Good morning all.
Yesterday Ian Cannell picked me up and off we went for a trip to Long Point and on the way we stopped at the Brantford Airport where we had close up in your face looks at a pair of Gray Partridge beside York Road just short of the terminal building and here we saw the first Horned Larks that for some reason I decided to count as we went along.
After the success at the airport we then headed south to the Long Point area and from there to the Townsend area near Jarvis.
There was very little open water except for the creeks ( notably Big Creek itself ) and some leads in Inner bay off Big Creek Marsh and the Townsend sewage lagoons are still frozen. As a result of the lack of open water there were relatively few Ducks and fewer Gulls but despite this lack we did find some nice birds and below are a few of the highlights.
Pied-billed Grebe
Tundra Swan - approx. 8000 off, over and in Big Creek Marsh and the fields just north of the marsh
A. Wigeon
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Bald Eagles - 2
Golden Eagle - 1
N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Red-tailed, and Rough-legged Hawks ( 9 ) as well as several A. Kestrels and a Merlin.
Gray Partridge - 2
Sandhill Crane - 23 together in a field along A Concession Road near Hwy 59
Killdeer - 10
Horned Lark - 357
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted ( 9 ) and Red-breasted Nuthatches
Lapland Longspurs
Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, and Brown-headed Cowbird - several hundred of each
White-tailed Deer - 28 and also a Mink
Directions:-
LONG POINT AREA - CENTERED ON PORT ROWAN
Port Rowan is southwest of Hamilton, to reach it you can drive south on Hwy 6 from Hamilton, passing through Hagersville and turning right, west in Jarvis onto Hwy 3, drive to Simcoe and turn left, south on Hwy 24 and follow
this to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of Simcoe) and your in the Long Point Area.
Turn left (south) on Hwy 59 at Hwy 24 and Port Rowan is straight down Hwy 59 (about 6 kms) on County Rd 42 (Lakeshore Rd), Big Creek Marsh, etc. are just a little further south of County Rd 42.
Or you can exit Hwy 403 just west of Brantford. Exit at Hwy 24 S at Exit 91 and drive south through Simcoe and follow
it to Hwy 59, ( it curves to the west south of Simcoe) and your in the Long Point Area.
The wood lots, fields, marshes etc. are north, south, east and west of Port Rowan.
BRANTFORD AIRPORT
Exit Hwy 403 at Hwy 24 South (9 km west of Hwy 24 North when coming from the east). Drive south on Hwy 24 to Robinson Rd and turn left ( east ) on Robinson ( the airfield is on your right ) and drive to Greens Rd. Be sure to watch all the areas along the roads encircling the airfield and in the terminal building area on York Road.
