Return to Algonquin

It seems so long ago when I booked my vacation weeks for 2011 and at that time, I really had no idea what my plans were for the week of December 5. As the week approached and the ticks kept on coming, I reckoned a return to Algonquin for another chance at the Boreal species we missed in April would be worthwhile. While enjoying a Muskoka-brewed ale in Huntsville, the plan for our first day in Algonquin Provincial Park was set.

December 8

Our target Boreal species were reported the previous week and it was possible all three could be found in one location. Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker and Boreal Chickadee had been observed along the Old Railway east of Arowhon Road.

Travelling east from the West Gate, we stopped at kilometre 8 and searched the Tea Lake Dam picnic area.   When dump trucks were not passing by on the logging road across the creek, it was fairly quiet while walking along the gravel road towards the picnic area. Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches were moving quickly through the conifers and a Downy Woodpecker, working away on some dead wood, was a first of many that had me envisioning a Black-backed Woodpecker addition to the year list.

To reach the Old Railway, you leave Highway 60 and travel along Arowhon Road for a few kilometres. On the OFO Algonquin trip, we usually park at the chain gate (east of Arowhon Rd) and walk along the abandoned railway until we reach the Mizzy Lake Trail and Wolf Howl Pond. Due to the snow, I did not trust that the turn around would be successful so I selected a parking spot that had us walking approximately 200 metres to reach the chain gate. We found a dozen Pine Siskins, but after spending an hour in the area, we did not spot any Boreal Chickadees.

At the Visitor Centre, staff were decorating a Christmas Tree and though it was a weekday, we were allowed to enter and view the feeders. Evening Grosbeaks had been stopping at the feeders on a regular basis and we were lucky enough to observe one female during our time at the Visitor Centre. The Evening Grosbeak (another species missed during our April visit) was #215 for the year.

Our last stop for the day was at the Spruce Bog Trail. Another chance at ticking Boreal Chickadee and Spruce Grouse. At the register box, we left the trail and walked through the Black Spruce forest to search for grouse. Once we walked away from the parking area, there was no bird activity what-so-ever.

It was eerily quiet.

December 9

Before starting our second day in the provincial park, we did some birding in Muskoka and added Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatch to the county list. It's still a short list.

Jean and I had a late breakfast Friday morning and we did not make our first stop until we reached the Visitor Centre. This time there was a large flock (over 3 dozen) of Evening Grosbeaks at the feeders.

We stood in the cold and wind hoping for a Crossbill or Bohemian fly-by that never did materialize.

We moved on to Opeongo Road. It was untouched and we were the first to lay tracks. The Gray Jays, reluctant to land in a hand filled with crushed peanut butter granola bars, preferred to take their spoils from the ground.

While admiring the Whiskey Jacks, a park plow passed by and cleared a path the rest of the way to the Opeongo Access Point.

Lake Opeongo was still open and behind a family of 4 otters, we spotted a late Common Loon.

We arrived at the Logging Museum and as I moved towards the garbage and recycling receptacles to throw away an empty chip bag and pop can, 4 Gray Jays swooped in and without hesitation, took pieces of granola bar from  Jean's hand.

We walked along the Logging Museum Trail and again it was quiet. All we found was one Blue Jay and the tapping, come on it's going to be a Black-backed....nah...it's a female Downy.

Our last attempt at a reported sighting was at kilometre 41. On November 26, several Red Crossbills were photographed feeding on dead wood (a source of ash and calcium) by Ringneck Pond. Though the odds were not in my favour, I could not let the chance of a lifer pass us by. The dead trees were easily spotted, but the lifer crossbill will have to wait for another day.

Evening Grosbeak ended up being the only addition to our lists over the two days of exploring my favourite provincial park. The Nipissing County list now stands at 79 species. Since we're ahead of our goal for the year, I'll be OK with missing the 3 Boreal species just this once. There, I said it.

For 2012, I'm setting my sights on 225+ species. If Jean and I have any chance of succeeding, the trend for finding Spruce Grouse on the Algonquin OFO trip had best return.

