Bird-a-Day During A Holiday Weekend

 When the provincial government first announced the idea of a long weekend in February, it was not appealing. I would not be gaining an additional paid holiday. The floater day used on Christmas Eve day would now have to be used on the statutory holiday "Family Day". A few years have past since then and a long weekend in February has grown on me. It helps when the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is on the same weekend.

Saturday February 18

Twitching was set aside until mid-afternoon. Jean and I visited feeders at a residential property near St. John Conservation Area. An early Eastern Towhee tick last year, has us returning to this spot from time to time and this day produced a few species worthy of my Bird-a-Day list. Both nuthatch species, Tufted Titmouse and Black-capped Chickadee were expeditious when picking seed from the feeder and though the views were short, we had no problem observing the birds from our car.

Before reaching a decision, we headed over to the Roland Road entrance to Short Hills Provincial Park. A short walk along the Palaeozoic Path and viewing of Swayze Falls did not add anything new.

 

So for the Saturday of the long weekend, I went with Red-breasted Nuthatch. It's a species that has proven to be elusive at times and considering I may not observe one again for a few weeks, I thought best to tick it while I could.  

Sunday February 19

The weekly Hamilton Naturalists Club (HNC) report on ontbirds had Jean and I heading to a spot just outside of the Niagara Region. Short-eared Owls were observed the previous weekend during a HNC field trip on top of the Niagara Escarpment and I relished the thought of adding a fourth owl species to the year list after last year's bleak results.  Before the prowl on 10th Road East, we stopped at a few spots along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Grimsby. White-winged and Surf Scoters as well as Long-tailed Duck were on the bench for the Bird-a-Day list if needed.

We arrived at Ridge Road shortly after 4:00 pm and walked along the trail west of Ridge Road with hopes of flushing a hidden Short-eared. We were not the only birders anxious for the tick. Some walked the trail as well while those with cameras ready were patiently waiting by the roadside.

As dusk approached, we chose our spot and began scanning the open field east of 10th Road. The small group of birders that dotted the roadside reminded me of the UFO watchers in Close Encounters of a Third Kind.

My toes were starting to feel the cold (should have worn thicker socks) when the first Short-eared Owl flew in from the south. As it soared in, I tapped (more like a loud knocking) on the car window to alert Jean that the owl had arrived. We had some great views of the bird through our scope when it landed in a tree but it took off before Jean could capture some digiscoped images. 
Then, it was like someone flipped a switch. Above the field behind us, two more Short-eared Owls circled around until they perched themselves on a branch better suited for a Northern Shrike.

Two more owls joined in and we had owls to the right and owls to the left. This was one middle I did not mind being stuck in. A total of 7 Short-eared Owls, plus 2 Northern Harriers, put on one impressive evening air show. The 10th Road observations just keep getting better and better.

Monday February 20

The holiday Monday, Jean and I viewed waterfowl from Queens Royal Park and Nelson Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

No Little Gull spotted with the few Bonaparte's by Fort Niagara so I settled for White-winged Scoter for my Bird-a-Day challenge.

It was back to work the next day and if I got through the shortened work week and survived the weekend, all I needed was another three days to beat last year's stretch. That's only 9 species. How hard can that be in a milder than usual, southern Ontario February?

Hits, Misses and an Annual Visitor

March 29

The ink of my Horned Grebe and Ruddy Duck ticks was still drying when I read an e-mail report sent by Kayo Roy. A White-winged Crossbill was observed in a Fonthill yard by the home owner. The only observation of this finch species for Jean and I occurred during the 2008 St. Catharines Christmas Bird Count. It was a female and not only was it a first for us, it was also a first for the CBC.

No time on Monday between work and the monthly PFN meeting. "PFN meeting?", you ask. Jean and I joined a local nature club late last year (details to follow in a future post) and at the March 28 meeting, the group was informed that the White-winged Crossbill was sighted that day. So on the following day, Jean picked me up after work and we headed to Fonthill. With little effort (I wish they were all this easy), Jean and I observed what we determined to be an immature male White-winged Crossbill feeding on berries as it sat at the top of a tree. #84 for the year and still slightly ahead of the pace.

April 2

To start the second quarter of birding this year, Jean and I were given a request. My mother-in-law had asked if we could find her some bluebirds, so on the first Saturday of April, Jean and I became tour guides. The pressure was on to spot an Eastern Bluebird and I planned a route that could possibly have us revered by my mother-in-law and her partner, though I think that may be the case already.

I commenced our hunt for bluebirds outside of the Niagara Region at a vineyard in Stoney Creek. The same vineyard Jean and I visited back in March. If we were able to spot the male Eastern Bluebird and the reported female Mountain Bluebird not only would we have done our job, we also would add the western species of bluebird to our provincial list.

The staff at Ridge Road Estate Winery have been very welcoming to visiting birders and we were once again allowed access to the vineyard behind the winery. All we could find while we stood outside was the Eastern Meadowlark we spotted during our March 24 visit. Our bluebird watch was taken indoors. While we tasted wine, we looked through large windows towards the vineyard. We left our first stop with a few bottles of great wine but without a bluebird tick.

