Clarke Birchard
On April 14 eight SFN members gathered at Scone for the Sideroads of Sullivan II outing. We traveled north on the Bruce-Grey County Line then east on Grey Road 16 and south on various concession and side roads back to the starting point. Along the way we made many stops with lots of time spent at the Grimston Flats, an area well known as a stop over for waterfowl and waders during migration. Highlights were 14 species of waterfowl, 2 species of waders, one male Eastern Bluebird and 1,000 or more geese at one location. By their number and behaviour we think the geese were migrants on the way to James Bay or other far north destination.
The following sightings are listed in order of first discovery: Mute Swans – 5; Canada Geese – >1000 ; Ring-necked Duck – 20; Pied-billed Grebe – 1; Common Merganser – 1; Double-crested Cormorant – 1; Ring-billed Gull – >1000; Rough-legged Hawk – 3; Red-winged Blackbird – 6; Red-tailed Hawk – 1; Greater Yellowlegs – 17; Killdeer – 3; Greater Scaup – 5; Mallard – 40; Common Goldeneye 5; American Widgeon – 1; Horned Lark – 1; Bufflehead – 18; American Robin – 8; Phoebe – 1; Green-winged Teal; Common Grackle – 10; Song Sparrow – 1; Turkey Vulture – 4; Northern Shoveler – 4; Pintail – 2; Crow – 4; Kestrel – 5; European Starling – 9; Muscovy Duck – 1; Mourning Dove – 4; Eastern Bluebird – 1; Rock Pigeon – 5.
We were surprised and pleased at the abundance of species as the day followed almost 2 weeks of wintery weather.
