SITE GUIDE

Algonquin Provincial Park Ontario. Canada

C!ive E. Goodwin mammalsand birds. In springand early AlgonquinPark is noted for its wild- (Reprintedfrom A Bird-FindingGuide to On- life-viewing opportunities, for both tario by Clive E. Goodwin,by permissionof summer, Black Bears, Moose, Beaver, the Universityof TorontoPress ¸ University of TorontoPress, 1982.) and White-tailed Deer are frequently seenat closerange. The parkhas become famousas a placeto hearTimber Wolves HUNTSVILLE-- On Highwayl 1 driv- in late summerand early autumn. ingnorth from town and shortly after the Birdersare primarilydrawn to Algon- Highway60 junctionis ArrowheadPro- quinfor its northernspecialties, and war- vincialPark, with an interestingnature blerson their breedinggrounds. Boreal trail alongthe river. forestspecies such as Olive-sidedFly- Huntsville is best known, however, as catcher,Gray Jay, CommonRaven, and the nearestlarge communityto the Al- BorealChickadee occur commonly along Highway 60 in the park. In addition, lakesnear the road, and one shouldlisten gonquinProvincial Park Highway 60 corridor. careful searchingin favouredlocations at night for Barred and Northern Saw- can yield SpruceGrouse, Black-backed whet owls, both of which are common. Algonquin(entry fee) is boththe oldest provincialpark and, with an areaof over and Three-toedwoodpeckers, Yellow- Outsidethe breeding season, the park 7600 squarekilometres, one of the big- belliedFlycatcher, Rusty Blackbird, and is wortha visit in late autumnthrough gest.Highway 60 betweenDwight and Lincoln's Sparrow. Remember, howev- early springto see winter finches and Whitneycrosses the southwestcorner of er, that Algonquin'scontinuous forest residentspecies. Both eagles occur rarely the park, and is the main public road covercan make these birds very difficult duringthis periodas well, feedingon to find. wolf-killed deer. throughit. The interioris accessibleby canoe, and there are over 1600 km of Thereis goodbirding along the 43 km canoeroutes. Specific routes will not be of Highway60 betweenthe Huntsville identifiedhere because to my knowledge turn-off(Muskoka Road 3) andthe park noneoffers significantly different birding gate.The fieldsin thisstretch represent a to thatavailable elsewhere in theregion; habitatnot available to anyextent in the however,the canoeroutes and hiking park itself, and can yield field species trailsare undoubtedly the best way to see including (occasionally)Grasshopper the park. Sparrow. Some sideroadscan be most Algonquinoccupies an areaof rolling interesting,particularly the networkac- highlands,and the forest--and otherflo- cessiblealong Canal Road (Muskoka ra andfauna--presents a mix of southern Road 23) on the south, 4 km from Mus- koka Road 3; and Limberlost Road on the andnorthern species. Although this kind of mix is typicalof theregion generally, north5.9 km fartheron (Muskoka Road Algonquinhas a particularlyrich mix- 8, to SinclairTownship). These are nar- ture,and much of the varietyis accessible row,winding roads, often gravelled, go- in the relativelyshort distance along ingthrough good warbler country. Drive Highway60. There is a good museum slowly,parking and walkingalong the roads from time to time. witha skilledand knowledgeable inter- pretivestaff which can be of greathelp to Common Loons nest on most of the In Algonquinitself much birding can alsobe donefrom the highway,but it is thevisitor in givingdirections regarding largerlakes, but ducksare scarce.The busyand if youplan to do thisget outat specificspecies. There are severalfine commonlyobserved raptor along High- dawnahead of thetraffic. Stop regularly, naturetrails as well asa coupleof major way 60 is the Broad-wingedHawk (fre- hikingtrails, all accessiblealong the quentlyperched along the utility lines). (Theillustrations accompanying the text are by T.M. Shorttand do not appear in A Bird-FindingGuide IO highway.' Ospreys are occasionallynoted over Ontario.)

