June Birding:You Might Be a Red-Necked Grebe

Back in June, Jean and I were returning from Guelph with our repaired spotting scope. We had dipped on a lifer Prairie Warbler so a consolation tick was needed. We stayed north of Lake Ontario and headed to Bronte Harbour in Oakville to get a look at the reported nesting Red-necked Grebes. Though this species breeds on inland lakes in Alaska and parts of Canada northwest of southern Ontario, the outer harbour at the mouth of Bronte Creek is well known for its nesting Red-necked Grebes (Robert Curry 2006). 

It was an easier FOY tick than I thought it would be. A short walk from the parking lot and just in front of a group of photographers was an adult Red-necked Grebe.

From the pedestrian path, we watched the pair of Red-necked Grebes as they took turns incubating 4 eggs on the floating tire. 

While one parent sat on 4 eggs, the other was caring for one chick. We spotted two additional pairs of adult Red-necked Grebes in the marina.

Jean was glad to have the scope back to resume her hobby of digiscoping.

#188 for the year and while at the marina three species were added to our Halton Region list, Common Grackle, Chimney Swift and Cliff Swallows. Only three more species and we'll have 6 Ontario county lists with 100 or more species. Not a bad day overall.

Cliff Swallows were nesting on a nearby building.

Niagara Digiscoping: Easter Sunday Eagles

A nice way to end a holiday weekend!

After ticking a few firsts of the year at the Niagara Hawk Watch Open House on Good Friday and then successfully finding one sweet and extremely rare visitor at Jaeger Rocks on Saturday, Jean and I headed to another spot within the Niagara Region after receiving a tip from a friend.

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Look

It was not too long ago that the population of Bald Eagles was greatly reduced in eastern North America. With the banning of pesticides and the implementation of recovery plans, the stunning raptor can now be observed year-round in the Niagara Region.

At our last Peninsula Field Naturalists meeting, it was announced that a nesting pair was found near Lake Erie. Though we have seen photographs, Jean and I have not had a chance to view the Port Colborne nesting pair.

So with no spare time to stop in Port Colborne after the Jaeger Rocks lifer tick, we pocketed the tip and went for a Sunday afternoon drive the next day. After picking up a steak from my favourite butcher shop we travelled along rural roads familiar to the Nishiki. Near the start of the Moyer Street t.t.,  we found a FOY Eastern Phoebe.

We descended the Niagara Escarpment on a winding road (another cycling memory but usually going the opposite direction) and continued towards the area where eagles dare (high school memories of my younger brother's record collection). As we approached the "spot", both Jean and I scanned the trees without the aid of binoculars. We were not sure of its exact location and for a brief moment, I actually thought we may not find it. I did not want to "dip" on the tip. That would just be downright embarrassing.

Finally, there it was. It was one huge nest and not only did it contain two adults. It also contained two eaglets.

I'm sure we'll revisit the spot so I'll keep you updated on the chicks' development. But before then, there's the hawk watch and a lifer to discuss.

Fishing for a Bird-a-Day

After a good day of birding along the Niagara River on the the last Saturday of January, my excursion the next day was limited to the late afternoon. A fine blowing snow made it difficult to observe the progress of the new regional hospital and interfered with the spotting of a possible Cackling Goose mixed in with the hundreds of Canada Geese.

Each goose scanned as they took flight was your standard Canada. The several Dark-eyed Juncos observed at the backyard feeder during my weekend Project Feeder Watch would have to do. I was hoping there would be some improvement during the work week.

On Monday January 30, Jean picked me up after work and we went for a stroll along 12 Mile Creek. A few ducks on the creek which included American Black Duck (ticked 4 days earlier) Bufflehead (already picked) and Mallard (too soon). But there were some male and female Common Goldeneyes. The species I sought. Nothing else materialized that would would have kept Bucephala clangula off the list so Goldeneye was penciled in at the start of another work week.

The next day was unbelievably warm (10 degrees Celsius) and it influenced me to try something new. I decided to try for Hooded Merganser in the forebay above the Falls. Though they were not found at this location during a recent nature outing it was worth a shot. If not there, I could always use Gadwall as a backup. After finishing work, I was at the Falls in less than 20 minutes. Over the last few years, I think I've visited this site more often to spot gulls and waterfowl than to see the thundering waters of the American and Horseshoe Falls. Hoodies and Gadwalls there be in the forebay but a smaller bird caught my attention. It was a species that you don't normally see at this time of year and it required confirmation when entering my checklist to eBird Canada. For the last day of January, a FOY Pied-billed Grebe.

