Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day on May 14

To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, the Friends of Minesing Wetlands will be hosting an Introduction to Birding Basics event at the Waterfowl Viewing Platform May 14th 1pm-3pm. The 12′-high Waterfowl Viewing Window offers a bird’s eye view of the wetland and its inhabitants. With the Mad River winding northwest to converge with the Nottawasaga River, this area experiences flooding in the spring, attracting a myriad of waterfowl.

Join us for an afternoon of learning about the Minesing Wetlands with an introduction to birding basics and identification with Naturalist Dave Featherstone. The Waterfowl Viewing Platform can be accessed at Concession Road 2 Sunnidale – please park on the south side of Concession Road 2. Weather permitting, there will be short guided walks along the Mad River Trail. Bring rubber boots and binoculars! There will be extra binoculars available to borrow. Bird Bingo will be at 2pm. This is a family-friendly event.

Directions: Take Hwy 90 west of the Nottawasaga River into Angus. Where Hwy 90 turns southwards, turn right onto County Road 10. Follow into the village of Brentwood and turn right onto Concession Road 2 Sunnidale. The viewing
platform is on the north side (left).

Parking: Parking is available on the south (right side) on Concession Road 2. You will see a bridge with cement barricades, so we will be parking on the south side of the road instead of in the parking lot. Friendly reminders: please do not to block the driveway on the north side of 2nd Conc near the bridge. Also note that access from McKinnon will likely be blocked at the McKinnon/2nd intersection.

About the Minesing Wetlands:

The Minesing Wetlands encompass a diverse array of wetland communities! Deciduous forest swamps, marshes and thicket swamps line the rich floodplains of the Nottawasaga River, Mad River and Willow Creek Levees along the river systems support Carolinian forest communities typically found hundreds of kilometres south of Minesing. To the
southeast, groundwater-fed boreal (coniferous) swamps and fens – more typical of northern Ontario – extend outward from the base of the Algonquin bluffs.

Naturally, these diverse communities support a rich variety of wildlife! Over 221 bird species have been recorded, of which 135 are believed to nest within the wetlands each year. Extensive spring flooding in the floodplain swamps, marshes and thickets provides provincially significant stopover habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds such as Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Wood Duck, Mallard, Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan and Sandhill Crane are among those that stay to breed in Minesing Wetlands. The spring season also bring the Great Blue Heron back to one of the oldest colonies in Ontario.