Gull Watch 2012

Sunday December 2 was the annual Niagara River Gull Watch. Jean and I arrived shortly after 8:00 a.m. and the temperature was already in the double digits. We did not get away that easily however. Shortly after the arrival of trip leaders Jean Iron and Ron Tozer, it began to rain. As predicted in various weather reports, the rain stayed with us the whole day and though I was dressed in rain gear, it was not fun at times.

From the Adam Beck Power Station viewing platform, we looked down at the hundreds upon hundreds of gulls that were looking for a quick and easy meal spit out of the U.S. and Canadian hydro-electric generating stations.

While here, gull species observed included the usual Herring, Ring-billed and Bonaparte's as well as a few Iceland Gulls (adults and juveniles) and a couple of Glaucous Gulls. The Franklin's Gull and Thayer's Gull that were observed the day before were not found by our group. No additions for my year list but I made up for it by spotting a fox just north of the parking area as we stood at the viewing platform.

At the Whirlpool, hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls were sitting on the river. I was looking for a Little Gull for the year list and it seemed a possibility when our friend Nancy spotted one for a moment as it flew amongst a group of Bonaparte's. Once it settled down on the water it was not found again and another addition to the year list was denied. Standing at the marina in Niagara-on-the-Lake during a fly-by may be required before the end of the year in order to tick Little Gull.

The OFO group moved further up river to identify more gulls above the Falls. Jean and I took our time as we cut through Dufferin Islands Nature Area. Two birders from the Huntsville area needed a lifer Tufted Titmouse and we had some idea where we might be able to find one or two. Jean hand fed a female titmouse the week before while its mate preferred to take seed from a tree stump.

No appearance of the little gray birds so we moved to the other side of the Niagara Parkway to search for gulls.

We joined our friend Anne and the five of us scanned the river near the Old Gatehouse. Little did we know that the most exciting bird of the day for Jean and I was lurking in the nearby bushes and we walked right by it when moving on to the east side of the Engineerium. We looked at the waterfowl near the barge and had no luck spotting the Black-headed Gull seen through the scope of another birder. Seemed there were many gull watchers on the river this day as there will be for the next month or so.

Our small group eventually caught up to the main group on the west side of the Engineerium.

Some were lucky enough to have caught a quick view of the Black-headed Gull and we gave it try. The wind picked up and the rain continued as we stood on a concrete wall above the river (it's not as a dangerous as it sounds). Just like the Whirlpool, we searched through the flying Bonaparte's Gulls for our quarry. Another needle in the hay stack situation. This time, we were looking for a slightly larger gull with slate gray under the wings. The red legs and bill would help but with this many gulls moving about, the colour underneath the wings would be easier to spot. No addition to either the lifer or year list. With the exception of some one's umbrella being blown into the Niagara River, all was not lost.

We headed back up river with Ron Tozer in search of what had been seen in the brush near the Old Gate House. The bird was a Black-throated Blue Warbler! I quickly went through the year list in my head and as best as I could remember, Jean and I had not seen this species of warbler in 2012. A first of the year warbler in December would be a worthy consolation and a sweet addition to our Winter List. In no time, we all had great looks at a male Black-throated Blue Warbler as it moved through the bushes below the path.

After lunch (thanks for treating us Rick!), there was not much action at the feeders in Chippawa and the group returned to the river above the Falls to scope the gulls between Dufferin Islands and the Control Gates. Good views of Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A Great Blue Heron on the wall near the Control Gates was a nice addition to our winter list. With the return of the rain and the wind at our backs, Jean and I decided to call it a day. A short stop at the west end of Dufferin Islands concluded the day with an observation of a Merlin perched at the top of a tree across the pond.

None of the gulls I needed were observed but the Black-throated Blue Warbler was a great find. Thanks to Rick Thornton (we owe him two lunches now?) for spotting this bird that we usually see in May. The checklist for the Black-throated Blue observation was my first entry later that evening. I wanted to confirm that it was a first of the year. Sure enough, after entering the warbler observation on eBird Canada, the total species for 2012 on "My eBird" page increased by one. The next day, the daily rare bird alert for Ontario was in my e-mail "inbox". 7 reports of the Black-throated Blue Warbler, including my observation, were listed on the eBird alert. Later that evening, all seven observers received an e-mail from the volunteer Ontario regional data reviewer. Was the validity of the sighting in question? Not at all. The reviewer was more concerned with the differences in checklist locations. Huh?