On the first day of February, I headed west along the QEW after work. This year, I was extending my reach a little further and I was at Jordan Harbour in no time and I began my search for a reported Snowy Owl. No owl but there was one female Hoodie and even better, an American Coot in the marina. So the coot was the bird-of-the-day and Mallard remains off the list.

A flock of American Robins made for a quick and easy pick the next day and on the Friday a different approach was set. I was scheduled to close at the end of the week and it allowed me to take some time in the morning to find something out of the ordinary. Down at Martindale Pond while walking along the path in Rennie Park, I heard the song of Carolina Wren (FOY). I could not see the bird but its quick three-part song was coming from the far side of the pond near the Henley Grandstand. Good enough for a Bird-a-Day tick.

Image Courtesy of Dave Van de Laar

Jean and I did not bird for an extended period of time on the Saturday but we took our bins and scope with us when visiting friends in Beamsville. We planned to stop in Jordan on the way home to St. Kitts. A Snowy Owl was reported the day before and it would have been unwise to pass by the marina without a look. Jean's mum was with us and all three of us had a good view of a heavily barred Snowy Owl through the scope. We watched the female owl for a few minutes as it stood on the marina's breakwall and a woman asked if she could pay me for a look at the owl. No payment was necessary for a view of her very first owl. There were now two owls on my 2012 Bird-a-Day Challenge. Priceless.

On Sunday February 5, Jean and I went to the southern edge of the Niagara Peninsula to chase another reported species. For the last few weeks, a member of the Corvidae family was attracting Ontario and New York birders to a short stretch of residential road in the town of Fort Erie. Fish Crows (3-5 at a time) were being observed with many American Crows. I had been looking for a chance to take a crack at spotting one of these Fish Crows and Super Sunday seemed like an ideal day for it. Ingredients for the game-day chili were purchased in the morning and by early afternoon Jean and I did not need to look far when approaching  the road from the south. To our left was the golf course and straight ahead, a couple of parked cars. There were three birders looking north towards a clump of trees containing crows. The crows were calling and mixed in with the caws we could hear the distinctive nasal call of a Fish Crow. If we did not get a visual on the calling bird it would be okay. Jean and I observed our lifer while vacationing in the Panhandle of the Sunshine State. All five of us were concentrating on one particular crow and when we set up our scopes for a closer look it soon flew from its roost.

The crows changed there position and were collecting on the ground and in the trees approximately 150 metres away from where we all stood (two more birders had joined our little group).

There was a house immediately to the right of the spot we were studying and it most have been an interesting view for the homeowner. She did come out but that was only to retrieve her concerned dog that had approached our group. Once the dog was sure we were no threat and retrieved by the owner, we continued our search for a Fish Crow. The nasal calls could still be heard and one crow sitting in a tree attracted my attention. It was slightly smaller than the other crows in the neighbouring trees. Our scopes were fixed on the bird and I informed three birders about to leave that it may be worth staying a bit longer. Turns out it was a Fish Crow. Watching the crow through the scope until it called sealed the i.d.

The large flock of crows continued to move but we got on the Fish Crows again and both Jean and I captured some digiscoped images. We observed two Fish Crows in one tree and a third was heard calling.

So, Fish Crow was added to the Ontario list, the 2012 list, the Winter Bird list, and of course, the Bird-a-Day list.

A couple more images before heading to the river for a picnic lunch while observing waterfowl drift by and a drive along the Parkway. The rafts of Redhead and Canvasback were back.

After some good finds on the weekend it was time to enjoy some chili and American football before setting a plan of attack for another work week.



  

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!

Big Nickel Digiscoping

July 20

Jean and I were walking along the Trans Canada Trail in Sudbury and we were not having any luck locating a Pileated Woodpecker. Out on Kelly Lake however, a pair of Common Loons appeared and remained in the area long enough for Jean to capture some digiscoped images. 

Before starting our hike, we observed one of the loons from Southview Drive and I did not think we would encounter it again or even spot a second one for that matter.

We have never been this close to a loon. It was aware of our presence, but the loon showed little concern that we were watching it.

Check out that bill!

My favourite.

Being this close to a Common Loon soon had me forgetting what we were looking for and was well worth bringing our hike to a stop. I was determined Jean and I were going to find our target species though. We still had an evening of birding and the next day to find the whatchamacallit before returning to Niagara.