Sunday, June 23, 2013

Rarity: Prothonotary Warbler of Rondeau Park

Well, this was exciting. I could barely keep my hands steady to focus....

I've made many daytrips to Rondeau in the past few years. It's a 3+hour drive from Toronto but worth the effort. Mostly deserted beaches on Lake Erie, fabulous bike trails through Carolinian forests, a 3-km marsh boardwalk trail with a spectacular lookout over the bay, a couple of ponds with reptiles and rare birds, and then there's the Tulip Trail.

There are signs posted at the start and the middle of the trail advising visitors to this unique swamp area to be on the lookout for the legendary Prothonotary Warbler, a rarity in Ontario. It's believed there are only 20 nesting sites and this is one of them -- a bird returned a couple of years ago and it's been some big excitement in the park.

Last year I was there on a day when there was a sighting recorded in the visitors' book, and I hiked out 20 minutes later, waited a few hours, but no luck.

This year was my day. I'd stayed overnight in the park, and this was my 7th and probably final swing around the Tulip Trail. From station 7 in the swamp, I heard the unfamiliar 'tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-twseet' song. I was able to move quickly and quietly around the swamp and get closer to the song, and spotted the bird immediately. It could not have picked a better spot -- the only clearly lit tree in the swamp at that point in the late afternoon.

More on this species at the Bird Studies of Canada page on the Prothonotary Warbler.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Spring Fever


That spring season was interesting. Now we crawl into the dull months. Too many mosquitoes, not enough birds in the Southern Ontario skies.

I ventured out to "Happy Valley" near Schomberg last week and got some bug photos, and bug bites, but otherwise spent the day tramping around a forest listening to Pileated Woodpeckers in the distance, but unable to see them for all the foliage.

But these photos (above) are a small slice of the "Happy Memories" of the past few months.

I didn't make it to Pelee (usually an annual pilgrimage), but snapped and saw a lot of birds around the GTA. From what I can recall: I did 2 quick daytrips to another migration hotspot, Rondeau Provincial Park, and I spent 4 days at the Huron Fringe Birding Festival taking hikes and classes with experts. I visited every marsh and thick forest in the GTA region, and had an amazing day seeing baby eagles at Cootes Paradise near Hamilton.

And I learned a lot -- from official teachers and friends on the trails. Rather than getting high volume birding done, I spent more focussed time on bird or one species.  Highlights included:

Rose Breasted Grosbeak - as a relative newbie, this was a new bird for me. I watched them for hours at the feeders at Rondeau visitors centre, learned their calls, then went into the forest (the Tulip Trail) and found them in the trees. Observed some distinctive mating behaviours.

Bay-Breasted Warbler - Some semi-pro photographers invited me to join them on a stakeout for this bird. "Birders" usually frown on this kind of activity from the 800-mm paparazzi, but I decided to try it out. We watched the bird hop in and around bushes for two hours, and just before dusk I got a semi-focused shot of this beauty.

White Throated Sparrow - Another first this spring. They call it a "life bird." Then I saw them everywhere. Also lots of Song Sparrows, which last year I thought too common. This year I learned its song and have a new appreciation.

There's an explanation from Jonathan Franzen  about, why birding, why now?


Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sandhill Cranes on Bruce Peninsula, May 2013


On one of the hikes with the Huron Fringe Birding Festival, I heard Sandhill Cranes in the distance at Cabot Bay, but there was no sighting. After the festival wrapped up, instead of driving home right away, I headed further north up the Bruce Peninsula to Singing Sands, where I knew they sometimes flew.

I arrived about 1 pm and there was nothing on the sands, so I unpacked a picnic lunch and waited... and waited. Finally, two of them popped up in the distance, and I was able to observe from a distance as they loped around for about 30 minutes. Amazing the way they march in unison. I need to get a video camera....

These birds are about 4 feet high. Very impressive in flight.

 I'd seen some earlier this year at Grass Lake, but had never seen them fly. These were taken on a dull day, thanks to my friend and novice birder Cathi Bond, who found the hidden lake near Ayr, Ont.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Owls and other fierce birds of the winter


Learning about owls was a goal this year. I joined a $99 bus tour group to Amherst Island in November, and the trip was all about owls. Got some owls that day, and picked up some tips on how to find more.

I can't believe the dozens and dozens of hawks and owls I spotted on telephone poles while I was driving (too fast to stop) on highways this winter. I can't believe that the few times I was able to stop, they flew away when I rolled up.

But, as these photos show, not a bad total catch for a total newbie.

-Great Horned (owls and owlets)
-Barred Owl (multiple times, multiple birds)
-Short-eared
-Snowy
-Saw-Whet
-Red Tailed Hawk




Thursday, February 28, 2013

Redpolls! Algonquin Park in Winter


Okay, this is nuts.

 On my way to Ottawa to see the Great Grey Owl invasion, I drove through Algonquin Park and got a few shots of Common Redpolls. (Not so common, in fact.) They were kind of fuzzy photos.

So I drove all the way back to Algonquin 2 weeks later on a quest. In a bit of a snowstorm.

Had a great day seeing a lot of new birds ... dozens of Redpolls, a few new woodpeckers (not photographed), and a rare Boreal Chickadee. Oh, and some nice people too -- really generous with advice and tips.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Pine Grosbeaks at Algonquin Visitors Centre

I'll be back next year with a better camera.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Great Grey Owls and Pileated Woodpeckers, Ottawa Region, Feb. 2013



I drove to Ottawa to get a glimpse of the Great Grey Owl invasion of 2013 -- dozens of owls came down from the north to spend the winter. I found them easily, thanks to maps and directions from other birders and some help from a cousin who lived nearby. It was -17 with windchill that day but well worth the long walk into the woods.

The next day came the unexpected thrill. Before heading home, I hit a few popular birding spots in the Nepean-Carleton area, and got nothing. Then I spotted a sign for a conservation area not noted on any of my lists. As I was walking in with my camera, a young man with  dog emerged and said, "Good, you've got a camera! There are these freaky-looking woodpeckers in those woods. Please get a picture if you can and post it on the park's Facebook page."

At first, I could hear lounder-than-usual woodpecker knocking and suspected Pileateds, a crow-sized woodpecker with rather aggressive behaviours. But I'd never seen one.

While I was photographing an ordinary Downy --- whoosh --- in flew a monstrous-sized Pileated. I got a couple of fuzzy shots and then a dog started barking and scared it away.

I spent another 2 hours scouting around, and found about six Pileateds. I mostly observed from a distance because they are rather intense, and might have been nesting. It was dark, it was hard to focus, and they were up high, but I did get a couple of okay photos with some branches in the way. Maybe next winter, a clean shot.