Simcoe County birding - an awesome rap up to Ontario

I'm back in Virginia..but NOT FOR LONG!  In just over 2 weeks north is the direction I head once again. The farthest north I've ever gone..Alaska!  Pine Grosbeaks, Alutean and Arctic Terns, just the thoughts get me super excited.

I haven't blogged since I've left Algonquin but here's the report from the Barrie area (Simcoe County)

I met up with Alex Mills, a professional ornithologist from the area who took me around the area birding and got me 3 valuable life birds.  He said 2 should be fairly easy, Piping Plover, and Black Tern.  Indeed we got both of those, which made me very happy.  My third target for that day was Clay-colored Sparrow but Alex said that would be tough.  He said if we saw a Christmas Tree farm we could try to hear it but expectations would be low.  We indeed found a Christmas Tree farm and after walking around a while as we were getting ready to give up "chhh - chhh - chhh".  Alex said "listen, there you go, Clay-colored Sparrow!".  We walked over to where the sound was coming from, got to hear it excellently and got a few brief glimpses.

Thanks for 3 great birds Alex!

All in all an awesome trip to Ontario, 14 year birds bagged well.  Excellent.  321 is the standing year count.

KestrelSwan