Ontario Sewage Lagoons

[stuartimmonen]

Since it's getting to be that time of year, I started working on a little project on the weekend, which will hopefully be of use to others and perhaps the expansion of which can be crowdsourced here or elsewhere.

It's a simple idea, but one I haven't been able to find: a Google Map of sewage lagoons (and other artificial or managed habitats) in Ontario:

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=2150 ... 0dcd&msa=0

I started in the southwest, and have been working east and north, so it's still very much incomplete. I'd appreciate any assistance or advice anyone might be willing to offer, but I think it's a resource worth maintaining.

Thoughts?

stuart

[thouc]

Great idea!

[newfoundlander61]

Can anyone go to the link an add a site?

[BoboBird]

Excellent idea and what you have already done is remarkable.

I am not very familiar with Ontario so am not much help but hope others can chip in.

[stuartimmonen]

Can anyone go to the link an add a site?

Paul, I can invite collaborators one at a time by email (PM me if you'd like to participate), or open the map up so anyone could edit. I hesitate to do the latter at this point, but might if the demand was evident.

I added a few more sites culled from Clive Goodwin's OOP Bird-finding Guide to Ontario today, but haven't personally visited those sites, so can't confirm accessibility. This is where collaborators would come in handy...

let me know!

stuart

[stvgarrett]

Nice initiative Stuart!

[Steve Hood]

I can add a few more from the East side of Markham where I live.  

Small sewage pond at the SW corner of Donald Cousens Parkway and Country Glen Road.  There is a resident heron there both last year and again this year.  I have seen him eating fish he caught in the pond.  There is a paved trail going around the pond.

Man made pond on the East side of Reesor Road just north of Finch Ave.  There is a pair of Trumpeter swans that have frequented the pond this year.  The TRCA has limited access (signage) to certain areas of the pond this year.

Two large sewage ponds on the north side of the 407 streaching from 9th line to the Donald Cousens Parkway (entrance from Kenilworth Gate at 9th line).  These ponds are only 3 years old but have many water birds including heron, egret, comorant, swan, etc that I saw last year.  There is a walking path that takes you around most of the two ponds.  The photo below is from last fall of one of these two ponds.

[stuartimmonen]

Thanks for the additional info, hoodlum-- I'll add it to the map ASAP.

If anyone else would like to contribute, but perhaps isn't up to actual map editing, I can transfer data to the map if it's posted here in the thread. Please feel free to add personal observations, links to management or regional websites, species highlights or anything else you can think of.

stuart

[stvgarrett]

I noted the following on ONTBIRDS. Normally a permit is required to visit the Brighton Constructed Wetlands, so if you have a hankering to go but can't be bothered to apply for a permit, this weekend might afford an opportunity. Never having been there, nor Presqu'ile, and not having any other reason to make the drive, I'm a bit daunted by the distance. So can anyone offer any opinions on the quality of birding there and at Presqu'ile at this time of year? Is it "excellent", "fair", "good if you're in the neighbourhood but not worth a 4 hour round trip drive from west end Toronto"? Any tips on what to be on the lookout for?

I added this to the Sewage Lagoons Map, and if you want to save yourself the trouble of following the directions below, here is a link to the map showing this location:
http://bit.ly/oPssX2

From ONTBIRDS, Wednesday July 27 2011 by Keith Lee keith.lee at sympatico.ca
___________
Hi everyone, since we are still up and running I would like to invite all who wish entry to
come to the wetlands on the August long weekend, I will have the wetlands open to the
public for free for the following days.

August 6&7, 2011
from  11:00 am to 2:00 pm

If anyone would like to book tours please e-mail or phone me at home at 613-475-0881
 or Cell 613-849-8920

Tiny

The wetland is located exactly 7.2 kilometres south on Highway 30 at exit 509
off eastbound 401.Follow road right through town until you see the viewing
platform on your right at the bend in the road.
_________________

[stvgarrett]

Not having any experience with lagoons, I wonder if any of the cognoscenti (no pun intended) would post some opinions on the "best" lagoons in the vicinity of the GTA. I have an immediate short term interest since I'm thinking of heading out this coming weekend (August 6 or 7), but if you want to offer "best" locations for spring or fall migrations or other special criteria that would be great, I'd be happy to add it to the map as well.

[stvgarrett]

can anyone offer any opinions on the quality of birding ...at Presqu'ile at this time of year? Is it "excellent", "fair", "good if you're in the neighbourhood but not worth a 4 hour round trip drive from west end Toronto"? Any tips on what to be on the lookout for?

As if in answer to my question, Fred Helleiner  posted the following report from Presqu'ile
http://ontbirds.ca/pipermail/birdalert_ ... 27875.html
which suggests that the birding there is definitely good right now.

[stuartimmonen]

Good news! I wish I could find the time to head east this month, but it is not to be...

I asked for assistance over at the Guelph/Cambridge/KW board, and got some useful corroboration on a couple of locations in the SW. I myself travelled up to Holland Landing on July 29 and found the lagoons locked up tight.

Josh Vandermuelen posted on his blog about some other lagoons to the west...

And Alvan Buckley posted recently about some to the east.

Lots of work yet to do on the map with these useful additions.

stuart

[stuartimmonen]

Ken Burrell posts about a couple of SW sites.


stuart

[Andreas Jonsson]

Great idea! Schomberg sewage lagoons isn't marked on the map. Just east of Dufferin Marsh.

Edit: Also Nonquon sewage lagoons.

[Andreas Jonsson]

Here is a list of all Ontario hotspot locations on eBird with either "sewage" or "lagoon" in it name. Do you have them all on the map?

Alfred Sewage Lagoons
Algonquin Provincial Park--Taylor Statten Sewage Lagoons
Amherstview--Sewage Lagoons
Arthur Sewage Lagoons
Aylmer Sewage Lagoons
Blenheim Sewage Lagoons
Bracebridge Sewage Treatment Ponds
Bright's Grove--Sewage Lagoons
Bruce Mines--Sewage Ponds
Cardiff Sewage Lagoons
Casselman--Sewage Lagoons
Chelmsford Sewage Lagoons
Chesterville Sewage Lagoons
Dunnville-Mosaic Esterhazy Lagoons
Embrun Sewage Lagoons
Emo Sewage Lagoons
Essex sewage lagoons
Exeter Sewage Lagoons
Grand Bend Sewage Lagoons
Grimsby--Sewage Lagoons
Harrow Sewage Lagoons
Holland Landing Sewage Lagoons
Jarvis--Sewage Lagoons
Kincardine--Sewage Lagoons
Lakefield--Sewage Lagoons
Long Point--Port Rowan (Sewage Lagoons)
Mitchell Sewage Lagoons (West Perth Wetlands)
Moosonee Sewage Lagoons
Niagara-on-the-Lake--Sewage Lagoons
Port Perry--Nonquon Sewage Lagoons
Port Stanley--Sewage Lagoons
Rainy River--Sewage Lagoons
Richmond Sewage Lagoons
Ridgetown SewageLagoons
Rodney--Sewage Lagoons
Schomberg Sewage Lagoons
Smithville Sewage Lagoons
Sombra--Sewage Lagoons
Strathroy--Sewage Lagoons
Sudbury--Garson Sewage Lagoons
Sudbury--Wahnapitae Sewage Lagoons
Tavistock Sewage Lagoons
Thunder Bay--Chippewa Lagoons
Tilbury--Sewage Lagoons
Toronto--Leslie Street sewage plant
Townsend Sewage Lagoons
West Lorne Sewage Lagoons
Winchester sewage lagoons