Red headed Woodpecker graces yard, along with hummingbirds

On September weekend mornings, I like to sit on my back porch and observe birdlife in the hedgerow behind my yard.

This morning, I was looking at common birds when I heard a northern flicker call, then soon after I heard something that sounded like A red headed woodpecker. "It would be nice, but its just my imagination" - I thought this to myself as I sipped my coffee. Then, to my amazement, my favorire bird briefly alighted on a treetop behind my house. Wow!

But, it was only for a brief moment. 

I have had easy views of hummingbirds daily since late august when I put up my new feeder. Here are some photos:

I slowly noticed that hummingbirds would often perch withing 10 feet of my back porch,,, allowing for great views, especially with my 600mm telephoto lens.

Good fall birding!

Dwayne

Holiday Beach on Labour Day Weekend

 I had a wonderful morning of birding on this past labour day weekend.  I had several warbler species as well as flycatcher species.  The photo above shows the lake erie beach dune habitat. 

Holiday beach has the classic lake erie scrub/swamp habitat thay migrants love to visit during migration. I spent two hours sorting through tonnes of birds. These photos are some that I managed to photograph...

As a final note - I have had a new hummingbird feeder that immediately attracted hummingbirds. There are three or four that I see fighting over access to the feeder. Amazingly i have noted that they perch in a tree close to my back deck, affording incredible photos occasionally. 

 

I have also noted two different olive sided flycatchers over the last week or so as well. ... Just from my back yard!

Good birding!

Dwayne

Mid May to late July Sightings

 This Common Nighthawk was seen sleeping along the edge of Black Oak Heritage Park. Its symbolic of your blogger - sleeping on the job of regular postings!

A few noteworthy sightings from mid to late May include the following:

Canada Warbler at Black Oak Heritage Park

Cerulean Warbler at Black Oak Heritage Park

Red Headed Woodpecker at Black Oak Heritage Park

Olive sided Flycathcer(s) at Springarden area within the Ojibway Park Complex

In terms of mid-summer sightings, I didn't see too many noteworthy birds, but --- I did note a Brown Thrasher which may have been a local breeder from my back yard!

Some interesting Lep sightings (these three featured are endangered or threatened species) around my yard include the following:

• Dukes Skipper (Dukes’ Skipper | ontario.ca)
• Little Underwing (Species Little Underwing  - BugGuide.Net)
• Connubial Underwing (Species -Connubial Underwing - BugGuide.Net)

Little Underwing (Vulnerable) - This moth flew into 
our house in early July after my son opened our back sliding door. I caught it with a glass and a greeting card!

Connubial Underwing (endangered)

Duke's Skipper (endangered)

During the last week of July, I went to St John New Brunswick, as well as Portage River New Brunswick - and noted Black throated Green Warblers at a few different spots.  I didn't bird as much as I normally do as the trip was more about my family --- but it was cool to hear and see those warblers while hiking around various areas. An Alder flycatcher caught my attention as well while hiking along the Bay of Fundy Scenic trail.  The two photos provided were simply from my cell phone. I had no camera or binoculars!

I'm going to make an effort to bird around Windsor (S. Cameron Woodlot area) during the fall migration. I have seen some great birds, just by sitting on my back porch and observering in the mornings or evenings. 

 Good Birding (and naturalizing) !

Catching Up With Recent Birding Observations

***Editor's note: I attempted to use images from Ebird, ... I was struggling to transfer images to my linux based computer--- I don't like the look of these images so I will switch back to the regular image formatting on my next posting. ***

During the month of April - I had made an effort to walk at some of my local natural areas for about an hour per day. I plan to keep up this daily walk all the way into late May and beyond! (its healthy to walk!). 

One of my favorite birds to find in April Migration is a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and having gone out daily to the Ojbway Park Complex (Malden Park, Tom Joy Woods, Spring Garden, and Black Oak Heritage Park) - I was able to see many.

Even for about 1 week in the middle of April - I had daily sightings of YBSS visible from my backyard!

I was almost tempted to do a posting in April called: "Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers: 100 photos" as I felt I had perhaps had that many photos --- but --- realistically I think most blog viewers would be interested in maybe my BEST TEN YELLOW BELLIED SAPSUCKER PHOTOS....

Late April surprise.... On April 25th 2025 - I was birding at Malden Park in Windsor and I was looking at Yellow-rumped, and Palm Warbler working the edge of a pond when amazingly --- I noted a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER come into view (Northern Waterthrush was also seen moments later). The following day, (April 26th) it was still there. According to Ebird sightings in 2025 - I was the first and only person that had seen that species this year in Canada!

May 25th Ebird Checklist with Prothonotary Warbler obs!
https://ebird.org/checklist/S229326841

I had gone to pelee a few times in early May. 

April 27th - https://ebird.org/checklist/S230127584 ( White eyed Vireo, Kentucky)

May 1st - (too twich the Scissor tailed Flycather) https://ebird.org/checklist/S231765696

I love birding and being out in nature. I conceed that Point Pelee has the absolute best chances of having huge bird diversity (the park has diverse habitats) ... But in my life at the current moment, driving 50-60 minutes both ways is still 'expensive' for me in terms of time and gas money.

But Ojibway Park can be incredibly rewarding to bird as well. 

Today for example - I had Indigo Buntings and Yellow Throated Vireos there and I'm not sure there was any of those seen at Pelee today! Even today on May 4th - Black Oak had Pine Warblers singing (Northern Parula, Pine, Palm, B&W, Yellow, Yellow Rumped, BTB, BTG warlbers).  Sure - Pelee will have Kentucky Warblers and Scissor tailed flycatchers --- but I'm almost just as happy with my meager sightings closer to home.

A recent walk at Spring Garden gave nice looks at Greater Yellowlegs, Wood Thrush and Scarlet Tanager. 

Migration Oddities:    I have seen Red breasted Nuthatches almost daily for the last 4 days - even though I don't think it was a big migration winter this year.
Also - I don't think I've seen a single Least Flycatcher this year yet!
I photographed a prothonotary warbler before photographing a yellow warbler!

So that is a little catching up on my bird watching efforts. I have had some great sightings that were just a little closer to home. 

Wishing you great bird watching in this incredible migration season we are witnessing!
Dwayne