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Ontario 
David H. Elder 
F or Ontario birders, the summer of 2009 
seemed merely an illusion. Caught on 
the wrong side of a persistent southerly 
loop in the jet stream, July recorded the 
fewest number of days with sunshine on 
record for the province. Consistently cool and 
wet conditions prevailed, and monthly tem- 
peratures were well below average, especially 
in the north. An immobile North Atlantic 
high-pressure zone prevented eastward-mov- 
ing continental low-pressure systems from 
dispersing, resulting in abundant rainfall for 
the period. 
The inclement weather undoubtedly had an 
effect on bird reproduction, but just how and 
to what degree is open to speculation. Where- 
as Snow Geese on Hudson Bay generally failed 
to breed, Ontario’s Piping Plovers had a ban- 
ner year. During the period, personnel from 
the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Royal 
Ontario Museum were active along the James 
Bay coast and made many interesting and sig- 
nificant observations. Rarities for the period 
included Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill, 
Black Vulture, Curlew Sandpiper, Black 
Guillemot, a Tree Swallow x Barn Swallow hy- 
brid, Northern Wheatear, Lark Bunting, and 
Lazuli Bunting. 
Abbreviations: C.W.S. (Canadian Wildlife 
Service); G.T.A. (Greater Toronto Area); Point 
Pelee (Point Pelee Birding Area, a standard 
C.B.C. circle centered just n. of Point Pelee 
N.R). Place names in italics refer to counties, 
districts and regional municipalities. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH VULTURES 
Due to a cold, late spring and the resultant 
late snow melt, most of the 140,000 Snow 
Geese along the Hudson Bay coast (10,000 
on the Pen Is. and 130,000 at Cape Henrietta 
Maria) either failed to breed or had a very 
poor nesting season (KFA). In Atikokan, an 
ad. blue-morph Snow Goose appeared 4 Jun 
and remained for three weeks, feeding with 
Canada Geese throughout the town (DHE). 
In the Ottawa area, single ad. white-morph 
Snow Geese were at the Embrun W.T.P. 16 
Jun (RP) and at the Alfred W.T.P 14 Jul (CD). 
Ottawa had a cooperative Brant at Andrew 
Haydon Park 10-31 Jul+ (m.ob.); another at 
Hamilton Harbour 9-12 Jun likewise drew 
many observers (ON et al.). A yearling Trum- 
peter Swan still retaining some brown feath- 
ers was found along the James Bay coast at 
Longridge Pt., Cochrane 20 Jul (AWh). After 
last year’s failure, a pair of Trumpeter Swans 
raised 2 young near Atikokan (DHE). Three 
Tundra Swans at Thunder Cape, Thunder Bay 
6 Jun were very late migrants QMW). Three 
broods of Canvasback were present at the 
Hearst W.T.P, Cochrane 27 Jul (WJC, DAS), 
probably marking the first nesting record for 
n. Ontario. A male Redhead at the Moosonee 
W.T.P 11 Jul (CDJ, WJC, DAS) was a local 
rarity. A male Ring-necked Duck at Presqu’ile 
PR 15 Jun (RDM) was presumably a non- 
breeding visitor. An aerial survey conducted 
by C.W.S. staff off Longridge Pt. on James Bay 
26-28 Jul recorded 10,000 Black Scoters 
(RKR), mostly molting males. A single male 
Black Scoter at Hurkett, Thunder Bay 2 Jun 
(AW) was a late migrant. Fifteen White- 
winged Scoters in Hamilton Harbour 22 Jul 
(RZD) made a high count for summering 
birds. A single Long-tailed Duck was noted 
off Colonel Samuel Smith Park, G.T.A. 13 Jun 
(SMF). A male Ruddy Duck at the Hearst 
W.T.P. 27 Jul (WJC, DAS) was a rare find for 
the area. 
A Pacific Loon in breeding plumage at 
Longridge Pt. 18 Jul (MKP) furnished one of 
only a few records for s. James Bay. A Com- 
mon Loon was on the Niagara R. 6 Jul 
(R&LG). Two Pied-billed Grebes with 6 
young at Little River Corridor Park in Wind- 
sor 12 Jul (DJL) was most unusual for this 
urban area. Three Horned Grebes were off 
East Beach, Point Pelee N.E 14 Jun (BAM). 
