A little tradition I started two years ago is to basically bird the forested area at Holiday Beach on Labour Day Weekend. I can almost say that the concentration of warblers, vireos and thrushes in this 200m strip of beach is consistently higher than any other place I've birded, including PPNP! (This statement only applies for the first week or two of September.) Today was a little quiet at Holiday Beach overall, even though the WNW winds were somewhat favorable to birds being found along the shore of Lake Erie.
The first three birds I saw today were a perched Kingfisher right on some rocks along the beach, an obligatory Northern Flicker and Blue grey Gnatcatcher. A Carolina Wren was singing loudly near the banding station, but I could not locate it. House Wrens and Black capped Chickadees scolded me as I walked the dunes of holiday beach in search of migrants.
I hit a really nice pocket of warblers along the beach today. It was a really nice 20 minutes of birding! Outside of that small flock of warblers, it was pretty quiet. A few warblers seen include: Wilson's, Black and White, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Blackpoll, and American Redstarts. I had seen or photographed a few more but could not really ID them confidently.
Besides warblers, there were many Cedar Waxwings and Blue Jays. Raptors seen from the tower included several sharp shinned hawks, bald eagles, swallows, humingbirds and more (the daily report is sent out to Ontbirds Subscribe to or See: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/ONTB.html). I was only on the hawk tower for 20 minutes.
This Eagle flew over the bridge over big creek in Amherstburg.
Its amazing to read the Ontbirds reports and read about people's interactions with migrants along Lake Ontario, Huron and Erie. I've seen and read several reports about Jaegers in Hamilton and Sarnia... (drool). I think I might make the effort to get out there and see these guys (P & LT Jaegers). I'm due for a lifer!
Well... I can't help but feeling disappointed in this year's migration through our region. Of course, I was unable to actually spend gobs of time... no big days or big weeks. Just like 3-4 hours bi-weekly to various local hotspots. I just didn't see the birds that I saw last Spring, and it seemed like I put more effort into getting out there this season. Some exciting lifers this May have been: Yellow Breasted Chat, Prothonotary and Cereluean Warblers. The Cerulean being self-found!
With that in mind, I have spent some time a little closer to home, like at Ojibway Park, Ojibway Prarie and Black Oak Heritage Park in West Windsor. This video shows four cool birds that I might see on a good afternoon. In order: Red Bellied Woodpecker at the feeders, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Bluebird and finally, Indigo Bunting.
A recent short walk to Black Oak Heritage Park gave views of Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue Grey Gnatcatcher, Baltimore Orioles, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos, Field and Song Sparrow and a nesting Northern Flicker. Nothing overly exciting but still... good to know. I beleive I also heard a Wood Thrush.
One of my blog readers recently invited me to see some East-End nesting Screech Owls... How nice! That may be the subject of my next posting!
The last two days have been so beautiful out weather-wise, I couldn't help but get out there and take some photos. I have a new camera body and I'm still trying to learn its ways before May arrives. There will come a day where I will go birding without my camera but I guess for now, lots of pictures will be taken! :-) I think the reason I take photos was because when I started birding almost 2 years ago, I did not know one bird from another, so I would take photos then post-identify. I didn't even have binoculars or a field guide till about 1 year into the hobby. It started off with just a Camera and www.allaboutbirds.org. Blake Mann's blog as well as Paul Pratt's blog and nature tours really spawned my interest in nature. I thought about this question: "when did I start birding?" recently and the answer is the day I saw a Green Heron at Ojibway on May 2nd, 2009.
Birder or Photographer?
One or two people have told me that I'm a photographer, not a birder! One woman at Pointe Mouillee told me that without even knowing me! I found it odd that she said that because she had a white-bodied Canon "L" lens, and I was rockin' a Sigma! I think I'm a birder that loves to photograph nature. A photo-naturalist? But, I concede, I'm not an ornithologist. I would like to take the Ornithology course at the University of Windsor with Dr Mennill but I don't know if people working 9-5s can have the luxury of taking such courses.
Tufted Titmouse just singing his heart out. This is one of my favorite birds. Rare in most of Canada but common at Ojibway. Many Carolinian species are slowly having there northern bounds creep further north.
I really hit a nice pocket of birds in the Ojibway forest on Tuesday. I saw Kinglets, Yellow Rumps, Thrushes, Tufted Titmouse in the span of 20 minutes.
My first Mourning Cloak butterfly. I did not feel like venturing far off the path. They are easily seen at Black Oak Heritage Park at this time of year. I've also seen many Eastern Comma butterflies this week as well. These two species are the first to appear in early spring, so its easy to ID them. It's funny, I've learn so much about butterflies as well from the many excellent blogs in the area. In mid summer when the breeding birds of May have left for the Boreal Forests, the butterflies get more attention. This spring and summer, I will also make more of an effort to identify trees and plants.
Today I saw three separate pairs of Bluebirds in the park. I typically find them by first hearing them.Listen for a depressing sounding mur-mur like warble.
See the above photo in full size!
I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing these wonderful birds. Today, I just leaned against a giant Oak tree for 10 or so minutes watching the above pair sallying and flycatching in a beautiful meadow. I put the camera away and just quietly watched from a safe distance of 30-40m. Very cool!
In the Tallgrass Praire park of Ojibway, I saw/heard some really strange mating behaviors from three treetop Northern Flickers. The photo below shows the Flickers with their tails spread out and they were barking up a storm.(This photo reminds me of John James Audubon's drawings of them). I tried to take video of them, but of course, they were quiet by the time I started recording.
This was a beautiful Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker but it was foraging Aspen Catkins and difficult to photograph.
Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen several times on both Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I had my first Ruby Crowned Kinglet as well (see first photo in this posting).
Lastly, I finally saw an Eastern Towhee, although he was being shy in a thicket and refused to entertain my vocalizations. I also found a Winter Wren near the Milk Ponds of the Tallgrass area. Almost not worth posting. Almost! The Winter Wren holds a special place in my birding memoirs. I would almost say it is a better bird to see than say, a Painted Bunting. Sure the Painted Bunting is colorful and mind-blowing. But the Winter Wren is understated and tiny. It's local. Canadian. Hard to find unless you understand its habitat.
Winter Wren...
Good birding!
Dwaynejava
Bonus Video: (sorry, its shaky... its at 500mm x1.6 magnification, handheld)
I got out of work early today, so I figured I would go to Point Pelee and see whats happening bird-wise. In short: Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe & Brown Creeper were abundant!
My first stop was ERCA's Hillman Marsh. When I arrived at mid-afternoon the weather was pretty cold, windy and not very good for birding. I noticed the wetland cell had 10+ Great Blue Herons, as well as many common seasonal ducks.
The shorebird cell had thousands of Canada Geese. A few Tree Swallows were flying around. A Greater Yellowlegs was found as well as about 15 Dunlin (let me know if I've mis-identified these shorebirds).
Dunlin?
The onion fields. The soil is so rich, so black. You almost want to get out of your car and pick up some soil in your hands. There is an interesting historical connection with these fields and the natural history of the area. I would like to learn more about it. My understanding is that Point Pelee's marsh extended to Hillman marsh but was dyked and drained to create fertile farming fields. I've seen similar onion fields bordering St Clair NWA and Rondeau (at Erieau).
At Point Pelee, I first walked Shuster Trail. I heard Winter Wrens and saw BCCs as well as a few Cardinals. After Shuster Trail, I walked Tildens Trail. Birds seen include: Golden crowned Kinglets (4), Brown Creepers(4), and Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers (6) were pretty easily seen. I heard an Eastern Towhee but was unable to find it.
Habitat for prothonotary Warblers. Lets hope they hang out a little this spring. Last Spring they did not stay very long at Point Pelee or Rondeau.
Later I walked Woodland Nature Trail and saw more of the same birds. Several more Yellow bellied Sapsuckers (6), Golden Crowned Kinglets (3), Brown Creepers(4) as well as a plethora of blackbirds and Robins. I did not see a Hermit Thrush today. I did not see any early Warblers today either, although I was not really looking for them.
Yet another YBSS. I saw many but did not get great photos of them.
The trail on the west beach side of the tip had many Flickers (4) and Wild Turkey (5). There was a male Turkey showing off his feathers to impress the ladies. Many Eastern Phoebes were around... really they were almost everywhere. I also saw Red breasted Mergansers were seen off west beach.
Some misses today were Hermit Thrushes, Scoters, Common Loons and Grebes. I wonder what this weekends warm front will bring in?
Good birding!
Dwaynejava
PS: I met the park interpreter Sara today after my walk and she informed me that they new marsh boardwalk will be ready around mid-April (next week). I hope to find some marsh birds in mid to late April.
Some Good Reading
The Essex County Field Naturalists put together a great publication, and the most recent one includes an Annual Point Pelee Bird Report for 2010. http://www.ojibway.ca/egret-03-11.pdf (See page 32 for a reference to yours truly)
Just a quick walk after work today... about 1 hour had some decent birds. No big surprises but a good mix in my humble opinion. I also found a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker at Mom's House!!! I noticed the gestalt on this woodpecker had a 'twist-dabbing' motion in the pecking technique. How exciting to see this wonderful woodpecker... at Mom's house of all places!
Ojibway Prairie reserve was good today as well. I walked from 4-4:45 and saw many great birds!
Birds Seen at Ojibway:
Hermit Thrush
Field Sparrow
Eastern Bluebirds (6+) Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Red winged Blackbird
Red bellied Woodpecker
Red tailed Hawk
Blue Jay
Robins
White breasted Nuthatch
Ring billed Gulls Overhead
Hermit Thrush
Eastern Bluebirds were almost easily seen. I have not heard their 'depressed warble' for months!
Field Sparrow
Northern Flicker
Good Birding!
Dwaynejava
PS: Well, I've been trying to see/photograph an American Woodcock for the last week or so, and of course, the one night I had great looks at it, my camera had no memory card! Anyway, I have satisfactorily seen, observed, and will claim American Woodcock as a lifer bird... #234!
I stopped by Holiday Beach with the family this afternoon and had a pretty good time. Jim P, the official Hawk Counter at Holiday Beach pointed out some very high flying Broad Winged Hawks that were basically invisible to the naked eye and just tiny pepper flakes in 10x binoculars. There were hundreds flying by but very difficult to get a good view of. At times, some large flocks of Blue Jays flew by the tower which was pretty cool.
A Northern Flicker in the distance, I did not use my 500mm lens today
I then walked towards the beach hoping to see something a little more warbler-like but did not see much. A small flock of Chickadees and a few Redstarts and little yellow warblers flew by at one point, but I did not really pursue them. Rather, a small sandy dune with some Goldenrod was buzzing with butterfly activity. I'm still new to Butterfly watching but took some shots anyway. I attempted to label them, even if only generally labeled.
At a few times today, I saw Sharp Shin Hawks overhead, and instead of photographing them, I looked at them through my binoculars. I've really enjoyed using the binoculars in the last few days. I love them!
Good birding,
Dwayne
Bonus: Snake on the road! This was tiny, probably less than a foot long.
