May 04, 2008 - 04:30
By Betty Zyvatkauskas
Watching the warblers return -- Being a birder with more enthusiasm than experience, I was delighted to learn about Thickson's Woods, the last remnant of old growth pine forest on Lake Ontario's north shore.
"This is our Point Pelee" said amateur naturalist Doug Lockrey as we planned our search for warblers, those colourful migrants that signal the full flush of spring. A week ago Doug was scouting out the woods and noticed that the warblers were a little late returning north this year due to the severe winter. Still he managed to find "a few yellow-rumped, pine and palm warblers, along with a few of each of perhaps 15 other species."
He also spotted "the resident Great Horned Owl with its ever-growing youngster in a small squirrel nest at the top of a tall White Pine."
That sounded like a pretty exciting outing to me. On today's blog posting I'll tell you about my discoveries on our most recent outing to this remarkable preserve as it fills with birdsong and blooms. www.thicksonswoods.com
Cruising into spring on Lake Scugog -- As we settle into May's warm weather, it's great to be outdoors, to walk along the edge of ice-free lakes and take in all the sights and sounds of spring unfolding. In Port Perry, the popular tour boat, MV Woodman, sets out on its first Lake Scugog cruise of the season May 3, with an open house followed by a special fundraising cruise in support of the Special Olympics Ontario Spring Games. www.scugogcruises.com
Old cars and new -- Cruising of a different sort starts up when Haugen's restaurant holds the first of 2008's weekly classic car cruise-ins on May 14, 5 p.m. till dusk in Scugog. Open to autos dating back to 1979 or older, these gatherings attract some 200 vintage cars on a typical night. I've asked my young Oshawa friend Rob Muirhead to take me in his classic 1969 Chevy Impala and join me for platter of the roadhouse's famous ribs. www.haugensbbq.com
May also brings the startup of racing at Mosport, with a brand new race series featuring up-and-coming drivers (Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup) joining returning championships (Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship, Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup) on the Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend, May 16-18. On May 17, the Sundown Grand Prix, a three-hour endurance race into darkness, is followed by a 30-minute fireworks show. www.mosport.com
Visit www.durhamtourism.ca for more information on these and other attractions.
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