Ontario

verall, the spring in Ontario was warmer than normal, with cold nighttime temperatures in early March contrasting with warm days.With the exception of cool nights in the first few days of the month and a cool wet spell in the third week, May was very warm, with temperatures breaking 30 ø C at the end of the month.Despite the warm temperatures, numbers of wintering birds were found lingering in southern locales surprisingly late into the spring.The regular spring overshoots that birders see during May did not arrive in the usual numbers, inhibited by the general lack of southerly winds during the first half of the month.However, Ontario's spring highlights were rare vagrants, many of which were oneday wonders, including Garganey, Bandtailed Pigeon, Black Swift, Painted Bunting, and Great-tailed Grackle.Rarer shorebirds such as Wilsong Plover, Black-necked Stilt, and Curlew Sandpiper also tantalized observers with short visits to the province.Abbreviations: L.EB.O.(Long Point B.O., Norfolk): N.EH (Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch, Niagara); EEB. A. (Point Pelee Birding Area; Point Pelee N.E and environs, Essex); s.l.(sewage lagoons); T.C.B.O.(Thunder Cape B.O., Thunder Bay).Place names in italics refer to districts and regional municipalities as well as to counties.WATERFOWL THROUGH VULTURES A good number of Greater White-fronted Geese was observed throughout the province this spring.Two were at Minesing, Simcoe 13 Mar (DMi), an amazing 20 were observed at Rondeau, Chatham-Kent 11 Mar (BAM), surpassed by the 22 at Dry L., Decewsville, Haldimand 25-26 Mar (JG), and singles were at Beachville, Oxford 15 Mar OHo), ne. of Carlsbad Springs, Ottawa 26-31 Mar (TAH, RC), at Cobden, Renfrew early Apr-9 Apr (MF, CR), in Ottawa 2 Apr-3 May (PW, m.ob.), at Ridgetown s.l., Chatham-Kent 22 Apr-13 May (DSm et al.), and at Algonquin PP, Nipissing 4-20 May (LT, RGT et al.).The two small flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese at Hillman Marsh, Essex during the early part of 2006 were last seen 6 Mar (AW et al.), and 4 were there 22-27 Mar (DJW et al.).The 3 Ross's Geese present at Hillman Marsh, Essex in Feb were last seen 21 Mar (DJW et aL); 2 were at Ste-Rose, Prescott-Russell 5 Apr (BDL), and 2 others were in Thunder Bay 27 Mar, moving to the mouth of the Current R., Thunder Bay 10 Apr (BM; GWi).Single Ross's Geese were near Manotick Station, Ottawa 18 Apr (TBe), n. of Navan, Ottawa 23 Apr (TBe), and at Winchester s.l., Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry 8 May (RC).The Brant ne. of Carlsbad Springs 6 Apr was record early for Ottawa (H.Tremblay).Unusual for the location, a Trumpeter Swan was at the Tip of Long Pt., Norfolk 1 May (KGB, ODB).The maximum count for Tundra Swan for the spring in the Pinery PP area, Lambton was 15,000 (AR) A high count of 80 Wood Ducks was at Hillman Marsh, Essex l0 Mar (AW).Single male Eurasian Wigeons were present at Presqu'ile PP, Northumberland l0 Mar-18 Apr (DS), at Townsend s.l., Haldimand l i Mar (KGB, MVB), at Hillman Marsh, Essex on 11 -16 Mar (AJH, RAH, ACP et al.), 30 Mar (DJW), and 27 Apr-9 May (RGT et al.), at Lee Brown W.M.A., Norfolk 15 Mar-3 Apr (RWW, TB), at Aylmer, Elgin 21-25 Mar (SR), e. of Bourget, Prescott-Russell 2 Apr (MT, m.ob.), at Neibauerg Marsh, Wellington 14-16 Apr 0M), at Rice L., Peterborough 15 Apr (PB, CDJ), at Oshawa Second Marsh, Durham 23 Apr-8 May (AP, m.ob.), and at Chippewa, Thunder Bay 26 Apr (BM).A Garganey toured s.Durham 5 May, visiting Thicksofts Pt., then Oshawa Second Marsh before disappearing during the night (DBa).Hillman Marsh hosted high numbers of waterfowl this spring, with 800 Northern Pintail 8 Mar (IMR, AW) and 1200 Green-winged Teal l 1 Apr (AW) being noteworthy numbers.

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