To be continued

Scopeless in the Carden Alvar

Yes, it was after leaving our spotting scope for repairs to the mounting foot that Jean and I realized we would be scopeless during the OFO Carden Alvar trip. Viewing an endangered shrike hundreds of metres away could be difficult. No digiscoping either. 

There were a few birders in the group that had scopes including trip leader Jean Iron. An excellent trip leader, Jean Iron always ensures that everyone in the group has observed the target bird before moving on. If a Loggerhead Shrike or Upland Sandpiper were too far for our bins, a view through Jean Iron's scope would be available. 

After participating in and winning the Carden Challenge over a 24 hour period from 6:00 p.m. on Friday May 25 to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday May 26, Jean Iron did not look tired at all. Perhaps, it was the Carden Cup on display atop her vehicle. Her team was named the Yellow Rails and the four birders ticked 132 species during the competition. As Celebrity Birder, Jean raised over $11,000 for stewardship and bird habitat conservation by The Couchiching Conservancy on the Carden Alvar. 

The first stop for the OFO group was Wylie Road. We walked along the narrow gravel road looking for grassland species and the Prairie Smoke was in full bloom.

Grasshopper Sparrow and Wilson's Snipe were added to the year list and we had the best look at a Loggerhead Shrike, ever! Jean and I have visited the Carden Alvar twice and all our views of shrikes have required a scope. This trip, a lone shrike was resting on a pole, a mere distance from the road.  It would have been nice to capture a digiscoped image though.

Continuing north on Wylie Road, we reached the Sedge Wren Marsh. We ticked our lifer Alder Flycatcher and Sedge Wren in May of 2010 at this spot and repeated the observation in 2011. This year, an Alder Flycatcher was heard singing but the rapid chatter of the small wren was absent. Marsh Wrens (FOY) were heard and spotted but due to beaver activity in the area and rising water levels, Sedge Wren was missed for the first time in many years.

While scanning the marsh west of the road, I heard the whinnying call of a Sora. Though we had our backs to the marsh east of the road and the call was short, a few of us were still able to identify it. I asked the fellow standing next to me if he heard the same call. He did. So did his wife and Jean as well. That was the important part. Jean confirming that she heard the Sora added the small rail to our year list.

At the Kirkfield Liftlock, a FOY Cedar Waxwing tick during our lunch. Once again, we have to travel north of Lake Ontario to obtain this species for the year list despite covering a number of spots in the Niagara Peninsula prior to this trip.

At the heron rookery on Shrike Road, we had an added bonus to the annual Blanding's Turtle observation. A Great Horned Owl (FOY) had no objection to using a former home of a Great Blue Heron family to raise its own young. Jean expanded her digiscoping skills by using a scope she was unfamiliar with and managed to capture a decent image.

We moved further up Shrike Road and added Upland Sandpiper to the year list as a small flock flew past our group.

Approaching Canal Lake on Centennial Park Road, we added Green Heron and Great Crested Flycatcher to our year list and despite it being virtually identical to our first observation earlier in the day, we ticked our second Empidonax of the trip, a Willow Flycatcher.

As we crossed the causeway, I was looking for our streak of repeat species to continue. In 2011, the small pond on the island produced a lifer Least Bittern. An unobstructed view of this bird occurred after playback but this year, an inquisitive bittern did not emerge from behind the reeds.

The group ended the trip searching a few spots along Prospect Road. In the marsh, we observed a Virginia Rail in flight as it popped up from the reeds  There was a second rail close to the road but it remained well hidden.

There is a variety of habitat along this road including scrub. So after ticking waterfowl, flycatchers and rails you move a bit further south along Prospect Road to look for Emberizid species hiding in the brush. We stood at the edge of the road scanning the scrubby landscape for singing sparrows. OK, there's the Song Sparrow and a Chipping Sparrow but what Jean and I really needed was the appearance of a Clay-colored Sparrow. It did not take long for the group to pick out the insect-like buzz of a Clay-colored Sparrow. No visual observation this year but it still counts.

At the end of the trip, the year list stood at 183 species. Not bad if I want to succeed in beating last year's total of 216. There are some species that I cannot afford to miss and then there are few (not too many mind you) that I'm willing to let slip by. Missing Sedge Wren and Least Bittern would be be tolerated as long as the dependable ticks keep me ahead of the game. The month of June would be spent hitting spots in the Niagara Region for the reliable species until the migrating shorebirds arrived.