An Evening Star in Algonquin

2011 OFO Algonquin Provincial Park Trip



As you can see, I'm slightly behind in my postings. It has been over a month since Jean and I headed north in search of Boreal species. The snow and ice are long gone and sadly, warbler migration is starting to slow down in Niagara. So bear with me. I'll soon catch up. At least that's the plan.

When I booked a room the week before the OFO Algonquin P.P. trip, Gary at the Algonquin Inn informed me that there was snow on the ground and that the lakes were still completely frozen over. Though it would take some time for the ice to melt away, the majority of the snow cover would be gone in time for our arrival the weekend of the trip.



Driving north on April 16, neither heavy rain or the 3 vehicle accident on the Burlington Skway could deter my need to tick some Boreal species. A coffee break north of Toronto refueled my energy for the rest of the drive to our destination.



Oxtongue Lake was still covered with ice.





Overnight, the precipitation returned in the form of snow and it continued to snow while we ate breakfast and observed the birds visiting the feeders. Gary and his family did a great job making sure all the guests were fed well and had plenty of time to get to the west gate of Algonquin P.P. for the start of the trip. Gary was quick to follow once all had left.






Our third OFO trip in Algonquin but the brushing of snow off the car was a first. As we were about to leave, 3 Common Ravens (FOY) flew overhead.







After a quick briefing at the park entrance, we followed trip leaders Ron Tozer and Kevin Clute to our first stop.

At Kilometre 8, no Black-backed Woodpecker on the utility poles but we heard a Winter Wren (FOY) singing in the brush across from the Tea Lake Dam entrance. I believe it to be the very same wren we heard on last year's trip.

A short stop at Smoke Creek produced a Common Loon. And yes, it was snowing.

In comparison to the previous trips, the Cache Lake stop was a disappointment. Ron suspected there would be no snipe and approached the area himself while the rest of us, including Jean and I, searched for anything resembling a bird along a nearby gravel road. No repeat Blue-headed Vireo and though Ron did flush one Wilson's Snipe, no one was there to see it.

The absence of species observed the previous year continued at the Lake of Two Rivers campground. No Pine Warbler.

Surely this unwanted trend would stop at the Spruce Bog Trail. Spruce Grouse have been observed on every trip for over 20 years but recordings of a female grouse failed to attract a male. Luckily, we did not leave the trail empty-handed. The group was able to view a Gray Jay (FOY) in a spruce tree. One Boreal species down, three to go.

Not much action at the Visitor Centre. To prevent hungry bears from gathering at the rear of the centre, seed was removed from the feeders. During our lunch break, the streak of bad luck, or more aptly described bad timing, continued. While I was returning our cooler bag to the car, a Bohemian Waxing flew by as Jean stood on the observation deck with a few members from our group. The trip just keeps getting better. No Spruce Grouse and now a missed lifer.

I thought we may still have a chance along Opeongo Road. Driving to the interior access point on Lake Opeongo, we passed boundless areas of Black Spruce forest, sedge marsh and bog habitat but the three Boreal species Jean and I sought were not found.

There was one bird that brought the line of cars to a halt. A grassland species of sparrow was foraging along the side of the road and continued its search for food despite the large audience of relieved birders.

A lifer Vesper Sparrow (#304) for Jean and I.

This bird was a lifer for a few members, including Gary our host at the Algonquin Inn. He captured an image of the bird as it stood at the side of road.

At the access point, there was little open water but it was enough for one Common Loon and two frolicking otters. A lifer bird and now a lifer mammal. Opeongo Road was not bad after all.

Continuing eastward on Highway 60, we observed a few Snow Buntings feeding on seeds found along the ice edge on Brewer Lake.

We stopped near kilometre 54 to look for Black-backed Woodpecker. The nesting season of this species occurs from late April to mid July and on previous trips we successfully found a male excavating a hole in a utility pole. But this day, the inclement weather interrupted all excavation projects.

