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Page 1: Ontario Birds - sora.unm.edu · National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds ojNorth Amenca / 120 reviewed by Bob Curry Guia para la identificacion de las aves de Argentina
Page 2: Ontario Birds - sora.unm.edu · National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds ojNorth Amenca / 120 reviewed by Bob Curry Guia para la identificacion de las aves de Argentina

Reports of rare birds (those forwhich the OBRC requires documen­tation-see supplement to OntarioBirds 5 [3]) should be sent to:Secretary, Ontario Bird RecordsCommitteec/o Ontario Field OrnithologistsBOx 1204, Station BBurlington, OntarioL7P 389

Ontario Birds

Editor. Donald M. FraserDesign/Production: Franca LeesonCofry Editor. Chip WeselohBook Review Editor. WilliamJ. CrinsEditorial Assistants: Don Ford,WilliamJ. CrTJlS, Donald A.Sutherland, Alan Wormington

All items submitted for publicationshould be sent to:The Editor, Ontario Birdsc/o Ontario Field OrnithologistsBox 1204, Station BBurlington, OntarioL7P 3S9

Material should be double-spacedand t}'pewritten if possible.

Publication costs of Ontario Birds are partially offset by an annual grant fromthe James L. Baillie Memorial Fund. OFO gratefully acknowledges thisgenerous support.

Editorial Policy

Ontario Birds is the journal of theOntarioField Ornithologists. Its aimis to provide a vehicle for thedocumentation of the birds ofOn tario. We encourage thesubmission of full length articles orshort notes on the status of birdspecies in Ontario, significantprovincial or count}' distributionalrecords, tips on bird identification,behavioural observations of birds inOntario, location guides tosignificant birdwatehing areas inOntario, book reviews and similar

material of interest on Ontario birds.We do not accept submissionsdealing with "listing" and wediscourage Seasonal Reports of birdsightings as these are covered byBird Finding in Canada and AmencanBirds, respectively. Distributionalrecords of species for which theOntario Bird Records Committee(OBRC) requires documentationmust be accepted by them beforethey can be published in OntarioBirds.

Page 3: Ontario Birds - sora.unm.edu · National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds ojNorth Amenca / 120 reviewed by Bob Curry Guia para la identificacion de las aves de Argentina

Ontario BirdsVolume 6 Number 3

Table of Contents

December 1988 Pages 81-124

EditorialExotics on the Doorstep / 81

Martin K McNicholl

Letters to the EditorIn defence of the Long Point Company / 83

lonD. McCrackenCorrections to Crow Note / 84

Ron Pittaway

ArticlesA Summary of the Breeding Status of Hooded Warblers in Ontario / 84

M. E. GartshoreFirst Breeding Record of the Lawrence's Warbler in Ontario / 99

Donald S. Graham and Alan Wormington'An Enigmatic Case for the Breeding of the Kentucky Warbler in Canada / 101

J D. McCrackenMale Golden-winged Warbler Attends Blue-winged Warbler Nest / 106

WilliamJ RaynerFurther Evidence for the Breeding of the Summer Tanager in Canada / 108

P. Allen WoodlifJeThe Ontario Specimen of Carolina Chickadee / III

Kenneth C. ParkesFirst Nest Record of White-eyed Vireo in Ontario / 114

WilliamJ Rayner

NotesEarly Spring Date for Red-necked Phalarope / 117

G. Tom HinceAn Unusual Bam Swallow Nest in Elgin County / 118

WilliamJ Rayner

Book ReviewsNational Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds ojNorth A menca / 120

reviewed by Bob CurryGuia para la identificacion de las aves de Argentina y Uruguay [Guide Jor theIdentification oj the Birds ojArgentina and Uruguay] / 123

reviewed by David Brewer

Cover illustration: Hooded Warblers by Suzanne 1. House

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81

EditorialExotics on the DoorstepIn commenting on the first specialissue of Ontario Birds (4:81-82;1986), RossJames characterizednorthern Ontario as a frontieroffering much to learn. We mightexpect the opposite of southernOntario, where large numbers ofpeople are crowded into the highlyurbanized "Golden Horseshoe". Weprobably do know more about thepopulation and distribution ofbirds in southern Ontario generallythan in any other part of Canada.Nevertheless, much of the area weknow well is man-altered landscape,and the comment by Bothwell andHillmer (1988:1569) that "the histo­ry of Ontario's forests has been oneof depletion" applies especiallyhere, where special efforts are nowrequired to secure what littleremains of "Carolinian Canada".

A visit to Backus Woods (northof Port Rowan) in late May,June, orJuly has added Cerulean Warbler,Louisiana Waterthrush, Golden­winged Warbler, and Blue-wingedWarbler to numerous year, life, andCanadian lists within seconds ofemerging from the vehicle."Pishing" will soon bring Rose­breasted Grosbeak and ScarletTanager over to inspect the sourceof the noise. An hour of enduringthe thousands of mosquitoes willeasily add several more speciesregarded elsewhere in Canada asexotic southerners. Though BackusWoods probably represen ts much of

extreme southern Ontario's "natu­ral" habitat, its 263 hectares is tragi­cally our largest remnant of thesemagnificent forests.