Our Own "Big Year" Review, Ticks Not Yet Posted

2011 is quickly coming to an end and year lists will soon reset to zero. Though Jean and I had some misses this year, 2011 turned out to be better than I anticipated. Currently the list stands at 216 species, 8 more than last year's personal best. No where near Barb Charlton's amazing run of 322 species, but beating a personal best is always sweet. Ticking 300+ species in one year for the provincial list will have to wait until time is more readily available (retirement).

Speaking of time. I never did get the chance to post the late summer and fall ticks. Not sure what happened. There were some really good birds during these weeks. A few required some work (hiking along a trail and climbing over fallen Willows for example) and some simply fell into my lap. Whatever the case, there was never an outing that I did not enjoy.

Looking for Orchard Oriole:


July 30


Over 30 species were observed while walking along the Dofasco Trail 2000 in Stoney Creek and only one of them was added to the year list. We were looking for Orchard Oriole and like last year, there was no sign of North America's smallest oriole. As a consolation, we spotted our first of the year Field Sparrow (#184). I should change my plans for next year. Jean and I will go looking for Field Sparrow and we'll end up finding Orchard Oriole.

August 1


It's been over two years since we last observed Orchard Oriole, even longer when specifically looking over my Glenridge Naturalization Site list. In May of 2007, Jean and I watched a female Orchard Oriole weave a nest while we were birding in the former quarry/municipal dump.

We walked 2.0 km of trails and ticked 25 species.

Still no Orchard Oriole. It's another year without this bird.


 August 7: OFO Rock Point Trip


Thankfully, it was an overcast day. Birding at Rock Point and the surrounding area can be uncomfortable when the sun is blazing down on Haldimand County. I was looking for shorebirds and Rock Point Provincial Park in August is worth your time and energy.

The group spent an hour exploring the shoreline of the park. Jean and I added Semipalmated Plover, Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, and Lesser Yellowlegs to the year list. Oddly, we found no Ruddy Turnstone. We've observed this species the last 4 years when birding at Rock Point. Can I really afford to miss this one in 2011?

At the evaporation ponds north of the park, 4 more ticks for the year list. Additional shorebirds added included, Solitary Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Greater Yellowlegs. In the waterfowl category, we observed a Green-winged Teal. The list stood at 194 species and we had yet to scan the sod farms for Black-bellied Plover.

John Black and Dan Salisbury (trip leaders) scouted the sod farms the previous day and found nothing. The day of the trip produced the same result. No Black-bellied Plover. Two shorebirds missed.

Cottage Bound

In mid-August, Jean and I headed up to the cottage my brother-in-law was renting for a week of relaxing on the sands of Inverhuron.

Repeating last year's route, we stopped off at the Luther Marsh in Dufferin County before continuing on to the cottage. In 2010, we purposely stopped at the marsh with the intent to tick a lifer bird. Thanks to the appearance of a lost Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, the Luther Marsh is now a planned stop when travelling to the Kincardine and Inverhuron area.

One day was set aside to act as birding guides for friends and family (as per the kids' request). We hiked the Tower Trail in MacGregor Point Provincial Park and found a good selection for the aspiring birders (we can only hope).

What really caught our undivided attention (at least Jean and I) was the announcement of a future bird blind. As stated in the sign, we should be able to access a bird blind when visiting next year. Do I sense a Pileated Woodpecker tick?

There were no avian additions to the year list in Bruce County, but Jean did some good spotting on the Tower Trail when she found this Spring Peeper. The kids enjoyed seeing this amphibian up close and snapped a few pics themselves.

Heading home last year, we drove through the town of Mitchell and unknowingly let two lifers (possibly three) slip through our fingers. Godwits! This year, I was not about to let that happen again. So, we stopped in the small town that is the "Home of Howie Morenz" to see exactly what all the fuss is about these former sewage lagoons.

Tell a non-birder you visited a sewage lagoon while on vacation and they look at you as if it was a total waste of a good vacation. Tell a birder and they'll ask you, "what you get?".

Waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds and gulls abound.

Including 3 Black-bellied Plover (#195), a shorebird species missed at the sod farms in Dunnville. The lagoons were a worthwhile stop on a late summer afternoon.

In late August, we stopped by another former sewage lagoon, The Wetland Ridge Trail in Niagara-on-the-Lake, after a family picnic. We were there to look or should I say hear our annual Common Nighthawk tick. I could still see my hand in front of my face, but there was not enough light to see any of the 8 Common Nighthawks that were hidden in the trees.

September 5


No luck finding Ruddy Turnstone when revisiting Rock Point for my father-in-law's birthday in early September. There were no tricks involved. He really wanted to go there!