We returned to the Spruce Bog Boardwalk and searched for grouse on both sides of Sunday Creek.

One last attempt was made along a short section of the Bat Lake Trail at kilometre 30. Not too long after starting our walk through the mixed forest (poplar, birch, spruce, and fir) fresh grouse tracks were spotted in the snow. To a non-birder, it must have been comical to see a group of adults following the meandering tracks of bird in less than spring-like weather. One wise member of our group walked along the side of the highway and was awarded the observation of a flushed Ruffed Grouse while the rest of us continued to search for the elusive bird within the forest. If I did not know they existed, I would definitely had labelled this undertaking a "snipe hunt".

Our trip ended with only one Boreal species added to the year list. The snow and occasional ice pellets certainly contributed to the missing ticks. Only Boreal Chickadee was missed last year, so this may deflate our chances of beating last year's provincial total. Jean and I may be scrambling for a few ticks towards the end of the year and a return visit to Nipissing Region could very well be in the cards.

Algonquin Birding Part II

April 19





The day after the OFO Algonquin trip, Jean and I returned to Algonquin Provincial Park for another day of birding. We had the week off so there was no need to rush home.

Thanks to worthwhile tip provided by Ron Tozer during Sunday's field trip, Jean and I would make a stop near Oxtongue Lake before entering the provincial park. Ron informed me that the lifer bird Jean and I sought was producing reliable views at the feeders on the property of the Algonquin Inn.

We arrived at the front entrance to the inn around 9:00 AM. The restaurant was closed but the activity around the large number of feeders was buzzing. We saw no sign of the owners so Jean and I stood in the front parking lot taking in the views of the birds as they visited the nearby feeders.

American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch and Black-capped Chickadee were observed.

Within minutes of arriving we spotted our first lifer of 2010. I was positive I observed a male of the species fly across Highway 60 and disappear into a stand of conifers. Sure enough, I was not seeing things. Three Evening Grosbeaks (2 males and 1 female) were found in a birch tree on the east side of the restaurant. We had some great views despite them being uncooperative for a digiscoped image.

The owner of the Algonquin Inn returned from birding in the park and allowed Jean and access to the back of the property. We were hoping for a Rusty Blackbird but no matter how hard we tried all we could find were Red-winged and Common Grackles among the many blackbirds. In the conifers lining the laneway we spotted a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

If you're planning on visiting Algonquin, stop at the Algonquin Inn along the way. Gary and Tina are birder friendly (there are over 30 feeders on their property) and they provide updates and sightings on their blog, Algonquin Inn Nature and Photography Blog.

Upon returning home from our Algonquin trip, I found Gary commented on my Love of Birds-Video posting while Jean and I were on the OFO trip. This was before we even met him. Unreal! Gary read that I was hoping for a lifer Evening Grosbeak and in his comments he informed me that Evening Grosbeaks were showing everyday and that we should drop in on the way to the park. Well Gary,though I did not see your helpful advice until later, thanks for the tip and for the access to the inn's property. If we return for next year's OFO trip, Jean and I will definitely stop by to tick Evening Grosbeak for the 2011 provincial list. Keep listing the wildlife sightings!

On to Algonquin Provincial Park in search of Boreal Chickadee missed during the field trip.

At Tea Lake Dam road we ran into the Ohio couple that were on Sunday's OFO field trip. You don't have to be from Ontario to be a member of the OFO. We discussed birds seen so far before continuing on to Tea Lake where Jean and I were treated to views of a Common Loon above the dam.

We spotted Wilson's Snipe once again at Cache Lake but hiking the 1.5 kilometre trail at the Spruce Bog Boardwalk came up empty for Boreal Chickadee. None to be found along Opeongo Road either. Looks like a year without Boreal Chickadee. Seeing the brown-capped chickadee would have made the goal to reach 200 species a little easier.

