Contact(s)
Birding hot spot: Bannister, Wrigley and Dickson
Location
- Bannister and Wrigley conservation areas: 1032 Wrigley Rd., west of Spragues Road (Waterloo Regional Road 75) (Map).
- F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness Area : Brant-Waterloo Road, west of Spragues Road (Waterloo Region Road 75) (Map).
Background
The Bannister and Wrigley Lake area consists of two small lakes (50 hectares) with well-developed aquatic, marsh, willow-dogwood thickets and nearby deciduous forest communities. They collectively provide a variety of habitat for migratory and breeding birds, especially waterfowl and marsh birds.
Located within the Carolinian Forest Zone, the Wrigley tract is connected to the Dickson property, which contains a deciduous forest, tamarack swamp, shallow and open water marsh, a restored tallgrass prairie, and vernal wetlands.
Watercraft, including canoes, kayaks, motorboats, or other personal watercraft are prohibited at Wrigley and Bannister Lake. Fishing is permitted from the shorline.
Grass Lake, located just east of the Bannister and Wrigley Lake properties, contains an early successional sphagnum bog, a fen-like phase, and a maple-oak-pine slope forest along its southern edge. Owned in part by the GRCA and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, this site is one of the largest and best-preserved open bogs in Waterloo region.
Number of species
At least 218 bird species have been recorded at all four sites. This includes 29 waterfowl species which are most abundant during the spring and fall migration period.
Notable species have included northern shoveler, Eurasian and American wigeon, American black duck, canvasback, redhead, northern pintail, ruddy duck, and long-tailed duck. At least 22 warbler species have been observed during spring and fall migration.
At Grass Lake, breeding species include sandhill crane, swamp sparrow, and common yellowthroat. The agricultural fields on the west side of Shouldice Road support a diverse community of grassland birds consisting of bobolink, eastern meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, field sparrow, vesper sparrow, savannah sparrow and song sparrow, all of which breed in the area. Ospreys and eastern bluebirds also breed within the area.
Open country birds that are observed regularly in the area include alder and willow flycatcher, and eastern kingbird. Brown thrasher and eastern towhee are occasionally observed.
Noteworthy species
In addition to waterfowl, a respectable number of American coot and sandhill cranes are often viewed on Bannister Lake during migration, though a scope is recommended.
Common moorhen, pied-billed grebe and Wilson's snipe are less abundant but can be frequently seen or heard in the marsh areas during the breeding season.
On quiet evenings, listen carefully for marsh wren, least bittern, sora, and Virginia rail at Grass Lake.
