[Ontbirds]More spring arrivals at Rattray Marsh, Mississauga

[Wayne Renaud]

   This last bout of rain and warmer weather has ushered in a new wave of
migrants.  
   I birded the marsh area and adjacent woodlands for 3 hours late yesterday
afternoon.  Both Killdeer (2) and Lesser Yellowlegs (3 - briefly landed then
flew north) were found on the extensive sandbar that has developed in the
middle of the Marsh.
   My first Belted Kingfisher.
   In the adjacent woods there were 4 Eastern Phoebe, 24+ Golden-crowned
Kinglets, 2 Fox Sparrows, 12 Song Sparrows, 6 American Tree Sparrows, 2 Fox
Sparrows, 2 Dark-eyed Juncoes, 1 Winter Wren and 1 Carolina Wren.  There was
also a flock of 30+ Cedar Waxwings with two Bohemian Waxwings in a large
grove of trees behind Green Glade School (off Green Glade which runs east
off Meadowwood just south of Sheridan Creek); walk past the dumpster at the
south end of the parking area for the school and they were feeding on the
berries of a huge bittersweet that has climbed a dead tree.

Directions:
Go south down to the end Bexhill which runs south of Lakeshore about 5 long
blocks east Erin Mills Parkway; park at the metal gate  The marsh and knoll
trail start at the bottom of hill from the parking area.  This gets you
into, more or less, the middle of main area of the marsh.  Find a street map
to orient yourself and/or follow the the trail map inside the park.  For
those who want to visit the site, Mississauga has a map of the marsh and
surrounding trails on their web site.

Wayne Renaud