During our stay in northern Ontario, we added 13 birds to the year list, ticked 3 out 4 of our Boreal species and added Evening Grosbeak to the life list. The life list did not grow though. It still remains at 291 species. Which species was removed you ask? One that was always in question and after a discussion with Ron, I made the inevitable decision to remove it from the list. The reasons for the decision to be discussed on the next post.

Algonquin Birding

April 18

The weekend of April 17, Jean and I travelled north for some birding outside of the Niagara Region. The destination, our favourite provincial park to attend the annual OFO trip led by retired park naturalist Ron Tozer. During last year's trip we added 4 birds to the life list which included 3 sought after Boreal species. This year, I was hoping to add the same species to the 2010 provincial list to reach my goal of 200 birds. If I was to tick a lifer, all the better.

Algonquin Provincial Park is approximately 4 hours from St. Catharines so a day trip would be highly unproductive. We spent the weekend in Huntsville, a mere 30 minutes away from Ontario's oldest provincial park.

As planned, we met at the west gate of the park and like all birders, scanned the area for avian activity while waiting for the trip leader. Ron arrived with his daughter Laura (a former park warden) and discussed the hot spots we would visit along the Highway 60 corridor. There are many hiking trails and campsites along the 56 kilometre corridor (marked with kilometre markers indicating the distance from the West Gate) and a handful of them were included on the itinerary.

Our first stop was at Kilometre 8 to check the utility poles for Black-backed Woodpecker. No woodpeckers but Winter Wren (2) were heard calling as we walked along the shoulder of Highway 60. On Tea Lake Dam road, we heard an Eastern Phoebe calling and spotted an Osprey overhead. Great! Three species added to the year list.

En route to our next stop, Jean and I observed our first Common Raven of the year. I sometimes think it may be difficult identifying this member of the Family Corvidae but the raven's large size and wedge shape tail leave little doubt that you are looking at a Common Raven. We picked up a helpful i.d. tip while vacationing with Jean's family in 2008. Jean and I (along with our nephew) attended a birding walk with a park naturalist at the Old Airfield and he informed the group that when American Crows land they flick their wings. Common Ravens, do not. Next time you see these two birds, watch them as they land in a tree top.

Our next stop was at the Cache Lake Marsh. Another tick for the year list. From the gravel shoulder, the group had a brief glimpse of a Wilson's Snipe as it landed in front of us and quickly took flight upon realizing it had an audience. While exploring the area, we observed Ruby-crowned Kinglet and had some great views of a beautiful, singing Blue-headed Vireo (another first for the year).

At the Lake of Two Rivers campground, we searched the pine trees for, you guessed it, Pine Warbler. Two males were setting up boundaries for their territories.

From the beach we looked eastward and spotted a Common Loon near the island in Lake of Two Rivers. Firsts of the year at every stop so far.

On to the Spruce Bog Trail for an observation of the star of the field trip. Last year we observed great displays from a male Spruce Grouse. Someone should have informed the male grouse he was wasting his time. The female, a "Franklin's" female, was mounted.

The OFO group spread out as we entered the Black Spruce west of the bog. It did not take long for an OFO member to spot a male Spruce Grouse. Playing recordings of a female grouse (a "Franklin's" female) did not elicit a response from the bird. The male continued on, oblivious to the photographers capturing its every movement.

Unlike last year, the fake female did not produce the courtship display. The male still appeared disinterested. Moments later, the Spruce Grouse performed a "flutter flight" onto a branch.

This differed from last year's display. The tail feathers were only slightly spread and the red combs erect. The reason for the courtship display was soon revealed. A real female Spruce Grouse.

At the Visitor Centre, Jean and I checked the feeders and added Purple Finch to the year list. Unfortunately, no Ruffed Grouse were observed this year.

After lunch the group travelled along Opeongo Road but could find no Boreal Chickadee in the Black Spruce. The road ends at Lake Opeongo and Ron led the group on foot to the Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research. A pair of falcons are nesting near the laboratory and as we arrived both a male and female Merlin were observed in flight. One of the pair landed in a distant tree and though instructions were exchanging between birders, it was still difficult to get on it when using the binoculars. Eventually all viewed the falcon as it sat in a swaying tree. Another tick for the year list!