At least three pairs of Red-necked Grebes 
were at Colonel Samuel Smith Park, G.T.A. 
22 Jul, with one pair observed building a nest 
(BPB). The only Eared Grebe noted during 
the period was an ad. at the Grand Bend 
W.T.P 22-31 Jul (MC et al). Wandering, non- 
breeding American White Pelicans were not- 
ed across the province in interesting num- 
bers. Two flocks totalling 150 birds were on 
the James Bay coast near Fort Albany 15 Jul 
(SG), with an additional 16 near Longridge 
Pt. 8Jul (WJC et al.). Singles were reported at 
Presqu’ile PR 18 Jul (GP), at Golden L., Ren- 
frew 28 Jun (TFMB), and at Hamilton 19-31 
Jul and later (KAM et al.). An additional 3 
were noted in late Jul at Balanger Bay, L. 
Huron (LL), and 6 were at Holiday Beach, Es- 
sex 12 Jun (CAC). An imm. Brown Pelican 
was at Pt. Edward, Lambton 27 Jun (DM, 
SM). A Great Egret at the Moose R. mouth, 
Cochrane 10 Jul (DAS et al.) was the most 
northerly of its species ever recorded in On- 
tario. A record count for the G.T.A. of 13 
Great Egrets was made at Reesor Pond 19 Jul 
(RBHS et al.). A single ad. was at Mud L. in 
the Britannia C.A. near Ottawa 24Jun-23 Jul 
(m.ob.). A Snowy Egret at Port Colborne 2 
Jun was a very nice find (BE, JMF). An ad. 
Cattle Egret was found at a composting facil- 
ity near Peters Corners, Hamilton 31 Jul+ 
(DRD et al.). The Northumberland Summer 
Bird Count 14 Jun located 27 Green Herons, 
almost doubling the previous high of 14 
found in 2007 (fide CEG). Green Herons are 
rare in the Muskoka area. A pair of Green 
Herons fledged 5 young at the Bracebridge 
W.T.P 15-17 Jul (BT, m.ob.). Four unidenti- 
fied Plegadis ibis flew over the Old Cut dyke 
at Long Pt. 4 Jun (SAM). An imm. Roseate 
Spoonbill found at Morton, Leeds and 
Grenville 13 Jun QJH) was a new species for 
Ontario and was supported with excellent 
documentation; a substantial extralimital 
flight of the species was recorded during ear- 
ly summer in the East and Midwest. A Black 
Vulture found at Courtice, Durham 14 Jun 
(SRW) was the only one reported. 
RAPTORS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS 
Two dark-morph Rough-legged Hawks at 
Moosonee 12 Jun were possibly nesting near- 
by (MWJ). Farther along the James Bay coast, 
up to 10 were noted between Hannah Bay 
and Attawapiskat during the period (DAS et 
al.). Peregrine Falcons fledged 2 young from 
a nest on the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa 
21 Jun (EDT), the 13th consecutive nesting 
at that site. Another pair fledged 3 young 
from the Sun Life Financial Center, Islington, 
G.T.A. 2 Jul (SCH). Transect surveys carried 
out on sites along the James Bay coast by staff 
from the Royal Ontario Museum tallied more 
than 300 Yellow Rails between Attawapiskat 
and the Quebec border 1-11 Jul (MKP et al.). 
The surveys point out the significance of the 
coastal marshes for the species. At least 2 Vir- 
ginia Rails were heard calling at Otterhead 
Cr. near Moosonee 10 Jul (DAS et al.); the 
species is very rare on James Bay. Two Com- 
mon Moorhens at Komoka RP 9 Jun (MN) 
were probably a breeding pair. A Sandhill 
Crane at Komoka RE 10 Jun was an excellent 
record for Middlesex (MN). Observations of a 
pair of Sandhill Cranes with a single colt in 
Algonquin P.P. 30 Jul (RGT) confirmed 
VOLITME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
589 
