopard Frogs on April 18).  The temperatures went below
freezing (-5) on several nights.

Of 57 species tallied, the highlights are:

SANDHILL CRANES:  I received reports of 1 on Apr. 17 at Sand Bay (Bill Davis),
2 at a field on Dillon Road on April 18 (Carol Cascanette, Barb Davis) in the
morning.  There were none in this field in the afternoon of April 18 & 19 when
I checked but I saw them (2 adults) on Sat. April 20 at 10 am and again at
noon.  My best sighting was of a flock of 10 flying north over the
intersection of Hwy #559 and Dillon Road at 5:00 pm on April 19.  Another
report from the mouth of the Shebeshekong River nearby (Edie Verite) was that
cranes were present on Saturday, April 20 and were heard on April 21, so spent
the night there.  When I checked in the afternoon on April 21 after getting
the report, they were gone, but some were heard in the distance.  I don't know
if they were flying or on the ground.
Others have reports of Sandhill Cranes but these are the only ones that I've
accumulated so far.  Reports here are increasing every year, formerly rare.

OSPREY:  I checked on our platforms and found Osprey at three of them in the
Dillon area.
MERLIN:  I saw one at our cottage.  Other observers 2 km to the west of me and
1 km to the east of me also reported seeing and hearing them back.  One year I
had 3 nests in this small area.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS:  There are hundreds of these in my area as I am
close to breeding colonies.  They frequently fly back and forth from their
colonies to various feeding areas, including in front of our cottage at Dillon
Cove.  It was disappointing that so many of the other ducks had dispersed
after ice break-up.  I did find nice flocks in Sand Bay of 50+ RING-NECKED
DUCKS and 50+  LESSER SCAUP, plus 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES.  Common Mergansers
were present in small numbers, as were BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and
HOODED MERGANSERS plus 2 AMERICAN WIGEON, and 4 GREEN-WINGED TEAL.  CANADA
GEESE were also present but these are probably our nesting ones and not
migrating through.  MALLARDS and BLACK DUCKS were also seen.

COMMON LOON:  I saw one in its usual spot off Dillon Cove.  I did not see any
migrating flocks along the Georgian Bay coastline that others are reporting in
southern Ontario.

CASPIAN TERNS: are regular at the Dillon area in April.  Some return before
the ice goes out.  I saw 9+ on April 18 and then they fly regularly past the
cottage all day long.

I tried to get into Killbear Prov Park to check for Red-necked Grebes but
found out it is frequently picketed and the locks were changed.  I had planned
on doing the Red-shouldered hawk & Spring Woodpecker Survey (which includes
stops in the park) until I ran into these two hurdles.  If I can overcome them
and make a return trip before the deadline (May 7), then it is still a
possibility.  I did hear a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK calling near Dillon on April 23
and I saw one BROAD-WINGED HAWK  in the same spot (not migrating) on April 20
and 23.

I saw a RUFFED GROUSE on April 19, KILLDEER (1) on April 18-19, and COMMON
SNIPE (2) on April 19.

PILEATED WOODPECKER:  These are heard regularly.  I saw one excavating a nest
hole in a new pressure treated hydro pole.  The male worked very hard, not
only in the morning but also the afternoon for more than one day.  There is an
interesting story to this.  Briefly, they had made a hole in a previous pole.
The pole was weakened and replaced with a new pole for Bell and Hydro wires.
The old pole was left for the woodpeckers.  BUT they excavated their huge
holes in the new pole as well, under the supports (that they like for the nest
hole) which had been moved over from the previous pole.  This year it was
making another hole in a new pole.  I saw three fledged young in this location
last year.

Flickers are common and Sapsuckers have arrived.
Other migrants included Tree Swallow, Brown Creepers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets
(missed Golden Crowned), Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers, Tree
Sparrow (2), Chipping and Song Sparrows, Juncos but only one White-throated
Sparrow sang feebly.  Phoebes were not singing well either.

EASTERN MEADOWLARK:  I saw two on April 20
PURPLE FINCH:  2 males and 1 female showed up as soon as I put out my feeders
HOUSE FINCH:  Rare here.  One male arrived on April 20 with a male Purple
Finch at the feeder.  In this area, they move through, i.e. are migratory.

Regards
Jean Niskanen
Oakville,
jniskan@vianet.on.ca

Almaguin Highlands hawks and spring migrants - April 11, 2002

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Spring and spring birds have been slow coming to East Parry Sound District
(we still have lots of snow), but today the strong south winds brought a
huge wave of migrants.

At our hawk watching location ( west on Black Creek Rd. off Hwy 11, south of
Sundridge) between 10 a.m. and noon we saw 98 migrating hawks of 8 species:
N. Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Turkey Vulture,
Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, and an eagle.  58 were
Red-tailed Hawks.

We also observed many first of the year migrants for our area flying by:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hooded Merganser, a pair of Wood Ducks,
Yellow-rumped Warblers, Tree Swallows, Great Blue Herons (18), Killdeer, and
Kingfishers.

Kathy Parker
South River
mkparker@onlink.net

Steve O'Donnell and Len Elphick
Sundridge

Bird Report from High River - Thu, 31 Jan 2002

January 15, 2002    
Backyard sightings in the west end of town, south of river:
    One Varied Thrush    
    Three Robins
    12 Chickadees
    30 or more Pine Siskins
    30 or more Common Redpolls
    only 2 hoary redpolls
 
January 22, 2002
    11 robins flocking with over a hundred bohemian waxwings 
	in a crabapple tree, 8th St SW
 
Monday, January 29, 2002
	One merlin sighted twice, once in tree in backyard where 
	he or she had siskins and redpolls.
	once in flight by Hospital after waxwings  

From: Robert R Griffiths
          903 - 8th Street SW
          High River AB  T1V 1B2
          (403) 652-5909
          robgriff@telusplanet.net