ONTARIO 
Every spring, a dozen or two Summer Tanagers are found in Ontario as overshooting migrants, 
but nesting has never been confirmed in the province. This bird, apparently a well-marked fe- 
male, was at Point Pelee on 1 1-1 2 (here 1 2) May 2009. Photograph by Nathan D. Beaulne. 
and 240 birds at Ottawa 15 Apr (MB), and 
late birds were one at the Torrance Barrens, 
Muskoka 28 Apr (GDB et al.) and 2 at Dar- 
lington PP. 9 May (TH). 
WARBLERS THROUGH TANAGERS 
A Blue-winged Warbler at Indian Point 3 May 
(CTB, RT, JDi) marked the first Manitoulin 
record since 2004. Early but not record-early 
warblers in Toronto included a Blue-winged 
Warbler 27 Apr (NCM, MVL) and an Oven- 
bird 24 Apr (NCM, ALA) at Toronto Is.; a 
Tennessee Warbler at Etobicoke 26 Apr 
(GVR); and four species at Leslie St. Spit: a 
Yellow Warbler 20 Apr (SMF), a Chestnut- 
sided Warbler 27 Apr (SMF), 3 Cape May 
Warblers 26 Apr (HGC et al), and a Worm- 
eating Warbler 25 Apr (fide GCP). A Yellow 
Warbler at Thicksons Woods, Durham 18 Apr 
(GCo) was also very early. In Peel, a Prairie 
Warbler at Clarkson 25 Apr (DEP et al.) was 
rare and early, and one at Charleston Lake PP, 
Leeds and Grenville 26 May (MVAB, CR, EBk) 
provided a first park record since 1978. The 
700 Yellow-rumped Warblers at Pelee Island 1 
May (MVAB, KGB) was a high count. A male 
Audubon’s Warbler at Eton-Rugby 10 May 
(MG) was a local first for the Dryden Area. A 
male Townsend’s Warbler 8 May at Rondeau 
PP (GG, BG, MCo, SG et al.) represents a 4th 
local record and 13th for Ontario. The 6 Yel- 
low-throated Warblers reported this spring 
were spread widely across the south: one at 
Sault Ste. Marie 23-24 Apr QO) was a local 
first; singles were at Point Pelee 24 Apr 
(LMon, LR), 29 Apr QMT, EPL, RJC et al.), 
and 3 May (MCh, LJN); one at Etobicoke 30 
Apr (MLi); and one at Round L., Frontcnac 4 
May (fide MC). Kirtland’s Warbler is now an 
annual spring migrant in s. Ontario, with in- 
dividuals found this season in a narrow win- 
dow: 9 May at Pelee Island (MEB, JH, AH), 13 
May at Point Pelee (SBeau et al.), 15 May at 
Rondeau PR (AJB, SB), 
and 17 May at L. Man- 
itou, Manitoulin (THa). 
On 25 Apr, a very early 
Bay-breasted Warbler 
was at Point Pelee 
(DKD). Prothonotary 
Warblers at Point Pelee 
numbered 8 birds 27 
Apr-13 May (m.ob.), 
while Pelee Island tal- 
lied 84- birds 26 Apr-r, 
with one or more re- 
maining on territory 
(fide ACP); scattered 
individuals were re- 
ported elsewhere, in- 
cluding one well n. at 
Carnarvon, Haliburton 18 May (JD). Point 
Pelee recorded 9 Worm-eating Warblers 27 
Apr-28 May (m.ob.), with one on the last 
date (BRH) being locally record late. Scattered 
individuals were recorded elsewhere, the 
most significant being singles at Kingston 25 
Apr (EBa, AS), at Prince Edward Pt. 29 Apr 
(MB, DO), at Thicksons Woods 3 May 
(m.ob.), and at Darlington PP 9 May (TH). 
