Bird-A-Day Challenge 2011

In a post from early February 2010, I indicated that I would attempt my own Bird-A-Day challenge in 2011. Well 2011 is here and so far so good (birds to be added with every post). For the challenge, a new bird seen or heard is added to the list for that date. No repeats or skipping of days allowed.

From January 4-7, additions to the list were seen or heard while on the property of my employer or at a planned location after work. The Downy was heard from the parking lot as I walked into work Tuesday morning. The next two days involved stopping at the marina in Port Dalhousie. The Trumpeter Swan was interesting, it had a yellow tag on its left wing. I submitted the number to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and received a certificate of appreciation from the USGS and CWS for informing them of Trumpeter Swan C14. The male swan hatched in 2009 and was banded in Erin, Ontario. Thanks to Jean for spotting the swan and to Marcie for providing me with the link.

The Red-tailed Hawk was seen perched in a tree across the street from work. It was either the hawk or American Crow since I was closing that Friday and there would be no daylight at the end of my work day. I thought it best to save the crow for another observation when time did not allow for a quick stop at a park or body of water before heading home for the evening. Hopefully my weekends will allow for the addition of a unique species. I don't want to burn House Sparrow or European Starling this early in the game.


February 28-Greater Scaup
February 27-Northern Mockingbird
February 26-Red-breasted Nuthatch
February 25-Northern Harrier
February 24-Wild Turkey
February 23-Red-winged Blackbird
February 22-Hooded Merganser
February 21-Tundra Swan
February 20-Redhead
February 19-Red-bellied Woodpecker
February 18-Sharp-shinned Hawk
February 17-Canada Goose
February 16-House Sparrow
February 15-Rock Pigeon
February 14-Mallard
February 13-Great Black-backed Gull
February 12-Merlin
February 11-Horned Lark
February 10-Ring-necked Pheasant
February 9-Mute Swan
February 8-Black-capped Chickadee
February 7-Song Sparrow
February 6-Carolina Wren
February 5-Hairy Woodpecker
February 4-Blue Jay
February 3-Long-tailed Duck
February 2-European Starling
February 1-Ring-billed Gull
January 31-Red-breasted Merganser
January 30-Ring-necked Duck
January 29-Glaucous Gull
January 28-White-throated Sparrow
January 27-American Robin
January 26-Belted Kingfisher
January 25-Northern Cardinal
January 24-American Kestrel
January 23-Northern Pintail
January 22-Brown Creeper
January 21-Dark-eyed Junco
January 20-American Black Duck
January 19-Common Goldeneye
January 18-Canvasback
January 17-American Coot
January 16-American Crow
January 15-Pine Siskin
January 14-Mourning Dove
January 13-Cooper's Hawk
January 12-Common Merganser
January 11-American Tree Sparrow
January 10-Double-crested Cormorant
January 9-Northern Shrike
January 8-Eastern Towhee
January 7-Red-tailed Hawk
January 6-Bufflehead
January 5-Trumpeter Swan
January 4-Downy Woodpecker
January 3-Bald Eagle
January 2-Rough-legged Hawk
January 1-Common Redpoll

Birding the Upper Niagara

January 3



The first Monday in January was a holiday for Jean and I so we spent the afternoon birding along the upper Niagara River. A variety of waterfowl are found along this corridor during the winter months and I needed only one for my Bird-A-Day challenge. This day, I was leaning towards Tundra Swan.


We stopped at the feeders in Chippawa before starting our Parkway drive. It's great to see that the house on the north side of the street has returned to filling their feeders.






If the ducks and swans were not found due to some odd or unlikely event, I could always use one of the feeder visitors for my January 3 observation. The usual suspects were seen, including Red-bellied Woodpecker and the ever-so-cute Tufted Titmouse. With the backups ticked, it was time to scan the Niagara River for waterfowl.


Travelling along the Niagara Parkway towards Fort Erie we found our first group of Tundra Swans (22) close to the river bank near Service Road #17.





A pair of Redheads were sticking close to the flock.

A few more Tundras at Baker's Creek as well a small float of Greater Scaup and a modest amount of Canvasback. The numbers of Canvasback increased to staggering amounts as we continued our journey up river. The horror! I don't think I'll attempt to count that massive float of Canvasback. There were hundreds upon hundreds of this species. Nearing Service Rd #7, Jean spotted a large raptor flying above the river. As I pulled into a parking area, the bird headed inland but we were able to observe the white tail feathers and white head of an adult Bald Eagle. Oh yeah, more swans seen here as well.