We still needed Black-backed Woodpecker though. Last year, we found this Boreal species on a utility pole near the Leaf Lake Ski Trail. This was the group's next destination. The long line of cars followed the leader to the line of poles near kilometre 54. Our car was close to the back of the convoy and as we passed one of the utility poles Jean spotted the group's target bird.

I pulled the car over to the shoulder, well back of the car in front of us, while the cars behind continued on. I guess they did not see it or they just wanted to fill in the very large gap between the vehicles. Yes, there was at least 50 metres between us and the next car in the line. We waved to the OFO birders down the road and pointed at the utility pole with the Black-backed Woodpecker on it. While the rest of the group worked their way back on foot, I set up our spotting scope so Jean could start capturing digiscoped images of the male Black-backed Woodpecker. A birder from Buffalo jokingly said, "I assumed you were not pointing at the Great Blue Heron..." as he arrived to view the woodpecker and a couple of women stated Jean deserved a scotch for spotting the bird. All in the group had great views of the woodpecker as it continued to work on a hole it was excavating in the utility pole.

"Yeah, I think she'll be impressed with this one!"

We checked out the parking area of the nearby Logging Museum but came up empty for adding any birds to the day's list.

We had covered almost the entire length of the park's corridor so the group turned around and headed for the Old Airfield. Along the way, it was Laura's turn to spot a bird at the side of the road. A single Gray Jay near kilometre 40. As usual, when a long line of cars has stopped at the side of Highway 60, other park visitors assume there is a large mammal, preferably a moose, present.

Our group spent 30 minutes on foot exploring the Old Airfield and though we enjoyed the aerial display of a Northern Harrier there were no firsts of the year for Jean and I this time.

One last chance for Boreal Chickadee. The group hiked a section of the Mizzy Lake Trail. The trail is 11 kilometres long and a few years ago Jean and I set a day aside to hike the entire length while vacationing for a week at a resort outside of the park. The OFO group travelled up Arowhon Road to reach the old railway section of the trail. This turned out to be a long hike.

I estimate we walked 3.5 kilometres before turning around. It was worth it for some in the group. Though brief, some lucky birders had good views of 3 Boreal Chickadees. Unfortunately for Jean and I, the bird remained unticked on our year list. Black-capped Chickadee continued to appear in the open but the shy Boreal Chickadees did not reappear.

Walking back to our cars we came across two pairs of Gray Jays. One nesting pair along the old railway at West Rose Lake and a second pair near the chain gate along the old railway. The pair near the chain gate readily took food from Ron's and Laura's hands. As we approached our cars the Gray Jays followed us and continued to take any handouts offered, including some of Jean's trail mix.

A nice way to end a day of birding. Some in the group went on to search for Swamp Sparrow but Jean and I called it a day. It was close to 6:00 PM and the group had birded for over 8 hours. Jean and I were hungry so we thanked Ron and Laura for the great field trip and returned to Huntsville. At the Three Guys and a Stove restaurant (this may become a tradition) we discussed the birds observed and our plans for the Monday over an Algonquin Lager and a gin martini. Yes, we had another chance at finding Boreal Chickadee in our favourite provincial park and thanks to a tip from Ron, a possibility of a lifer along the way.

Revisiting Algonquin

It was Sunday April 26, the day after the Algonquin OFO Field Trip. Jean and I had ticked 3/4 Boreal species, 2 were lifers, during the trip. A great day of birding.

Before returning home, we had planned to visit Arrowhead Provincial Park that Sunday but a quick phone call to the park revealed that it was closed and not due to open until May. What were we to do? A decision was made to return to Algonquin. There were some ice formations along Highway 60 that Jean wanted to photograph and there was the Gray Jay that eluded the OFO group the day before.