No worries. The plan was to work eastward from Stoney Creek to St. Catharines and stop at areas where Jean and I have observed Eastern Bluebirds in the past. Slightly east of the winery, I drove down 10th Rd East. This stretch of rural road has produced some good finds and this day did not disappoint. Jean remarked that the scrub-filled land would be perfect for finding a shrike and like magic, I looked to my left as we were returning to the main road and spotted a bird I suspected to be the species Jean had just mentioned. I backed up our vehicle and all four of us had a few minutes of observing a Northern Shrike as it flew from tree to tree before it eventually disappeared in the distance. Not a bad start for the trip so far. Jean and I had found a lifer for our group.

We moved on and stopped at a few spots along the Niagara Escarpment but the nest boxes and fence posts were devoid of any Eastern Bluebird activity. I had one last spot that just might have positive results. Jean and I had observed a male Eastern Bluebird at a farm near Short Hills Provincial Park on March 29. On this sunny April day, I caught a glimpse of our quarry perched in a tree but before our apprentices could see it, Jean and I watched the bluebird disappear over the barn to never return. "Missed it by that much."

On Schedule

As the month of April approached, I would scan the trees near our yard for the return of our annual visitor. For the last three years, a member of the family Picidae stops and relaxes near downtown St. Catharines for a week or two before continuing on to its final destination. On the evening of April 3, I observed a woodpecker flying from tree to tree that did not resemble our resident Downy. The bird flew off before I could get my binoculars but its size and shape had me thinking he had returned. The next day it was confirmed. The male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker had returned for the fourth year in a row. Here are a few digiscoped images that Jean and I captured later in the week.

A Beautiful Day

It's a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

Bono

Beautiful Day

During the week of June 30, the nation's birthday shortened the work-week on Thursday July 1 and when there is day off, Jean and I usually spend part of that day birding.

On June 30, the Ontario year list stood at 163 species. The last 2 additions were incidentals and they are described on eBird Canada as "observations made when birding was not your primary purpose." We spotted a Great Egret in flight as we headed for the Canada-U.S. border for a day at the Buffalo Zoo with our niece and nephew. Though it was not a birding trip, I started a New York list with some usual suspects. A Peregrine Falcon was #163 and it could not have been an easier tick. Jean and I were sitting on the back steps after a day's work when a bird flew towards us from the east. For a brief moment I thought the bird was very large for a dove but as it past over our position and then our house, there was no doubt that we had seen a Peregrine Falcon.

OK. So we knew we would be birding on Dominion Day but the question was where? An e-mail settled the dilemma quite easily. The weekly Hamilton Naturalists Club birding report came through on Ontbirds and informed all that some good birds were seen in the fields surrounding the Dofasco Trail on 10th Road East near Hamilton. Birds needed for the year list included, Willow Flycatcher, Field Sparrow and Black-billed Cuckoo. So off to Saltfleet we went.

Prior to this latest visit, Jean and I have birded the area surrounding 10th Road East a handful of times. All due to reports on Ontbirds.

In July of 2007, we observed a lifer Eurasian Collared-Dove at the intersection of Ridge Road and Fifty Road (east of 10th Road E). The dove was the second record for the Hamilton area and fourth for the province of Ontario. Later that year, we returned to the area on Boxing Day to view a Northern Hawk Owl (lifer #227). The owl stayed in the area for quite some time and we ticked it again in late January for the 2008 year list.

July 1 was the first time we hiked along the Dofasco Trail. The trail is used for cycling,walking and cross-country skiing and provides good vantage points for observing shorebirds resting in the flooded fields in the spring. From the 10th Rd parking area, we walked east along the trail.

American Goldfinches were plentiful.

No Field Sparrow along this section of the trail but a Savannah Sparrow sat still long enough for a digiscoped image.

Many Song Sparrows were observed as well.

After a short break and an exchange of lifers seen over the past year with another birding couple, Jean and I walked along the trail west of 10th Road.




Still no Field Sparrow. More Eastern Kingbirds and quite a few more Song Sparrows.

We decided to turn around before reaching 8th Road East. West of 8th Rd. the trail continues, cutting through Vinemount Swamp and eventually reaching the Devil's Punch Bowl. We thought it best be left for another day, when we are more prepared for a mosquito infested environment. On the way back to the car, Eastern Meadowlark and Bobolink were observed in the field north of the trail. The best bird of the day was right on the trail. A Brown Thrasher!

For all of 2009, we went without observing this species. "Bummer.", another birder I recognized from OFO trips replied upon hearing of my thrasher woes. Though we had ticked a thrasher during the Carden Alvar trip, I was thrilled to get a closer look at this bird as it strolled along the gravel path.

No additions to the year list on this hike. Field Sparrow and Black-billed Cuckoo remain to be ticked. But as it was Canada Day, it still turned out to be a beautiful day. Happy Canada Day José! Wherever you are.