Here are directions for getting to the Harrow Sewage Settling Ponds, which are at Harrow, Ontario, between Windsor and Pt. Pelee. Harrow Settling Ponds The Harrow Settling Ponds are just west and north of the small town of Harrow, Ontario. This is a good site for shore birds of good variety, and you'll usually find a surprise bird or two there. Harrow is west of Leamington on Essex County Rd. 20 (old Highway 18), so it's a convenient place to stop on your way back to the Ann Arbor/Detroit area from birding at Pt. Pelee or Hillman Marsh. The road north out of Pt. Pelee National Park runs into Co. Road 20. At this intersection you can turn right and go to Hillman Marsh or left to go to Leamington and Highway 3, which will take you to Windsor and the bridge to the U.S. To go to Harrow after leaving Pt. Pelee, turn left on Road 20 and continue going straight west instead of turning north again after a short distance to go into downtown Leamington. Harrow is 16 miles ahead on Road 20. Go all the way through Harrow. On the west side of town you will see a big orange sign for The Beer Store on the right side of the road. Turn right (north) there and go 0.7 miles to a "T" in the road. Turn left (west) and go 0.9 miles to a pulloff on the left side of the road. Park there, grab your scope (a necessity here) and binoculars, and walk up to the settling ponds. There are three ponds. In April or May you'll spend at least an hour here. Date sent: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 00:49:48 GMT To: "Philip Tomlinson" From: birder@netcore.ca (glenn gervais) Subject: Re: Harrow Sewage Lagoons Copies to: birders@umich.edu Philip wrote (reply below)> My friend and I got something of the cold shoulder from the park official at Pt. Pelee when we duly asked her where the Harrow sewage lagoons were located precisely, that we might enjoy the species entered in the log by your group on Saturday. Can you tell me where they, the Lagoons, are precisely? We shall keep the location to ourselves. We were told that Harrow does not want the information public because it is private property or city property. Well, we are discreet, careful, and respectful birders. In fact, if we are told explicitly to stay out, we'll stay out! Are the Lagoons a sensitive issue? If they indeed are (sensitive) for any reason, my friend and I will respect any grounded wishes of the Harrow city fathers/mothers. My friend was told by the lady that your group had entered your findings "only trying to be helpful". Which we can fully appreciate. Your sightings had the potential of being exceedingly helpful on Saturday. > I hope you will use your influence as a known and influential birder to allow this information, re the location of the Lagoons, to be given out to the public upon request, else I think you should not enter your sightings at the Lagoon in the Pt. Pelee book. At any rate, I hope you will respond briefly to this e-mail, otherwise I will feel foolish for having taken any trouble over it. All in good will, I'm not making a stink about this. I just wondered if there was really a problem with Harrow. :-) I hope this smiley-face convinces you of my good will. We were just surprised that what was in the Pelee log could not be used by the unitiated. >--------------------------------- Hi I dont understand the response from the Pt Pelee staff about the secrecy of the Harrow Sewage lagoons. It's true the lagoons are on private property but its also well understood that access is granted to birders who act responsibly. I often bird the following Lagoons in my area: Harrow Sewage Lagoons (good shorebirds and puddle ducks)(Good repeat Ruff spot) McGregor Sewage Lagoons(good shorebirds and often rarities) Essex Sewage Lagoons(not that great) Kingsville Sewage Lagoons(good puddle ducks herons and occasional shorebirds) Comber Sewage Lagoons(Good for swallows ie all types woods adjacent hold good warblers and vireo etc) Tremblay Beach sewage Lagoons( good spot for Yellow Headed Blackbird-puddle ducks and moorhen adjacent beach great in fall and winter for ducks) What puzzles me about the response from the Pelee Staff is that all these lagoons are listed on the Essex county birding map. The idea was to take the heat of so many birders in the spring off the point. All the lagoons are marked private property mostly for insurance reasons. I guess just in case some unlucky person fell into the goop. But the local towns support birding in these area's. In fact several lagoons have sightings books in a nearby restaurants. I have been present birding at the Harrow lagoons while the sanitation engineers have been working there and have only found them to be interested in what I had seen. I have never heard of a birder or even at times large groups at the lagoons ever running into problems. It would take to much time to give directions to all the lagoons but for the sake of the Ruff I give you the Harrow ones. Take Bridge to Huron Church South on Huron Church to Highway #3 (just like you were going to Pelee) Turn right(south) on Walker Rd Go south on Walker Rd thru Paquette Corners then thru McGregor. Keep going south and follow all the bending turns to Harrow. Just before you come into Harrow you will see a 50km sign. Go past the sign and turn on the concession rd (right turn) Go west about 1km. The lagoons will be on your left (3 ponds) 300yd walk. If you get lost in Harrow just stop at any local business or restaurant and ask where the lagoons are because they seem to like birders. And by the way the sightings book at Pt pelee has always been the main book for essex county as a whole. All the serious birders I know enter the sightings of not in that book. Finally I am told that the park is training new staff so this may have caused the mix up. Good Birding North Shore Nature Company Glenn Gervais (Amateur Birder)