As was done on Saturday, Jean and I would first stop at kilometre 8. A Hairy Woodpecker was drumming on the utility pole at the entrance of Tea Lake Dam road while we stood below. In the woods, I would get a brief view of a Brown Creeper. We returned to our car and travelled the rest of the road to the picnic area to turn around. We found a conifer tree with huge holes freshly bored in the trunk. Most likely a Pileated Woodpecker but the only other bird we observed was a female Common Merganser downstream from the dam.

Our next stop was the ice formation on a rock wall beside the highway. We parked at the Tea Lake Campground entrance and climbed a slope to capture an image of the wall of ice from the roadside.

In the small amount of brush on the slope we observed 5 Chipping Sparrows, #104 for the year list.

We then stopped at the Mizzy Lake Trail parking lot with no plans to hike the trail. It's an 11 kilometre long trail and the information guide suggests 6 hours is required to complete the loop. We have hiked Mizzy Lake in the past but this day we would simply survey the trees surrounding the parking lot and end up seeing 3 Northern Flicker, Chipping Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

A quick visit to the Visitor Centre produced no new birds, in fact there was little activity at the feeders. After lunch at Costello Creek, we travelled further east to look for the woodpecker observed the day before. We would find the Black-backed Woodpecker but he was excavating on a utility pole 2 kilometres west of the pole he was at on Saturday.

We would turn around stopping at the Spruce Bog Boardwalk. We hiked in a light rain, observing only 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch before crossing Sunday Creek Bog.

Looking west from the Spruce Bog Boardwalk.

In the background is the Black Spruce forest where we observed our lifer Spruce Grouse.

On Sunday Creek we viewed a lone male Common Merganser before entering the Black Spruce forest east of the bog in search of the elusive Gray Jay. As previously mentioned, they are difficult to spot at this time of year. We walked along the boardwalk surrounded by Black Spruce and nearing the end of the bog where the trail becomes a dirt path, I spotted some movement. It was a bird and I thought it was possibly a Blue Jay. Jean and I remained still but I could not find the bird again. Shortly after that brief glimpse, a dark gray bird with a white collar and forehead flew towards Jean and I. This was the species we missed on Saturday. A Gray Jay, lifer #257. It was looking for some handouts but unfortunately we had none. We were able to get some great views of the Gray Jay as it moved from spruce to spruce.

Gray Jays are an interesting bird. Using their memory, they visit food caches during the winter months. On the field trip Ron Tozer informed us that a park naturalist discovered why Gray Jays prefer Black Spruce. The tree has antimicrobial properties. When mealworms were placed on the bark of various species of tree they were found to be free of bacteria when placed on bark of the Black Spruce. Consistent below freezing temperatures are also required in order to keep their stash of food from perishing. Algonquin Provincial Park is on the southern edge of the Gray Jay's range and climate change (winter thaws) has pushed the species further north.

Even if I was not dressed appropriately for the weather, I would have ignored the light rain that was falling. This was one cool bird! I found another use for my cycling rain coat. It's handy and can be easily rolled up when not needed. The only difference, it's considerably easier to put on and take off while birding than it is while cycling. After a few minutes the Gray Jay would disappear to tend to it's young, not to be seen again.

We returned to the Visitor Centre to enter our observation on the wildlife board in the lobby. A quick scan of the feeders again did not produce anything new. It was time to leave the park and head back to St. Catharines. Outside of the centre we had a short chat with the park naturalist Justin, who led last year's guided walk at the Old Airfield. Before exiting the park Jean and I would add one more species to the year list. 2 Broad-winged Hawks (#106) were soaring above Highway 60. The last animal we would see however was the moose seen the day before. Same spot, same time of day.

Spending the last weekend of April in Algonquin was very productive. A total of 4 lifers were observed, Boreal Chickadee was added to the provincial list, and a total of 16 species were added to the year list. 2009 is looking to be a good year. Observing all 4 Boreal species should assist in the quest to surpass the 187 species observed in Ontario last year. Warblers are next or should I say now.