September 17 & 18: OFO Annual Convention


The annual OFO convention is held every other year at Point Pelee. Jean and I have still to visit the national park during the height of spring migration and until then, we'll continue with the biannual autumn sojourn. Being a birder that cannot take a week's vacation in May really does smart.

On Saturday morning, we hiked along the Tip. There was a moment of excitement when I heard someone call out Olive-sided Flycatcher. Jean and I have not seen this bird for over three years. It turned out to be a pewee.

After birding the Tip, the North-West Beach, and Sanctuary Pond, Northern Parula was the only FOY tick.

We travelled along Old #3 early Sunday morning for a day of birding in Chatham-Kent with trip leader Blake Mann. At Rondeau Provincial Park, every effort was made to find a warbler not seen this year. You had to be in the right spot at the right time. Prairie Warbler (a lifer tick) and Blackburnian Warbler were missed.

In Blenheim, we had a great afternoon of birding at the sewage lagoons.

Added to the 2011 Ontario list, Red-necked Phalarope.

....walking toward the sprinkler cell (our backs to the lagoon containing the phalarope) Blake turned around to see a large flock of Bonaparte's and quickly called out Little Gull. The moment Jean and I turned around, we were both on the Little Gull at the same time. #199 for the year.

A good selection of shorebirds in the shallows of the sprinkler cell, including a somewhat shy Stilt Sandpiper.

I always enjoy the convention and we're looking forward to next year's at Presqu'ile Provincial Park. An area of Ontario we have never birded.

October 8: OFO Hamilton Trip


Our last FOY ticks before the "Thanksgiving Purple Gallinule" occurred on the OFO trip in the Hamilton area.

The Windermere Basin has undergone a drastic change since the last visit.

The mounds of earth made observing shorebirds quite difficult. Luck was on our side and we ticked a FOY Dunlin. Needless to say, waterfowl were in short supply.

We hiked in the Dundas Marsh in search of a fall visitor. When we last observed this species (lifer tick), the Emberizid was known as Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. This time, the FOY tick is listed as a Nelson's Sparrow.

We continued our walk as far as we could along the creek and reached the mud flats of Cootes Paradise. Here we were treated to our lifer Hudsonian Godwit (#309 and #203 for 2011). Even after noting the size of  the shorebird in our field guide, it was still surprising to see that is smaller than the gulls it was keeping company with.

Overall, it was an exciting year. 2011 is practically over and done with. Our total for the year stands at 216 species, barring any last minute additions today. Although perhaps not a huge number with compared to some others out there, we achieved this total while working full time and staying mainly within Southern Ontario. Let the 2012 madness begin!

Happy New Year and Good Birding!

OFO Niagara Gull Trip: Dance of the Black-legged Kittiwake

Sunday morning was sunny and though it was only 7:30, the temperature was a balmy 9 degrees as we drove along the General Brock Parkway (Hwy. 405). This was odd. Jean and I were heading to the Adam Beck overlook to meet fellow OFO members for the annual Niagara River Gull trip. Where was the freezing cold? The knee-deep snow? Yes, during our first gull trip in 2007, a large amount of snow fell on the Niagara Region overnight and we were stuck behind a snow plow on the 405. The slow-moving plow delayed our arrival and we missed some good gulls that were found early. Since then, we always arrive an hour before the planned start time. 


Jean Iron (co-trip leader) was unloading her scope and there were a few eager birders already searching the river below when we arrived at Adam Beck. Jean and I started surveying the many Herring and Bonaparte's Gulls. We were looking for our first of the year (FOY) Thayer's and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Both had been regularly observed at this location (except the last time we were there) recently and it seemed the ticks would likely happen on this day.


Our first tick was a brownish bird that Jean spotted flying directly into the mass of Herring Gulls.  The bird was a juvenile Pomarine Jaeger! A lifer tick (#311)! While viewing the jaeger, we observed it harassing the gulls periodically as it flew above the turbulent waters. I had viewed video of this jaeger from last Sunday, but I was not expecting to observe this species during the gull watch. After the more than satisfactory views of the juvenile Pomarine Jaeger (and Jean bringing me to the realization that it was indeed a lifer), Jean and I commenced our search for a Lesser Black-backed Gull observed by some in the group. We found the first winter Lesser Black-backed milling about the wall of the Robert Moses power station.

