Jan - Feb 2025 - Birding Highlights

 

Northern Mockingbird was a nice find on March 1st - Seen at Ojibway Park in Windsor !

In SW Ontario - Jan and Feb are the coldest, dreariest months to live through. Cold, lack of sunlight make birding (and living/working) a little bit challenging. But some decent birds have been around (few and far between). 

The listing below shows some of the nicer (seasonal) birds that I was able to see over the last month or two ...

Rough Legged Hawk - Mike S noted this bird out near Harrow and I made an effort to go see it. The bird was flushed by a snowplow driving by. On the way home, I found a raptor perched on a thin branch (see second photo) but I'm not 100% sure it was a Rough Legged. Still always nice to see one.

Northern Shrike - Seen in a lot adjacent to Black Oak Herritage Park. Found by Ian Woodfield.

Eastern Screech Owl - This was interesting --- my brother told me that a warehouse worker at a local car factory had an Owl Sitting on a hood of a car in a warehouse. The warehouse is called "the barn" --- so I was tempted to call this a barn owl. The doors to this warehouse open and close all day so I'm sure it can leave when it feels it needs to do so. I was granted private access to see the bird.

Saw Whet Owl -  I recently was able to see two of these birds within meters of each other. Its always amazing to see this species.

Fox Sparrows - Always nice to see in the winter at Ojibway. 

Eastern Towhee - I feel I have seen a female (early feb) and now a male Towhee at Ojibway Park in Windsor this Feb. Really nice to see this bird with a snowy backdrop.

Northern Mockingbird - Self found at Ojibway this weekend. A pleasant surprise. It flew by me and its white-black wing flashes were diagnostic. 

Spring is just around the corner. The onslaught of migrants will be trickling in soon enough!

Good birding,

Dwayne

Backyard Orange Crowned Warblers, Fox Sparrows, Phoebe Oct 23rd Birding

I was sitting in my kitchen at around 3:30PM today, and noticed a little bird foraging between my back fence and some goldenrod which had gone to seed. I glassed the bird with my binoculars and was amazed... I'm quite certain I saw Orange Crowned Warbler!!! After 20 minutes went by, I had to go for a walk behind my house... there is a weedy hedgerow that is quite birdy! [Editor's Note: The date that is watermarked at the bottom of these images is wrong. These are taken on Oct 23rd, 2021]

Walking behind my house was a nice treat. I had seen a few Hermit Thrushes (and Wood Thrush?) Downy Woodpeckeres, Eastern Phoebe,  Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and Orange Crowned Kinglets. I saw some Song Sparrows, White throated, White Crowned, Dark eyed Juncos, a Swamp Sparrow and a FOX SPARROW! I think I might even had a Savannah Sparrow. 

I feel that I had seen 4-6 different Orange crowned Warblers back there. Between those and a Fox Sparrow - I am just blown away at the diversity of birds behind my house. I should be keeping a list, or at least posting to E-bird and perhaps listing that way.  

Anyhow - with Gas being at 1.50/L and an expired Pelee Pass - I've been content birding at South Cameron Woodlot. 

BONUS Photos-

Ojibway Birding in February - Surprisingly good birding!

After this week's "polar vortex" of -25C weather - it was nice to go outside today in balmy +4C + sunny weather. My first target was Long tailed Ducks that were seen by many along the Detroit River. It was nice to see a Pied-billed Grebe along with some Golden-eye, merganser and Canvasback ducks. 

Then at Ojibway Park - just a few minutes from that spot several nice birds were seen. In particular - it was nice to see Fox Sparrow, a male and female Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse and to my absolute amazement - Kit M. had found a Saw Whet Owl!

I am tempted to go up to Guelph to try my luck for the Bohemian Waxwings... That would be a long sought after life bird!

Good birding!

DM

Bonus story : Last week I was driving in Windsor on Dougal Ave and I noticed a raptor flying very agressively while I was waiting at a light. I soon drove by a hotel parking lot and noticed a raptor with a pigeon as prey. I pulled into the parking lot and was able to capture a few cell-phone photos as I flushed the bird. To my surprise --- it was a Peregrine Falcon!

Seasonal November Birding Observations

Lapland Longspur

Rusty Blackbirds

I've had mediocre birding observations over the last few weeks. I haven't had as much time to bird as I'm taking night school courses at the U of Windsor along with full time work and parenting duties. I've had two or three major highlights though - I had my first Common Redpoll in Essex County yesterday at Point Pelee. Common Redpolls are a great bird for me. I've only seen them on a few rare occasions at Rondeau, never in Essex County.  A female Purple finch, as well as some seasonal raptors were seen at Point Pelee. I also had a Richard C. sighting aka LLB.

I think the photo above is a Franklin's Gull - I could be wrong- (let me down gently if I am).  I photographed it at Wheatley Harbour flying Southwest towards Hike Metal products (Essex Co). I'm quite certain I saw Franklin's Gulls in Calgary Alberta a few summers ago, so this is not a life bird, but its a first for Ontario and now a Chatham-Kent and Essex bird. It was exciting to read about these birds from Allen and Blakes' blogs over the last few days. Hopefully some stick around for more closer observation and study.

Closer to home, I've had some cool nature sightings just from my back porch. I've seen a Fox Sparrow briefly every weekend for the last three or four weeks, but when I grab my camera, its gone! But today, I finally saw this sparrow foraging along my fence line and had my camera close. Along with seeing a Fox Sparrow this morning I had 2-3 Eastern Bluebirds - ***mind blown*** perched on a tree in my back yard! Last weekend, I had an American Kestrel perched in my back yard as well. As I was looking at the bluebirds (couldn't get more than a diagnostic photo) and Fox Sparrow, a male deer walked by- pretty cool! I've also had Coyotes howling and barking after sunset last week, which is kind of scary. Red bellied Woodpeckers have been seen and heard with surprising regularity over the last few weeks as well.

Diagnostic Backyard Bluebird

I've had decent back-yard birds since I moved in this summer and fall migration season. I will need to compile a list of everything. I'm trying to keep an ongoing list with Ebird as well.

Good birding!
Dwayne