Good Day
Today Ian Cannell and I did a short day of birding starting at Second Marsh in Oshawa where we had a Forster's Tern fly past us on the lake side of the marsh. On the lake and in and around the marsh we akso found Common Loons, Pied-billed and Red-necked Grebes, Trumpeter Swans, Wood Ducks, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teals, A. Wigeons, Ring-necked Ducks, both Scaup, all 3 Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks, A. Coots, Moorhens, 5 Little Gulls, Caspaian Terns, B. Kingfishers, and a million Swamp Sparrows.
At Thickson Woods in Whitby we came up with Common Loons, Caspian Tern, Great Horned Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, E. Phoebe, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, 6 Pine Warblers, E. Towhees, and White-throated and Chipping Sparrows.
In and around Cranberry Marsh also in Whitby we found Common Loons, N. Pintails, N. Shovelers, A. Wigeons, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Osprey, N. Harrier, Caspian Tern, and Savannah and White-throated Sparrows.
At all these places were many N. Flickers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets as well as many of the usual suspectswhich also included Beaver, 10 Muskrats and Leopard Frogs.
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DIRECTIONS:-
SECOND MARSH IN OSHAWA
If driving east from Toronto on Hwy 401 then exit at Farewell Street (Exit 419) and drive south to Colonel Sam Drive.
If planning to bird the west side of the marsh then continue on Farewell Street to Harbour Street, park on the east side of Farewell at the entrance of the paved foot trail and then follow it to the marsh.
If planning to bird the east side then turn left, east on Colonel Sam Drive and drive to the General Motors Head Office parking lot. Park at the northwest corner of the lot and follow the grassy trail from that corner to the viewing tower.
The trail from the tower runs north into the woods to another viewing tower with another view of the marsh and of the surrounding woods and wet area.
THICKSON WOODS IN WHITBY
If driving east from Toronto on Hwy 401 then exit at Thickson Road (Exit 412) and turn right (south). Drive along Thickson Road across Victoria Street E. and Wentworth Street W. At the next street (road) on your left past Wentworth Street (Waterfront Trail) turn left onto this road and you are there. Drive straight down the road and turn around, drive back and park on your right. (DO NOT BLOCK THE TRAIL AND BE SURE TO LOCK YOUR AUTO).
The entrance to the woods is on the south side of the road and the entrance to the meadow is on the opposite side.
CRANBERRY MARSH IN WHITBY
If driving east from Toronto on Hwy 401 then exit at Brock Street (Exit 410), drive south on Brock Street South, cross the bridge over the railway tracks and drive to Victoria Street West, turn right, west
on Victoria Street west and drive past the marsh to Halls Road South and turn left, south here and drive to the marked trails that go to the viewing platforms on the west side of the marsh. There are two platforms here (one at the northwest corner of the marsh and one at the southwest corner of the marsh) , (this is the hawk watching area in the fall). You can also access the lake at the end of this road and from the south platform trail.
To access the eastern side of the marsh you could walk along the lake end of the marsh (difficult at times) or you can do the following.
Drive back to Victoria Street and turn right (east) and drive the short distance to the Lynde Shores Conservation parking lot (fee) on your right. Park here and walk down the dirt road to the viewing platform at the northeast corner of the marsh or continue to the lake and the southeastern corner of the marsh (no tower here).