Looking for new waterfowl for the year, we found a few Common Goldeneye with 40 Tundra Swans.

A greater number of Tundra Swans can usually be found near Miller's Creek. There were a variety of waterfowl on the south side of the marina but Jean still managed to pick out a greatly outnumbered American Wigeon amongst the Canvasback, Mallard and Bufflehead.

Upon sighting the southern tip of Grand Island we turned around and headed back to the Falls. The birding day was almost over and I had a decision to make. Should I mark Tundra Swan as the next species for the Bird-A-Day challenge? That lone American Wigeon would be a good choice. The Tundra Swans will be on the river next weekend.

But there was no way I could pass on the Bald Eagle. Jean and I observed this species only 5 times last year so it could be weeks, possibly months before I see another eagle. Without further debate, Bald Eagle was selected for the third day of the challenge. I returned to work the next day and though the work week was shortened, the challenge of not to select House Sparrow or Starling too soon just got interesting.

2010 Port Colborne CBC

Since 2008, Jean and I have assisted with two of the four Christmas Bird Counts held in the Niagara Region. Due to timing and prior commitments, we have been unable to attend the count centered near the shoreline of Lake Erie. On Sunday January 2, we participated in our first Port Colborne CBC.


Unlike the St. Kitts and Falls counts, participants gather at a set location and are assigned a section the day of the count. Compiler Drew Campbell (co-writer of the Hotspots and Day Trips in Niagara section in the recently published Niagara Birds) gave Jean and I our own section. Section 9, an area west of Port Colborne in the Township of Wainfleet, is very similar to the area we cover on the St. Catharines CBC.






Rural roads, fields and bird feeders.

Species were limited at the first feeder but as we continued down the side road, Side Road #20 actually, we spotted a Rough-legged Hawk (light phase) perched in a tree. As we drew near, the raptor left its perch, displaying the tell-tale makings underneath the wings while in flight. Nearing the end of the day, we observed a second Rough-legged Hawk, this time a dark phase of the species.

At a feeder near Highway 3, we added Red-bellied Woodpecker to our section's list.

Jean found 2 American Tree Sparrows on the north side of the Feeder Canal. A few were seen at feeders as well.

The Feeder Canal was built in 1829 to provide water from the Grand River to the first Welland Canal and until the 1920's was used as a shipping canal.

Following the Feeder Canal westward on Feeder Road takes you to the town centre of Wainfleet. During the Labour Day weekend, the Marshville Festival attracts many visitors. I always scan the canal for herons after a day of eating apple fritters and touring the sawmill.

Jean and I covered Section 9 in just under 4.5 hours and observed a total of 22 species. If not for homeowners keeping their feeders filled, the list surely would have been disappointingly low. Snow Buntings were not ticked and though we left no field unchecked we did not find any Horned Larks. Returning to some spots in the afternoon proved to be valuable. We watched 4 Eastern Bluebirds take turns dropping into a ditch from a tree branch and then disappear into a hole to drink from the small pools of water that lied beneath the thin sheet of ice.

After the count, Jean and I headed over to Sugarloaf Harbour to look for a pair of Peregrines that were observed by another group earlier in the day. Through snow flurries, we could see Rock Pigeons flying above the grain elevators but the falcons were absent. Gulls were resting on the ice near the marina and we added our last birds of the day to the year list, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. Only two days into the New Year and we are well ahead of last year's pace. Though the CBC's are done until next December, we still had one count remaining, the duck count. But before we searched for waterfowl on the lower Niagara, Jean and I went looking for the January 3 bird for my Bird-A-Day challenge (to be discussed on a future post) on the upper Niagara.

A Wet and Mild New Year

It was not your normal New Year's Day in southern Ontario. A combination of unseasonably warm temperatures and rain melted the snow cover overnight.




The first bird observed for in 2011 was a Black-capped Chickadee at our feeder.


In the afternoon it continued to rain so we decided to check out a few feeders, including the St. Johns feeder that had the Christmas Day Eastern Towhee. If it was still there, it would be a nice New Year tick and a great start to the Bird-A-Day challenge (more on that later).


