A hardy group of RHN members met early Saturday morning at the RH Go-station to arrange car-pooling for the trip. We set out for our first stop down where Grays Road hits the lake, W of the Confederation Park Conservation Area (some cars had a few hawks along the way). The day was great, with not much wind and good sunlight on the myriad birds out on the lake. Good views were had by all of SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, LONG-TAIL DUCK (aka OLDSQUAW), COMMON GOLDENEYE, RED-HEADED DUCK, and both SCAUP. A couple of us saw a COMMON MERGANSER as we were setting up.

Leaving this spot, we headed for Van Wagner’s Beach and Hutch’s Restaurant for a bio-break and coffee. While there, we had a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, several HERRING GULLs, and of course numerous RING-BILL GULLS. A few folks saw a CASPIAN TERN. Ready to forge on, we headed to Windermere Basin (just at the W end of Hamilton Harbour), where we were treated to a pair of RED-TAILED HAWKS floating motionless in the air low over a field. Beautiful! In the basin were several DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, a few RUDDY DUCKS, a number of NORTHERN SHOVELERS, in amongst the multitude of SCAUPS. Walking up the new road being constructed on the N shore of the basin, we had several WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS in the shrubs, plus SONG SPARROWS. An AMERICAN KESTREL swooped over while we were watching.

From here it was off to La Salle Park on the other shore of the harbour. Here were a number of TRUMPETER SWANS and MUTE SWANS, along with more RED-HEADED DUCKS and both RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, a DOWNY WOODPECKER, and AMERICAN COOTS. There were a couple of (apparently escaped) GREYLAG GEESE. As we were getting ready to leave, a PIED-BILLED GREBE and a HORNED GREBE showed up, and had some interesting interactions.

We headed up to a nearby restaurant for lunch (Chaps on Plains rd), and after a tasty if leisurely meal decided it was time to head back to home to make the promised 4pm time.

[gmap name='mymap' width='450' lat='43.303242' lng='-79.84432' zoom='10' desc='LaSalle Park']

Participants: Rod and Denise Potter, Tom Waechter, Graham Leonard, Karen DeGroot, Lynn Grabner, Charlene and Gene Denzel.

Natalie Helferty has organized a Letter Campaign to express public opposition to the planned widening of Bayview Avenue and to pressure Ontario Environment Minister, Laurel Broten, into re-evaluating the project through a Part II Individual Environmental Assessment. The letter catalogs a host of reasons why road-widening has a negative effect on traffic, business, health and community. Natalie also provides a list of practical recommendations to foster smart commuting and more efficient public transit. Please visit the Letter Campaign page if you would like to encourage greener, healthier development in Richmond Hill.

• Studies show that road widening will increase gridlock, not decrease it
• Wider roads encourage more car use
• Wider roads reduce the friendliness of the community
• Wider roads encourage speeding and street racing
• Wider roads increase speed, but discourage stopping in at local businesses
• Larger parking lots needed if more car use, so removes retail from street living
• Wider roads discourage walking short distances to improve your health
• Wider roads add to air pollution

Possible ways to improve transportation system and alleviate gridlock:

• Access to transit and walking through improved design and infrastructure
• Encouragement of bus use improved through better services and programs

Design:

• Sheltered, heated bus terminals needed close to street
• Local café and convenience store part of bus terminals
• Daycare centres located at major bus terminals
• Dedicated Bus and Car-pool lanes during rush-hour
• Alternating lanes possible to improve rush-hour traffic flow (like Jarvis St downtown)
• Bike-lanes to connect across and along major routes
• All new offices to include bus loop and car-pool lots (e.g., Honda Canada)
• Car-pool parking at Hwy 404 & Major Mackenzie Drive (Provincially owned land)
• Street trees to shade bikers and walkers

Services:

• Encourage daycare centres in offices to reduce in-town travel
• Extended rush-hour bus frequency as takes 1 hour+ to get here from Toronto
• VIVA service up Bayview Avenue
• Secure bike lockers at bus terminals, businesses and offices
• All new offices to include showers and lockers; encourage existing to add them
• Car-pool Web-matching of neighbours (Community Carpooling)
• Car-pool incentive for all office workers in Richmond Hill
• Free local bus service on weekends and late at night to encourage ‘trying it out’
• Paid parking at new offices; Car-pool parking free; subsidy for bus use