Volume40, NumberI 37 selectingvariations in the habitatalong 46.3 km The OpeongoLake Road. At trail (about 1'/2km long) leads to and the road, and drive with the windows the south end of Opeongo alongthe edgeof the spectacularBarron open. Most of your 'watching' will be Lake are some of the best River Canyon (with 100-metre vertical done by ear! In additionto the marked marshyareas accessible from granitewalls), before 1ooping back to the naturetrails, there are many sideroads, the highway. parkinglot. Commonbirds in the gorge some disused,and old trails along the 53.0 km There is a gravel pit here on includeYellow-bellied Flycatcher, Her- road that can be exploredon foot. It is thenorth side, and a smallbog mit Thrush, Northern Waterthrush, and emphasizedagain that naturalistsat the adjacentto it. SpruceGrouse Dark-eyedJunco (all of which shouldbe museumcan provide detailed informa- are possible. heardfrom the top). Closeto the water's tion on particularspecies at the time of 55.8 km The East Gate edge (far below), Barn Swallows and your visit. Be sureto stopin. Eastern Phoebes build their nests on the Somespecific locations of interestfol- To bird the easternside of the parkthe vertical rock walls -- a contrast to their low, but no attempthas been made to be following directionsare from the com- usual sites on man-made structures. exhaustive.The distancesgiven are from munities of Cobden and Pembroke. Another8.5 km alongSand Lake Road the West Gate: the distancesalong the bringsyou to the turn-off(left) to Achray highwaywithin the park are markedin on Grand Lake. Here there is a camp- this manner also. Cobden-- At CobdenHighway 17 par- allels the west shoreline of Muskrat groundon the lake, with a good beach. Upon returningto Sand Lake Road, Lake, and some 7• km north of town the road crosses the Snake River and the wet- thereis a choiceof returningto Pembroke (turnright), or takinga left turn anddriv- 0km The West Gate lands associated with it. The latter also ing some35 km fartheron to Lake Tra- 3 km The OxtongueRiver Picnic parallel the road to the west. A west- verse. An extensive area near Lake Tra- Grounds and start of the West- bound sideroad about « km south of the versewas clear-cutto salvagethe jack ernUplands Hiking Trail. The river bridgeleads to this area:turn left at pineforest killed by budwormin the past, heavy spruceto the east used the T-intersection. a sectionwhich may produceAmerican to be goodfor SpruceGrouse; Kestrels, Eastern Bluebirds, Rufous-sid- it is years since 1 have found ed Towhees,and Field Sparrows.Watch the birds there, but it may be Pembroke -- Some 25 km northwest of alongthe roadand in adjacentponds for Cobden is Pembroke. There is access to worth checking.Gray Jay and Wood Turtles and Blanding'sTurtles, Boreal Chickadee are fre- theSand Lake Gate of AlgonquinProvin- bothof whichare 'specialties'of Algon- quent. cial Park from a point 3.2 km farther quin Park's 'east side.' Typical birds 7.2 km The Whiskey Rapids Nature northwestof this town on Highway 17. alongthe road in summer(varying with Trail. This is an excellent na- Followa road(paved for a few kilometres the particular year) include Evening ture trail, and in my experi- andthen gravelled) west for 32 km to the Grosbeak,Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and enceone of the more produc- SandLake Gate (permitsavailable there) Red Crossbill.Stops along the way may tive spots for Boreal on the easternboundary of Algonquin yield Solitary and Warbling Vireos and Chickadees. Park.Proceed into the parkon SandLake the usual variety of Algonquinwarbler 16.7 km The Hardwood Hill Picnic Roadthrough young forests of birch and species. Grounds. Black-throated Blue poplar, and extensivepine stands(both Warbler and other deciduous redand white) -- whichare dramatically The AlgonquinPark Museumhas pro- woodlandspecies occur here. different from Algonquin's west-side duceda seriesof pricedpublications on 20. ! km The Park Museum and Inter- hardwoods.Common birds of the pine the park'sflora andfauna. Birderswould pretiveCentre forest include Olive-sided Flycatcher, be particularlyinterested in the booklet 22.3 km An abandoned railroad bed Pine Warbler, and Dark-eyedJunco. on birds (price: $1.00), which includes hereoffers a goodwalk in ei- an annotatedlist with arrival and depar- ther direction. ture dates. In addition, illustrated trail 30.6 km The road to the airfield. A guidebooklets (each with a differentnat- very productivespot for field- ural or humanhistory theme) are avail- birds and rarities (an island of ablefor eachof ninetrails along Highway opencountry); also waterbirds 60. on Lake of Two Rivers. 35.6 km The Trailer Dump Station. Generalinformation and a publication Golden-wingedWarblers have pricelist are availablefrom: Ministry of occurredin the shrubberyhere. Natural Resources,Box 219, Whitney, 42.5 km The SpruceBoardwalk Trail. Ontario,KOJ 2MO. Currentbird-finding Olive-sided Flycatchersare informationcan always be obtainedat the regular, and there is a good Park Museum (kin 20), or by phone chance of spotting Spruce ([7051 633-5592). Grousein the bog. Thereare severalcampgrounds in Al- 45.2 km The Beaver Pond Trail. A var- gonquin and three commerciallodges ied and productivenature trail that take guests.Outside the park there throughwetlands and conifer- About 10.5 km in from the Sand Lake aremotels at OxtongueLake, Huntsville, ous habitats. Gate is the Barron Canyon Trail. This and Whitney.

38 AmericanBirds, Spring 1986