The annual St. Catharines Cycling Club New Year's Day ride looked to be a wet one. Driving to west St. Catharines we saw club member Marv Srigley on his way to the fish and chip shop (the traditional start for cycling club rides). Despite the rain, he smiled when I honked the horn and waved.


The feeders on 5th Avenue were gone. Hopefully it's only temporary. All we found were House Sparrows in the tangle of branches by the roadside.





Nothing unusual at our first stop in the Town of Pelham. Continuing on to the next feeder and still hoping for Northern Shrike, we ticked a Northern Harrier as it flew over a field to our left and Northern Mockingbird (2) in the trees to our right.

Wild Turkeys were front and center at the feeders near Short Hills Provincial Park.

In St. Johns, we parked our car at the front gate of the conservation area and walked to the spot we viewed the feeders from on Christmas Day. We could see a birder viewing the feeders from his car. As he was leaving we discovered it was our friend Kayo (Niagara Falls CBC compiler). My posting of the Eastern Towhee on ontbirds sent him after the bird late last year and he was successful in finding it. Kayo has provided some great tips to Jean and I so we were glad we were able to return the favour. Unfortunately, neither Kayo or Jean and I ticked the towhee on New Year's Day.

Though the towhee was absent, Jean and I observed a worthwhile substitute. Approximately 24 Common Redpolls landed at the top of a deciduous tree on the property before quickly moving on.

With a day time high of 12 degrees Celsius, streams and small creeks were flowing freely.

After looking at feeders, we moved on to the small bodies of water in my home town of Thorold. At Lake Gibson, Mute Swan (2) and Common Merganser (1) were observed south of the Beaverdams Rd bridge. With my back turned, Jean chased after a bird she spotted in the brush.

Jean? Where you going? What did you see? Something but we could not find it again.

Not many waterfowl at all in the open spots of Lake Gibson. North of the bridge, all we could find was one male Bufflehead.

The water from Lake Gibson flows through a hydro channel to Lake Moodie and we found a variety of waterfowl on the man-made lake. Hooded Mergansers, Canvasbacks and Ring-necked Ducks were the highlights.

In the background of the image below is Brock University's Schmon Tower. The crane to the right of the tower is used in the construction of the the new Brock Health and Bioscience complex. The campus has certainly changed since Jean and I walked along the Thistle corridor.

At the Morning Star Mill it was evident that there had been a considerable amount of rain. The water from Lake Gibson was flowing high at Decew Falls.

Though wet, the first day of 2011 produced some good birds. More were to come. On January 2 we participated in the Port Colborne Christmas Bird Count for the first time. We just might obtain a personal best for our winter list.

Top 10 of 2010

2010 was a good year of birding for Jean and I. We attended 6 OFO trips, the annual OFO Convention in the Fall and participated in 6 counts, all helpful in obtaining 208 species before the end of the year. Of the 208, 13 were lifers and a handful were species we do not find every year. In picking species for my top 10 list, lifers and rarities should help narrow my selection. Right? Well, after much thought and a pint of Smithwick's, here are my top 10 for 2010.

10. Sedge Wren

Observed in the Sedge Marsh on the Carden Alvar OFO trip. That was some good birding at this spot. Marsh Wren and American Bittern added to the year list and Alder Flycatcher and Sedge Wren (#297) added to the life list.

9. Golden-winged Warbler

The first of two warbler species on the top 10 list. It was the first visit to the famed Carden Alvar for Jean and I. While walking along Wylie Road, all in our group could hear the bird singing in the brush. Eventually, a male Golden-winged Warbler (lifer #294) revealed itself and continued to sing from the top of a tree.

8. Loggerhead Shrike

The first of 5 lifers observed while on the OFO Carden Alvar trip. Though they were distant, we had good views of a Loggerhead Shrike at 2 locations in the Carden Alvar.

7. Gray-cheeked Thrush

After a few frustrating attempts to view a Gray-cheeked Thrush while birding Long Point Provincial Park during the OFO Convention, Jean and I were finally able to view the distinctive markings of Catharus minimus (lifer #302) upon returning to the Old Cut.

