2022 OFO Convention Trip: September 21-26

Day 1: Ottawa to Toronto with a Stop at Oshawa, September 21

It was time for the annual Ontario Field Ornithologist’s (OFO) annual convention, the first since 2019 because of COVID 19. This convention was in Point Pelee. We went together with our birding buddies, Colin & Hilda Wooles, and stayed at their Toronto condo on the way there and back.

We left Ottawa on the morning of September 21. To break up the long drive to Toronto, we stopped at the McLaughlin Wildlife Reserve in Oshawa. We hoped to see a Buff-breasted Sandpiper that had been reported, but it was not to be. Nevertheless, we had a lovely hike and did see some shorebirds on Lake Ontario – Semi-palmated Plovers, Sanderlings and Pectoral Sandpipers.

We drove on to Toronto, and were met by Colin & Hilda, who escorted us to their condo unit and served a homemade soup for a late lunch. Then, Hilda drove us down to Colonel Sam Smith Park to look for a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron that had been reported. We thought we saw it, but their friend, Wayne, soon put us straight – it was a Black-crowned Night-Heron. Well, that’s close. In fact, we saw 4 juveniles and a couple of adults, good finds. The other good sighting was a raft of Red-necked Grebes which breed there.
The it was back to the condo for supper. Colin showed Bill a special adapter to transfer files from his memory card directly to his phone – a eureka moment, as he has been trying to do this ever since he got the phone.