Backdated Birding and Blogging (May 8-10th)

I was talking to a friend tonight over the phone and I mentioned to him that a work project that I involved myself with literally caused me to miss the second week of May birding. Its ok, I'm not even bitter but between Mothers day last Sunday to Friday night, I did not even pick up binoculars!

Yes, I missed alot of the mega-rarities that have shown up but I no longer get upset about it. Ken-tucky? Maybe next year? Scissor tailed? Not in a million years! I did have my own exciting noteworthy finds though. I saw several Canada Warblers this year (other years I had missed them or only obtained distant views). Several Philly Vireos were nice to see as well (prior years yielded singles and were discovered by others). I've seen two separate Yellow breasted Chats this season, and only 1 in the previous four years so that was amazing! Finally, I got really nice, soul satisfying views of a Prairie Warbler... a long sought-after species for myself, which I had incidentally lifered back in March in Florida.

So the following photos go back to May 10th, I had some highlights worth mentioning: Summer Tanager, Philadelphia Vireo, Prairie Warbler... Incredible birds!

Summer Tanager - Molting from Yellow to Red!

Philadelphia Vireo - Note the yellow throat - a subtle distinction from the Warbling Vireo

Prairie Warbler - My first of this species after birding Point Pelee for four years!

Thanks Jeremy H for the heads up on this bird... Amazing...

The Prairie was really nice. I had seen one in Florida this past March, but did you know Florida has its own endemic non-migrating species? So really, I had seen a Prairie Warbler sub-species and not the full fledged migrating version that you see above.

Later that day I was able to see 3 American Avocets at Hillman Marsh as well as a Prothonotary Warbler!
Other nature sightings include a FOS Painted Lady, a lifer mushroom at Cactus Field (Morel) and a Brown Snake!

American Lady Butterfly

Cactus Field Fungi - Morel Mushroom

DeKay's Brownsnake - A lifer snake - I did not even know these were at Point Pelee!

I will post this past weekend's birding soon. (More Pelee, Kopagaron and Oak Openings (Ohio) birding)

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Owl Mobbing Warblers!

 

This past Saturday at Point Pelee, I noticed about 6 orioles on a branch 30 meters east of Tildens trail. All of a sudden birds came out of nowhere and started going crazy. At the time, a few of us just watched the show in amazement. One viewer stated that the birds were probably mobbing an owl! I've seen crows mob larger owls (even the great grey owl attracted protest from the odd crow) but never warblers protesting Eastern Screech Owls. Northern Saw Whet Owls get protested by Black-capped Chickadees. How Cool!

For some strange reason, things died down and I continued walking. I did not think much about looking for the owl that the warblers were protesting. Later that day, my friend Rick from Leamington had mentioned that a Red-Morph Eastern Screech Owl was found on a branch off Tildens. I think that must have been the culprit!

 West Beach Habitat & Birds

 

These three landscape shots were taken with my new phone.

Variegated Fritillary... life butterfly

 

 

 

Can't wait to get back out next Saturday...
Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Birding by ear... A noble task!

I've read about this in the past... basically... to be a good birder, one must be able to hear and indentify bird calls. I've found a great site to help practice bird calls :


http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/biology/dmennill/360/360List.html 

One call I've recently heard at PPNP is a group of 10+ Great Crested Flycatchers! They passed over me at the "octagon" of the Delaurier Trail at PPNP. I just could not seem to get a decent photo of them, they were so up high, and I would only see them as they moved away from me, not when they were perched ... 

I'm pretty familiar with most of the birds in the link above, but I'm still clueless and at the beginning stages of this interesting skill. In particular, it seems like getting to know the calls of the vast number of warblers would be difficult! It's hard to get that field experience when they are so transitory and fleeting.

Possibly one day, when the price of cell phone ownership goes down, I will get the IBird app... until then, I'm going to be referring to the Cornell Birding Website or the Whatbird site.

Good Birding!
Dwayne

Point Pelee May 15th... Quick Morning Walk

This morning was a little slow at Point Pelee. I arrived at the park at 7:45 AM and went to the tip... It was a little bit of a dud. There certainly wasn`t a fallout this morning. I found the footpath near the 42nd parallel sign had some good birds this month, so I quickly took that  path to the where it meets the East Beach. Several birders pointed out a singing Blackpoll Warbler singing its squeaky wheel song. Very cool!  We all complained how badly our view was of this bird and left. About 1 hour later, I returned to find him singing at a much more open perch! (lifer!)

I went on South towards the tip on the east beach and saw a few interesting birds

Blackpoll Warbler (lifer)
Canada Warbler
Mourning Warbler (lifer)
Indigo Bunting
Chestnut Sided
Least Flycatcher
Yellow Billed Cuckoo (lifer)
Eastern Kingbird (unofficial lifer)
Red-Eyed Vireo (unofficial lifer)
Common Yellowthroat (unofficial lifer)

I met up with Rick again, and he graciously pointed out this beautiful Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I also ran into Blake on Tildens Trail. Great people!

The photos above were all near the tip. I did hear a Red-Headed Woodpecker in the Woodland Nature Trail. Tildens was a little bit of a dud. I did have the pleasure of hearing many Wood Thrushes. One group of birders stated that I had just missed a Kentucky Warbler... I think I`ll have to save that bird for next year.

This little energy ball of a bird is a Common Yellowthroat. It has eluded me for one year! Anyway, I went onto the boardwalk on Friday May 14th and got a few great photos of this shy bird. I think I have seen this on Tilden`s Trail... probably two males doing an in flight dog-fight over territory.... But this is my first photo. Its an unofficial lifer.

Post Script: I shot this May 1st. Do you think this is an indigo bunting ? ...I think I`m seeing chestnut wingbars.