The next gull was a "Kumlien's" Iceland spotted by Jean Iron. Our 5th gull species of the day was an adult Great Black-backed Gull. It was standing on a rock further down river. There are a few rocks on the U.S. side of the river, near the wall of the U.S. power generating station, that should be scanned when standing at the Adam Beck overlook. Jean Iron found a gull sitting on the water near this rocky point that she suspected was a Thayer's Gull. The brown streaking on the head and neck was extensive (also found on Herring Gulls),but it was the dark eye that confirmed our next FOY (#212).

The next stop for the group was the Whirlpool. Prior to the day of the trip, I was afraid we would not have time to continue on. Jean's mum had purchased tickets to a matinee performance of The Nutcracker at Brock University. I thought we would be birding at Adam Beck until 10:00 am, leaving little time for the Whirlpool, but due to the fact we started earlier in the morning and the group spotted the birds we wanted to see, we were done at Adam Beck shortly after 9:00 am. There was time for another shot at spotting the Black-legged Kittiwake.

The viewing platform at the Spanish Aero Car was 2 to 3 birders deep. Even a tall birder would have had trouble spotting a gull at the bottom of the Niagara Gorge from behind this wall of birders. Though they were viewing the kittiwake quite easily from the platform, it was difficult to get on the gull when standing away from the ledge.

Patience was required and when a spot opened up for both Jean and I, we squeezed in and started scanning the Bonaparte's Gulls flying above the Class 6 rapids.

This time, we got on the first winter Black-legged Kittiwake, lifer #312 (FOY #213) without a hitch.

The group moved on with trip leaders Jean Iron and Ron Tozer in search of a Slaty-backed Gull at the control gates above the Falls. Jean Iron captured images of the rare visitor (that was spotted by Kevin McLaughlin) the day before the trip.

We observed the kittiwake a little longer before heading back to Queenston Heights for a try at spotting some Black Vultures. While at Adam Beck, Jean Iron received a call from Willie D'Anna confirming the presence of Black Vultures over Lewiston, N.Y. so the tick was possible.

With General Brock's statue pointing in the right direction, we looked for another FOY species from two locations across from Queenston Heights.

Though we had the assistance of John Black and Kevin McLaughlin, the Black Vultures were nowhere in sight. A Red-tailed Hawk was the only raptor to drift by the spot that was new to all of us.

In the afternoon, while OFO birders were rejoicing their views of Harlequin Ducks; a very distant Slaty-backed Gull (possible sighting); and yes, of course, our nemesis bird (Purple Sandpiper), I watched my first live performance of The Nutcracker. It was a Canadian-inspired Nutcracker. The ballet was connected to the director's favourite pastimes, canoeing in Algonquin Park.

Algonquin Park? Hmmm. We' re on vacation this week. There may be some time spent birding the upper Niagara and after some inspiration from the Group of Seven painting backdrops used in the ballet, a planned visit to Algonquin Provincial Park seemed all the more reasonable. This birding year is turning out to be better than I thought it would be. And the year is not over yet!

Alvar Birding

May 29

Alvars are a unique habitat found over a base of limestone or dolostone and are limited to areas in northern Europe and the Great Lakes Region of North America. Luckily for me, I live between two Great Lakes, which allows me easy access to an alvar that is designated an Important Birding Area by Birdlife International.

The Carden Alvar is located northeast of Toronto and can be easily reached in 2.5-3 hours from the Niagara Region. Last year's trip was the first visit for Jean and I and we added 5 lifers, including the endangered Loggerhead Shrike, to our life list. This year I was looking to add a number of species to the year list and if a couple of lifers were collected in the hunt, all the better.

We stayed overnight in Orillia and Saturday evening was spent birding along a paved trail that took us to the Narrows and a municipal park by Portage Bay. We added 16 species, ranging from the ubiquitous Rock Pigeon to a colourful male American Redstart, to the Simcoe County list. After ticking an Eastern Meadowlark on our way to Kirkfield the next morning, the county list stands at 31 species.

We met trip leaders Jean Iron and Ron Tozer in a Kirkfield school-yard and scanned for birds while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.Though species were limited, Jean and I added Cedar Waxwing to the year list. You never know how many members will attend a field trip. The OFO Carden Alvar trip is a popular one but it appeared the forecasted rain discouraged quite a few from joining us for a great day of birding. There was certainly going to be a lot more elbow room along Wylie Road this year, our small party of birders was less than half the size of last year's trip.