6. Virginia Rail


An elusive bird. We were in the Prospect Marsh, nearing the end of the OFO Carden Alvar trip, when we observed this rail species. Hidden in the cattails, a Sora repeatedly called but was never seen. Luckily, the Virginia Rail (lifer #298) was observed as it ran between a less dense patch of reeds on the opposite side of the gravel road that cuts through the marsh. If the rail was not seen and only heard, I would not have counted it as a lifer.


5. Clay-colored Sparrow


A lifer observation during the BOS May Count. A golf course in NOTL was the first stop of the day to look for a Great Horned Owl. No owl but Dan Salisbury picked out the call of the sparrow. In order for it to be a lifer tick, Jean and I needed to see the bird. With the early morning sun at our backs, Jean and I, along with John Black, Dan and Katherine, had excellent views of the Clay-colored Sparrow as it called from atop a conifer.


4. Cape May Warbler



Observed in early May while birding warbler hot spot, Malcomson Park. Though not a lifer, this was our first observation of a breeding adult male. The yellow face and chestnut coloured cheek were a welcomed sight.



3. Long-tailed Jaeger




Jean and I have been lucky when it comes to observing jaegers. After standing on Van Wagner's Beach for only 15 minutes, we observed a Parasitic Jaeger chasing a cormorant in the Fall of 2009. This year, we visited the Hamilton hot spot in search of a jaeger that was putting on quite the show less than 100 metres from shore. Our first attempt, the bird was a no show. We then birded the area surrounding Van Wagner's Ponds and returned to the beach for a short break before another session of waiting for a jaeger to fly by. Within seconds of sitting down on a bench, the Long-tailed Jaeger flew along the shoreline. For the next hour, Jean and I observed the lifer Long-tailed Jaeger a few more times as it flew back and forth and at times, resting on the water.




2. Eastern Screech-Owl (red morph)



If not for the keen eyes of co-trip leader Betsy Potter, OFO members would not have observed the owl during the Niagara River Gull Watch. An owl sighting is always sweet but viewing a red morph (more commonly found in the southern U.S.) of this species in Niagara was even sweeter. Too bad we forgot Jean's camera.

Photographer's conception

1. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Back in August I proclaimed this bird would be the best tick of the year. Approximately 4.5 months later, the proclamation still stands. Within 30 minutes of arriving at the Luther Marsh in Dufferin Region, Jean and I shared the lifer observation with fellow OFO members Brian and Lynne Gibbon.






Jean and I had a closer views of the vagrant later that afternoon. The odds of observing another Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Ontario are extremely low. In my opinion, no other bird we observed in 2010 can claim the #1 spot.


What were your top 10?


Happy New Year to all and Good Birding in 2011.

2010 Niagara Falls CBC

Monday December 27 was the Niagara Falls Christmas Bird Count and we joined the same group of birders we have on previous counts, in the same area of Niagara-on-the-Lake, for a cold day of birding. At least there was no snow flurries or winter storms. The eastern U.S. was hammered with a winter storm and counts were either postponed or busted due to the large amount of snowfall over the weekend.




At our first stop, John Black (section leader) decided to mix it up and divided us into two groups. Normally, we birded the residential neighbourhood east of the Department of Defence lands as one group. This year, John Stevens, Jean and I covered the streets east of One Mile Creek (more like a ditch) while John Black, Denys, Maggie and Roy covered the usual area west of the creek.


We did not find many feeders in the area we covered. As John indicated, when property ownership changes so does the use of feeders. A flock of 25 American Robins was moving through the neighbourhood and we encountered them often during our stops. We found a couple of good spots, ticking MoDos, chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, cardinals, juncos, House Finches, American Goldfinches and Tufted Titmouse (4). No Tufted Titmouse for the other group but they found a few Cedar Waxwings. Species flying overhead included, Mallard, Canada Goose and a swan that we reported to our section leader as swan sp. Oops.




After tallying numbers, we then headed for the sewage lagoons. The gates have been closed on previous counts and we have had to view waterfowl through a chain link fence. This year, the count was on a Monday and the gates were open, allowing us to drive in and count ducks and geese from the warmth of our vehicles. In addition to the ubiquitous Mallards and Canada Geese we observed Green-winged Teal (1), several Bufflehead and American Black Duck. Sharing space on the ice with the geese and at times intimidating the larger birds, we ticked an immature Great Black-backed Gull.


The property of Strewn Winery was not too active this year. Numbers were higher but species were few.




