Ducks in the D --- Winter birding on the Detroit River

White-winged Scoter at close range - Previously taken in 2011!

The Detroit River has been the highlight of my winter birding efforts over the years and this year is no different. This winter, there has been huge numbers of White-winged Scoters on the river. I've only been birding for 4 years, but I have never seen more than one or two White-winged Scoters along the Detroit river. This year, I've seen rafts of 20 ww-scoters in two or three different locations along the river! Long-tailed ducks are also extreme rarities along the Detroit river --- even though tens of thousands of these ducks are easily seen along the Sarnia River / Port Huron just one hour north of here.

White winged Scoters --- record numbers?

Sleeping Oldsquaw in Olde Sandwich Towne --- Ultra Rare!

During this last week, a Black Scoter was photographed at a park in West Windsor called McKee Park, just 200m west of the Ambassador Bridge. I tried to catch up the Scoter, only to come up empty-handed but was able to see this sleeping Long-tailed Duck instead. *Quick historical note* The area west of the bridge in Windsor is one of the oldest communities in Ontario. This house below, just one block from McKee Park is the Duff-Baby house built in 1798 --- It has changed ownership many times since it was built but this house was rumored to have hosted Chief Tecumseh and was at one time raided by the American army during the war of 1812! I had to throw in the historical reference --- Oldsquaw in Olde Sandwich Towne...

I also attended a nature outing held by the Essex County Field Naturalists which was held last weekend. While touring the Black-oak Heritage Park in West Windsor, we toured the last remaining undeveloped shoreline in Windsor --- a small strip of land called Ojibway Shores [map]. Our group saw some of the more common birds that one would expect to find in the forest and along the river --- our main highlight was some Glaucous Gulls always a pleasure to see. It was surreal to watch these gulls in front of the Zug Island industrial complex which one sees when standing on the shores of Ojibway! (Side note about Ojibway Shores: The Windsor Port Authority owns this land and was about to bulldoze it to store aggregate for a new bridge crossing over the Detroit River. A few hundred people protested and the port authority backed down -They promised not to destroy that last remaining natural area along the water for "two years").

My son and I walked up on this Eagle at Ojibway Shores on Family Day

A couple more scoter rafts above. Can you find the Surf Scoter?

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Western & Rednecked Grebes and a Little Larus

After reading Kory's Blog this week, I somehow convinced my wife (and myself) to wake up early one day this weekend and visit Col. Sam Smith Park in Etobicoke. Kory had seen Western Grebes, Red necked Grebes, as well as a Harlequin Duck all three of which would be lifers for me. Another great birder, Ken Burrell had Little Gulls at Turkey Point, which was kinda on the way... A possible four life birds. Two extra birds I was hoping to see were Ruffed Grouse and Bohemian Waxwing (which was ontbirded in Etobicoke around the time I was leaving Etobicoke). I dipped on both of these later birds as well as the Harlequin Duck. I did see the Western & Red necked Grebes which were both lifers, as well a a few other goodies, in particular, Long-tailed Ducks (I've only seen Long-tailed ducks once along the Detroit River at great distance).

Two lifers in the same photo? Awesome.

Birds seen at Col. Sam Smith Park:

Western Grebe
Red necked Grebe
Long-tailed Ducks
White winged Scoter
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallows
Ring-necked Ducks
Lesser Scaup
Redhead
Goldeneye
Wigeon
Gadwall
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Bufflehead

Long-tailed Ducks.... Only my second time seeing them ...Rare in SW Ontario.

On the way back from the park, I drove through Hamilton, then Haldimand and Norfolk Counties. What a beautiful drive. It was nice to see that Norfolk County has some forested area preserved.  This site here discusses why they decided to preserve some forest (http://swcr.ca/history) . The sandy soil was blowing away without tree cover, which was still apparent as I drive through the agricultural areas in Norfolk Co. I would have liked to have seen Ruffed Grouse in St. Williams Conservation Reserve, but I didn't really have time to so much as get out of my car.  Turkey Point was surprisingly beautiful and natural. The beach (at least where I found the gulls) was like a flooded lagoon, very natural and beautiful. Eastern Phoebe, Song Sparrows, Belted Kingfisher, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Bonapartes, and of course, Little Gulls were all present. Little Gulls are a lifer... I was really excited to see them. The warm air from the latest southern air flow, and the beauty of Turkey Point made this a very nice moment to enjoy.

The smallest gull in the world has black on the bottom of its wings, and the biggest has black on top... Interesting eh?

Birding Backlog...

I birded Point Pelee last weekend but did not see much outside of the expected. A personal highlight was an Eastern Meadowlark. Meadowlarks are very rare and local in Essex. This is my first Eastern Meadowlark I've self found in migration.  Going WAY back (March 20th, 2013), I had two Eurasian Wigeons (Thanks for the help Jeremy Bensette) on "Road E" just outside of the Point Pelee Park Gates.

Eurasian Wigeon & American Wigeon

Good birding!
Dwaynejava


Eurasian Wigeon - Point Pelee#325
Red necked Grebe #326
Western Grebe #327
Little Gull  #328

Long Tailed Ducks on the Detroit River

This is about as clear a photo I could get with my point-and-shoot camera

I've made three local birding trips since my Florida vacation last week and racked up two more lifers in the process. The problem is, I hate birding without my SLR camera. Today, I shot some photos with a little simple point-and-shot camera. I can't help but think how much more detail I would have had with my normal camera.

Last weekend, I brought the family out to Colasanti's in Leamington, then drove out to Point Pelee and surrounding area. We drove to the tip of Point Pelee and checked out the beaches. Lots of sand... or the water is lower. Anyway as I was leaving, I met Tom Preney in the tip parking lot and he pointed out a Horned Grebe (in non-breeding winter plumage lifer-#232) just 20m out from the shore. Of course, no camera to document it!

Monday this week was a beautiful and warm day, and I made an attempt to search for American Woodcock at the Ojibway Prairie Reserve. I went a little too early and did not hear or see any of the target species so I will try again with our next burst of warm weather. American Woodcock would be a potential lifer (#234) and I hope to see them in the next week or two.

Today, after work, I went out to the Riverside Marina, only to find very little to look at out on the water. There were several small pockets of ducks/birds closer to Peche Island. Some included Common Merganser, and what appeared to be American Coot, or some other predominantly black ducks. As I drove down Riverside Drive, I noticed a flooded parking lot and what appeared to be swans behind the famous Abars bar. The swans turned out to be an overturned white plastic patio chair. But I looked out onto the river and saw many ducks and gulls about. As I scanned the ducks, I noticed Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Merganser and ... Long tailed Ducks! (Lifer #233) I was really excited to see them because this species has eluded me for almost two years of birding. There is a park about 200m west of Abars with a water pumping facility that offered even better views of ducks in this area. (Click here for google map. See green arrow for exact location). It was cold out there!

I also stopped by the Ambassador Bridge and saw the Perigrine Falcons in limited fashion. One falcon flew off the bridge as I approached and perched on top of Assumption Church. I will try to take some photos as the spring season progresses.

Good Birding,
Dwaynejava

Mom's House had a few cooperative Song Sparrow hanging out