Kentucky Warblers at Point Pelee numbered 
7 birds 24 Apr-15 May, about normal (m.ob.), 
and 4 were found at Rondeau during May 
(fide BAM); scattered individuals were found 
elsewhere, including at Port Credit 9 May 
(WER). A Yellow-breasted Chat 23 May at 
Chaffeys Locks, Leeds and Grenville (MC) was 
in an area where the species is 
known to breed. 
Wayward Summer Tanagers in 
n. Ontario were first-spring males 
at Atikokan 8-9 May (TJN et al.) 
and at Thunder Bay 19-20 May 
(GAW et al.). Point Pelee logged 9 
birds during 25 Apr-24 May 
(m.ob.). Long Point 5-r birds 27 
Apr-i- (L.P.B.O.), Pelee Island 54- 
birds 3-9 May (MVAB, KGB), and 
scattered individuals were wide- 
spread elsewhere in the extreme s., 
including one 10 May at Prince Ed- 
ward Pt. (DO). Western Tanager is 
now an annual spring visitor to n. 
Ontario, where birds invariably ap- 
pear at feeders; 6 this spring was rather out- 
landish: one at Harris Hill, Rainy River 11-15 
May (CAEG, GRLG), one at Kenora, Kenora 
12 May-4 Jun (WRZ et al), one at Thunder 
Bay 19-20 May (GAW et al.), one at Dryden 
21 May QM), and 2 at Longlac, Thunder Bay 
in late May (MRE et al.). In the s., one was 
found at Mississagi Light, Manitoulin 22 May 
(CTB). 
SPARROWS THROUGH BUNTINGS 
The Spotted Towhee wintering at Point Pelee 
since 11 Nov (AW et al.) was last reported 26 
Mar, the longest-staying bird of about 24 
records for the province. A wintering male 
Eastern Towhee since November at Carnar- 
von Township, Manitoulin (WC et al.) was 
last seen 16 Apr, and another n. of range was 
at Sault Ste. Marie 11-12 Apr (KO). Northern 
Ontario had a flurry of Lark Sparrows in late 
May, with singles at Cameron Falls, Thunder 
Bay 28 May (KOJ), at Rainy River 29 May 
OEVDB), and at Thunder Cape 31 May-r 
OMW, MEW, SLS, ARS). In the s., there was 
another string of occurrences, but earlier: sin- 
gles at Long Point Tip 5 Apr (DJR); at Prince 
Edward Pt. 25 Apr (KF, M. Burge et al.); at Ty- 
neside, Haldimand 27 Apr-2 May (RL et al); 
at Pelee Island 4 May (ACP); at Point Pelee 7 
(CCl) & 14 May (BB, LR); and at Walsing- 
ham, Norfolk 16-17 May (MTT et al). Single 
male Lark Buntings were found at Amherst 1. 
27 May (BMDL), the 3rd record for the 
Kingston Area, and at the Tip of Long Point 
31 May (RWW). A Grasshopper Sparrow at 
Thunder Cape 21 May QMW, MEW, SLS, 
ARS) was one of few records for n. Ontario. 
Migrant Henslow’s Sparrows at Point Pelee 
were singles 17 Apr (Ml), 25 Apr (STR BAM 
et al), and 1 May (WGL, AW et al.), which 
were the only reports. A Le Conte’s Sparrow at 
Darlington PR 14 May (TH, GV) was rare that 
far east. Two Lincoln’s Sparrows at Leslie St. 
Spit 26 Apr (HGC et al.) were early for Toron- 
to. On 24 Apr, an estimated 5000 White- 
throated Sparrows were at Point Pelee N.R 
(FJU). Notable flocks of Lapland Longspur in 
the s. were 300 birds at Erie Beach, 
Chatham-Kent 24 Mar QTB) and 500 at Tap- 
leytown, Hamilton 9-11 Apr QEH et al.), with 
one there 23 May (RZD, DRD, CEE) being 
record late for H.S.A.; another very late bird 
was seen at Barrhaven, Ottawa 25 May (RWa). 
Always hard to find during migration, a male 
the Wolf River mouth, Thunder Bay District, Ontario. Photograph by 
Michael G. Bryan. 
422 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
