High winds this week rattled windows and blew leaves off trees but it also brought birds into the region that normally don't nest here.
Bird watchers on Kempenfelt Bay got a special treat this week; a rarely seen species of ducks and gulls temporarily called it home.
“We saw two or three little gulls in the bay here, we had a great view of them,” says York-Simcoe Naturalist Club President Doug Jagger.
Naturalist Bob Bowles says the little gull is feasting on Kempenfelt Bay smelt.
“Their feeding on the emerald shiners that are here in Kemoenfelt Bay, they’ll move on down to the Niagara River and then farther south during the winter,” says Bowles.
Some familiar species have returned to the bay along with some very rare sightings too.
“The last 7 or 8 days right here on Kempenfelt Bay there’s been Pacific loon, they’re a western bird,” says Bowles.
The Pacific loon is a bird that breeds in Alaska and northern Canada and winters along the pacific coast of North America. So why are they thousands of kilometres from their normal migratory route?
“I think it’s the weather patterns, right now we’re experiencing the aftermath of Hurricane Patricia and she’s blown herself out here to these inland waters and it brings a lot of sea birds that normally stay out on the main courses to these inland lakes,” adds Bowles.
The Red-throated loon is another rare bird that has been seen in our area and a large gull called the Parasitic Jaeger that is normally found closer to oceans.
“In Simcoe County we only have had about 4 or 5 records of Parasitic Jaegers but very rare to see Jaeger’s this far inland,” adds Bowles.
Local bird watchers say the best place to see the rare birds are at the Collingwood Harbour, the Orillia Harbour and Kempenfelt Bay.
