Birding, Biking, Kayaking and Nature loving in Windsor Essex County in Ontario Canada
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Science Writer Becomes a Birdwatcher - CBC the Current Podcast
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Golden-Winged Warbler + Olive Sided Flycatcher - May 12th Ojibway Park
Later at Black Oak Heritage Park , an adjacent park that I like to frequent - I had a decent morning --- one of my highlights was an Olive-sided Flycatcher!
Both of these birds are sadly becoming more and more endangered, at risk.
On Saturday, I had attempted to bird at Point Pelee for a bit. Someone had reported a Cerulean Warbler in Cactus Field - and sure enough, it was being seen by many upon arrival. Another Highlight was seeing some Hummingbirds nectar from Eastern Redbud Tree Blooms.
Its the most beautiful time of year.
Good birding,
Dwayne
I took tonnes of photos of the Cerulean Warbler here - but sadly, my White balance was set to "indoor" so the colours are not the best. Still - this is not bad for 25m away and 20 meters up.
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Northern Lights in Windsor ON - May 10th 2024
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker + Birds, Beer Cans & Burgers
Now - you might be asking about the strange title of this posting. Am I suggesting to drink and bird. Or to birdwatch inebriated? No. I just noted recently that there are beer cans and bottles all over the place and --- I wonder if anyone ever bothers to pick them up.
I have a little box in the trunk of my car, and - (this may be silly) - but I have been picking up littered beer cans and my goal is -- to make a 10x10 grid of beer cans. That would be worth $10! What could you buy with an extra ten dollars every month or so? A burger perhaps?
Monday, April 8, 2024
Total Eclipse April 8th 2024 - As seen from Point Pelee + Comet 12P Pons-Brooks
It was pretty Amazing! I've seen partial eclipses in the past but seeing totality at Point Pelee with a 360 Degree view of the un-obstructed horizon was pretty amazing. I attempted to make a video with my camera - see below:
PBS Eclipse Overview (awesome video -even in hindsight!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?
CBC Eclipse Overview (awesome again) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9IlrWA-z64
I've been meaning to post a few images of the most recent comet that is visible (not naked-eye visible). These images are just from the last week or two. I think this comet has since slipped below the western horizon at dusk and is probably very difficult to find at this point. It was actually visible (in theory) during the eclipse --- and I did make out Saturn and Jupiter in the darkened sky, but some hazy overcast prevented me from attempting to find it during the brief 1-2 minute totality.
Good Astonomizing!
Dwayne
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Birding Miami Florida in March 2024
Mangrove cuckoo(migrates in late march)
Western spindalis
La Sagra's flycatcher
Thick billed vireo
Black wiskered vireo
Local parakeets
Least tern (migrates in late march)
Short tailed hawk
Miami Blue butterfly - extinct to extirpated to a few small islands near key west. Read more here: Miami Blue Butterfly | FWC (myfwc.com)
My efforts to birdwatch was to look at some hotspots in ebird and focus on some of the top locations.
Bill Baggs Park -Key Biscayne (link)
Prairie Warbler
Chuck wills Widow
Common warblers
Little blue Heron
Sanderling
Magnificent frigatebird
Queen butterfly
Julia butterfly
Anne Kolbe reserve - Hollywood Fl (link)
Yellow throated warbler
Yellow rumped warbler
Palm warbler
Black and white warbler
American redstart
Northern Parula
*Mangrove tree crab
MATHESON HAMMOCK PARK (link)
Yellow throated Vireo
Red shouldered hawk
Red headed woodpecker
Yellow rumped warbler
Palm warbler
Red shouldered hawk
Magrove skipper (worn - but life butterfly)
Zebra longwing butterfly
Random neighborhood baseball diamond
-Loggerhead shrike
-Prairie Warbler
Hal Scott Preserve (link) (closer to Orlando --- Red cockaded woodpeckers are here but i did not see them on this brief visit. )
Eastern bluebird
Brown headed nutchatch
Blue grey gnatchcher
Bachmans Sparrow (lifer! #471)
Pine warbler
I guess this trip has reminded me that even if ebird shows that a bird may be present in a location.... 90% of the days you might only see the (at best) 90 percentile birds. An area that seems promising can be a let-down and seemingly devoid of birdlife, but another area that seems to not be of great significance could have surprisingly good birds. Sometimes we have to remember that the best part of travelling is the journey, not the destination itself.
Bachmans Sparrow (FL) 471