When Thomas Mcllwraith(1894) revised his Birds ofOntario,.he still lacked any evidence of suchCarolinian species as Chuck-will's­widow, Tufted Titmouse, White­eyed Vireo, Blue-winged Warbler,and Ken tucky Warbler even wan­dering into Ontario, let alonebreeding. He included AcadianFlycatcher only speculatively, andwas delighted to "introduce" read­ers to the Carolina Wren. Fortyyears ago, the finding of a HoodedWarbler nest near Orwell, Elgin Co.was a very special even t. Morerecen t surveys for the On tarioBreeding Bird Atlas, an extensivebiological inven tory of the RegionalMunicipality of Haldimand­Norfolk, and some of the specificstudies in this special issue ofOntario Birds all indicate that thesespecies breed on a regular basis inOntario, albeit at varying densitiesand over differen t expanses. Thesestudies should not be regarded asfinal, but rather stimulate birders toexplore further. Here we have theopportunity to not only documentthe northern limits of the ranges ofseveral species, but also to studytheir interactions with more north­ern species where their rangesintersect and to document theirresponses to changing habitat.

Some of the recent evidence of

Martin K. McNicholl, 218 First Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4M 1X4

VOLUME 6 NUMBER:3

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82

higher populations than knownpreviously undoubtedly reflectsexpansion of knowledge, but somealso involves expansion of range.The Northern Cardinal is a classicexample of a species that hadexpanded extensively into southernOntario, but there are several otherspecies that have undergone suchan expansion (see reviews bySnyder 1957 and de Vos 1964).Forest depletion both in On tarioand on tropical wintering grounds(see review by Hutto 1988) is pro­ducing declines in populations ofseveral species. Even where someforest is left in tact, fragmentation­produced "edge" habitat oftenresults in increased predationand/or parasitism by Brown-head­ed Cowbird. In Ontario, birdershave an excellent opportunity toexamine the dynamics produced bysuch changes in habitat and result­ing interactions among species.Such studies are not only a pleasureto undertake, but also vital to ourefforts to maximize species diversityand richness in a rapidly vanishing

habitat on the very doorstep ofCanada's largest concentration ofbirders. And then there are thenumerous questions one might askconcerning adaptations to the newurban and agricultural habitats thatare replacing the pristine forests.May the publication of this specialissue stimulate the greater explo­ration and study of both dwindlingCarolinian habitat and the expand­ing habitats that replace it.

Literature CitedBothweU, R. and N. Hillmer. 1988. Ontario. pp.

1567-1576. in Marsh,j. H. (cd.). TheCanadian Encyclopedia. Second edition.Hurtig, Edmonton.

de Vos, A. 1964. Range changes of birds in theGreat Lakes region. American MidlandNaturalist 71 :489-502.

Hutto, R. L. 1988. Is tropical deforestationresponsible for the reported declines inneotropical migrant popUlations?American Birds 42:!~75-~79.

Mdlwraith, T 1894. The Birds of Ontario.Second edition. William Briggs, Toronto.

Snyder, L. L. 1957. Changes in the avifauna ofOntario. pp. 25-42. in F. A. Urquhart(cd.). Changes in the Fauna of Ontario.University ofToronto Press, Toronto.

ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1988

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Letters to the EditorIn defence of the Long PointCompanyFrankly, I found Tim Saba's letterre "Closing of the Long Point Cuts"(Ontario Birds 6:12) to be more thana little disturbing. Amongst otherthings, I wonder whether OntarioBirds is really the proper forum forregistering personal complain ts ­particularly when they can onlyworsen an already delicate situa­tion. Mr. Saba clearly should haveaddressed his concerns privatelywith the Long Point Company(LPC).

In any event, he should not haveto be reminded that the LPC hasprovided an enormous servicethrough its long stewardship andprotection of Long Poin t andthrough its recent donation of animmense natural area to theCanadian Wildlife Service (CWS).Moreover, the LPC has generouslypermitted the Long Point BirdObservatory access to portions ofits land for use as a much-valuedfield station. Mr. Saba presents avery unbalanced and distorted viewof the LPC.

Judging from the tone of his let­ter, I am certain that Mr. Saba lovesLong Point, cherishes it solitudes,and is a thoughtful and careful nat­uralist. And I empathize with his"loss". However, the "Cuts" havecome under increasingly heavyrecreational pressure, despite thefact that CWS and LPC holdingshave been clearly posted with "NoTrespassing" signs for several years.

Beach "traffic" had increased enor­mously, to the point where therewas visible damage occurring to thevegetation and sand dunes of anin ternationally significan t naturalarea. Certainly, the soli tude ofwhich Mr. Saba speaks was fast dis­appearing. Certainly, there wasgreat potential to needlessly disruptnesting gulls and terns (perhapseven a Piping Plover?), not to men­tion the loafing and feeding flocksof shorebirds and waterfowl.

Since access was impossible toregulate, the LPC had no otherrecourse but to completely prohibitit. Mter all, if you let in one well­meaning birdwatcher, why not letthem all in? And how do you tellthe well-meaning ones from theslobs? What do you tell the massesofwell-meaning picnickers, party­ers, sun-bathers, and the just plaincurious? The LPC's answer, whileseemingly extreme, was rational,fair, and ultimately well-inten­tioned. Furthermore, as a privatelandowner, the LPC has every right,perhaps even an obligation in thiscase, to enforce the Trespass Act.Finally, Mr. Saba failed to mentionthat in order to access the "Cuts",he first must trespass across CWSproperty.

Sadly, conservation measures insouthern Ontario appear to be des­tined to become increasingly moresevere as recreational pressures arefurther exerted upon natural areas.Birders, being part of the pressure,should not expect to somehow be

VOLUME 6 NUMBER ~