A light rain was falling as we strolled north along the gravel road. If I didn't get my target species the first attempt, I could try again after birding the Sedge Wren Marsh.  Jean and I have found Grasshopper Sparrow and a surprise lifer Clay-colored Sparrow in the Niagara Region but these Emberizid ticks are more easily found in the grassland and scrubland of the Carden Alvar. Four species of Emberizid were singing as we walked along Wylie road and we had some good views of Grasshopper and Clay-colored Sparrows through the scope at Windmill Ranch.

An Upland Sandpiper stood atop a lichen encrusted rock.

Before reaching the marsh, we ticked two more firsts of the year, Brown Thrasher and Golden-winged Warbler. Like last year, the male Vermivora chrysoptera was seen singing from an open perch.

Once in the Sedge Wren Marsh we listened for the calls of wrens, bitterns, sora, rails and flycatchers. Last year, we observed a lifer Alder Flycatcher and Sedge Wren and ticked American Bittern and Marsh Wren for the 2010 provincial list. This year, these species were repeated. American Bittern were calling and we had a quick view of one flying low before it dropped out of sight. Sedge Wren and Marsh Wren were heard singing but stayed hidden and Jean Iron picked out the call of an Alder Flycatcher which we spotted perched on a branch. Without its call, it would just be an Empidonax sp. The wichity wichity wichity song of the Common Yellowthroat and the descending whinny of a Sora were also heard. As we left the marsh, one last FOY for Jean and I, a Black-billed Cuckoo. This species avoided my checklists last year and it just might help me get 208+ this year.

Returning along Wylie Road, we spotted additional Brown Thrasher and a Wilson's Snipe (FOY), a species missed in April during the OFO trip in Algonquin Provincial Park.

A few more Upland Sandpiper were found.



Including this one that Jean photographed from the car as we drove by the fence post.

No Loggerhead Shrikes were observed while hiking along Wylie Road but there was still the possibility of observing the masked endangered species during our visit to the Carden Alvar. At the Great Blue Heron rookery (seen from Shrike Road), we observed a rare Blanding's Turtle sunning itself on a log.

Travelling north towards McNamee Road, we stopped to scan the scrubland for shrike. Though it was distant, we got on a Loggerhead Shrike using the scope. We found a second Loggerhead Shrike and an Upland Sandpiper while scanning more scrubland on McNamee Road.

At the Cameron Ranch on Kirkfield Road 6, a third shrike for the day, Wilson's Snipe and Brown Thrasher.

In 2003, the Nature Conservancy of Canada acquired the Cameron Ranch and the 1161 hectare ( 2869 acres) property will become part of a new Carden Alvar Provincial Park.

We then crossed the causeway at Canal Lake and observed an Osprey in its nest on one of the platforms. No Common Loon in the small body of water near the causeway this year but a little further down Centennial Parkway, we stopped near the small marsh to look for bitterns and rails.

Jean Iron played the song of a Least Bittern and the coo coo coo brought out the inquisitive lifer (#307) for my wife and I. We studied the Least Bittern through our scope as it stood grasping a reed in each claw in order to support itself above the water. Once we had taken in all of the bittern's field markings, it was time to capture a digiscoped image of the very photogenic pose.

Yes, it bolted! The only photographic evidence we have is a small brown blob flying above the marsh.

We continued the trip south of Kawartha Road 48 to look for Sora, rails, bitterns, wrens and waterfowl in the Prospect Marsh.

In one section of the marsh, Jean and I ticked Blue-winged Teal and Pied-billed Grebe for the year list.

At our second stop, the spot where we observed our lifer Virginia Rail on our first visit to the Carden Alvar, we observed a Virginia Rail (FOY) and a Common Gallinule (FOY). The last time we observed a Gallinula sp in Ontario (April 2007), it was known as a Common Moorhen. This was a welcomed tick. It had been absent for 3 long years. Now, if I ever find myself in Europe, thanks to a split into Old World and New World species, I can once again add Common Moorhen to my life list.

Further down Prospect Road, the group found Clay-colored Sparrow sitting low in the scrubby brush and we had some great views of a second Virginia Rail.

The trip was nearing completion when Jean and I ticked one more first of the year. This time, the call of a Empidonax species belonged to a Willow Flycatcher.

After a day of birding in the Carden Alvar, 20 species were added to the Ontario year list and another month of birding came to a close. Ticking a lifer Least Bittern, Common Moor, errr I mean, Common Gallinule, both the Alder and Willow Flycatcher as well as the target species will certainly help to obtain a second 200+ year. The next few weeks would be considerably slower and that was OK with me. Before heading up to Sudbury in July for a chance to tick warblers missed during their migration through Niagara, Jean and I would do some Marsh Monitoring in St. Catharines.