A flock of Northern Cardinals (15) emerged from behind the piles of grape compost as we walked down a slope towards Four Mile Creek. We followed the meandering creek and found only one sparrow species. Dark-eyed Juncos were flitting in the brush on the creek's embankment. Walking back through the vineyard we observed a massive flock of European Starlings. The small black cloud contained an estimated 3000+ starlings which would have cleaned the vines if the grapes had not already been harvested for ice wine. That did not stop the starlings from trying though. A a few birds were trapped underneath the netting used to protect the grapes.

The trapped starlings attracted a Cooper's Hawk but while we were there, the accipiter failed to capture any of the ensnared starlings.

At the Niagara Lake Shore Cemetery, we viewed the feeders by the office. New species for the day were Pine Siskin (4) and Common Redpoll (1). The redpoll was our #208 for the year, for Denys, it was an impressive #250.

After an early lunch we birded the area around Four Mile Pond. Pishing did not flush Swamp Sparrow for the second year in a row. We observed this species at the pond in 2008 during our first Niagara Falls CBC.

A flock of Common Redpolls (50) were seen feeding on the seeds of an Alder Tree. Their irruption has finally arrived in the Niagara Region.

This year, Four Mile Creek was frozen over and it was humourously suggested this light-weight birder (literally speaking) cross the creek to search for sparrows. No Great Blue Heron this year either.

Niagara Shores is an area that can be counted on to view Bank Swallows during much warmer weather. But this December day it was pretty quiet.

Jean observing a Downy Woodpecker at Niagara Shores. A few chickadees as well but no Golden-crowned Kinglets were found in the conifers.

We moved on to Butler's Burial Ground. More Northern Cardinals, House Sparrows and a couple of American Crows. We were hoping to have a repeat of Northern Mockingbird but the species was not ticked for our section list.

A wooded area near the Niagara Parkway was the last stop. It was even quieter than Niagara Shores, no birds heard or seen while walking the trails. All that we found was a decorated evergreen.

As a group, we observed a total of 33 species in our section. The Common Redpoll seen at the cemetery feeder will most likely be the last tick for the 2010 Ontario list and on New Year's Day, 208 will reset to 0. Not to worry. Jean and I have one more CBC remaining on our calendar that will give us a good head start in reaching 210+ by the end of 2011.

Christmas Feeder Viewing

Over Christmas, time was spent with family and friends but we managed a few minutes of birding here and there while travelling along rural roads in the Niagara Region.




After sharing Christmas morning with my brother-in-law's family, Jean and I stopped at a few feeders we have become quite familiar with when returning to St. Catharines from Welland. The feeders are always full of seed in the winter months and attract a variety of species. The first feeder we stopped at though was new to us. We were informed of the location during the St. Catharines CBC round up and that the spot can be relied on for observing redpolls. The feeders are located on the property of a private residence near St. John's Conservation Area, a wooded area we can count on to tick Scarlet Tanager every year. Now that I've said that, we will not find them in 2011. No redpolls but we did get a Christmas surprise. Feeding on the seed scattered below the feeder was an Eastern Towhee, a species that does not appear on our winter list year after year.


At the feeders near Short Hills Provincial Park, we added White-throated Sparrow to the 2010/2011 winter list. For the second year in a row, we have observed Wild Turkeys roaming the property in the valley, south of the park. We continued along Roland Road and Jean's suspicions were correct, I was searching for the Northern Shrike seen in the Hawthorns during last year's St. Catharines CBC. No shrike or any birds for that matter so we tried one last feeder location before leaving the Town of Pelham. More American Tree Sparrows, House Sparrows and Northern Cardinals. But once again, no redpolls.


On Boxing Day we birded along 5th Avenue en route to our friends' home. The open fields were snowy and barren. At a culvert that crosses a ditch, I pished, that's "pished", thinking it would attract the attention of a member of the sparrow family. No Song Sparrow but a female Northern Harrier was flushed from the weeds in the ditch. Further west along the road, we stopped to view some feeders that sit on the back deck of a residence. From the car we can observe birds visiting the feeders and hiding in the brush along the roadside. We found many House Sparrows, a few Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays and a lone Red-winged Blackbird, another addition to this season's winter list.

Upon returning home, it was time to relax. The next day we would be birding areas in Niagara-on-the-Lake for the Niagara Falls CBC.