Use of Garbage Dump and Possible Migration Route of Caspian Tern in Central Ontario
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35 Note Use of Garbage Dump and Possible Migration Route of Caspian Tern in Central Ontario On 16 June 1985, Doug McRae, However, on 31 July I observed 13 Mike Runtz and I observed a Caspian Terns, including one in Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) flying juvenal plu~age, resting with the over the Lindsay sewage lagoons, gulls at the dump. Victoria County. At the time, we I believe these observations are remarked to one another that both significant for two reasons. First, the date and location seemed the terns were using a garbage unusual because most Caspian dump as a loafing site and second, Terns should be on their breeding the numbers observed (eight on 23 grounds in mid-June. July 1985 and 13 on 31 July 1986) On 23 July 1985, I observed eight are high for a location away from adult Caspian Terns loafing with the Great Lakes, possibly indicating approximately 200 Ring-billed a migration route between Gulls (Larus de/awarensis) at the Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. Lindsay garbage dump. The dump The Caspian Tern is decidedly is located adjacent to the sewage rare in most of central Ontario ponds and is about 1.5 km east of away from the Great Lakes. I the south end of Sturgeon Lake, recorded just one in Haliburton Victoria County. The location of County during the period from the dump and lagoons is described 1980 to 1986. Sadler (1983) cites by Goodwin (1982). only 14 sightings for adjoining At 1600h on 8 August 1985, four Peterborough County and he adult Caspian Terns were observed considers it "a rare wanderer ... resting at the dump with several from small nesting colonies on the hundred Ring-billed Gulls and a Great Lakes". In a few areas, small number of Herring Gulls (L. however, the Caspian Tern appears argentatus). The day was sunny and to be locally common. Calvert hot The terns had their bills open (1925) reports that the Caspian and were panting. As with the pre Tern was a "frequent fall migrant vious observation, the terns formed on Sturgeon Lake", but he lists no a loose group among the gulls. numbers or dates. Tozer and At 1545h on 16 August 1985, one Richards (1974) consider it to be "a adult Caspian was sitting at the fairly common transient ... and dump among approximately 1000 post-breeding summer resident" in gulls (mostly Ring-billed) when the Oshawa-Lake Scugog region. another adult tern flew in from the The origin ofsome of these terns is direction of Sturgeon Lake and suggested by a juvenal found dead landed near the first. on 10 August 1968 at Lake Scugog I was not able to check the which had been banded earlier in dump as frequently in 1986. the summer as a chick near VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 36 Halfmoon Island (Parry Sound of any reports in the literature of District), Georgian Bay. The Caspian Terns using a garbage evidence presented here suggests a dump. post-breeding migration route Acknowledgements from nesting colonies on Georgian I wish to thank Ron Tozer for his Bay to Lake Ontario via Sturgeon valuable comments on the Lake and Lake Scugog. manuscript. My thanks also to Although the Caspian Terns Geoff Carpentier for his obser were not observed foraging for vation ofCaspian Terns sitting in food at the dump, this behaviour fields with gulls. might not be totally unexpected. Cunningham (1966) reports a Literature Cited Caspian Tern feeding upon carrion Calvert, E. W. 1925. A preliminary on a road in Florida. It appears list of the birds of the Lindsay that the Caspian Terns at Lindsay District, Ontario. Canadian were using the dump for resting Field-Naturalist 39:44-51, 72-74. and loafing because of the Cunningham, L. 1966. Caspian Tern proximity of the dump to Sturgeon feeding upon carrion. Wilson Lake and this tern's strong Bulletin 78:319. inclination to associate with the Goodwin, c.E. 1982. A Bird Finding Ring-billed Gull. Caspian Terns Guide to Ontario. University of have also been observed sitting in Toronto Press. fields with gulls (Tozer and Sadler, D. 1983. Our Heritage of Richards 1974; Geoff Carpentier, Birds, Peterborough County in pers. comm., 1986). However, other the Kawartha's. Peterborough than nesting on man-made Field Naturalists. Orchid Press, peninsulas such as the Leslie Peterborough. Street Spit on Lake Ontario near Tozer, RG. andJM Richards. 1974. Toronto, Regional Municipality of Birds of the Oshawa-Lake York, Caspian Terns rarely use Scugog Region, Ontario. The man-made habitats. I am unaware Alger Press Ltd., Oshawa. Ron Pittaway, Box 619, Minden, Ontario KOM 2KO Caspian Terns and Ring-billed Gulls / photo by D.M Fraser. ONTARIO BIROS APRIL 19B7.