Backyard Woodcocks! Feb 24, 2017

Just a short posting tonight. I had my dad visiting for dinner tonight and while I was pouring a post-dinner coffee, I hear: PEEENT, PEEENT, PEEENT in my back yard. My screen was open as it was about 17C.

Backyard February Woodcocks? YES!

I stepped out onto my back porch and took this brief 40 second video. You can actually see a pair of woodcocks flying in their spiraling timberdoodle display at about the 30 second mark of this video. Not bad for cell-phone video. Local naturalist Paul Pratt had found a pair at Hillman Marsh last night on Feb 23rd, 2017.




If you are in Windsor, a great place to see woodcocks is at the viewing platform near the titcombe turn around circle across from the Ojibway Park visitor center on Matchette road. They start flying at dusk.

Good birding!
Dwayne

Birding Magee Marsh in Northwest Ohio

I birded Magee Marsh today after wanting to get check out their spring migration for the last two years. It was pretty amazing. I saw/photographed 23 Warbler Species! In fairness, the whole region around the great lakes basically had a "fallout" of migrants today. Small woodlots around Windsor were reporting incredible birds!

The 23 warbler species seen are:

1. Common Yellowthroat-10
2. Canada Warbler-1
3. Morning Warbler-1
4. Yellow Warbler-5
5. Prothonotary Warbler-1
6. Yellow breasted Chat -1
7. Chestnut sided Warbler - 5
8. Wilson's Warbler-2
9. Tennessee  Warbler-1
10. Nashville Warbler-5
11. Northern Parula-4
12. Magnolia Warbler-10
13. Black throated Blue Warbler - 15
14. Cape May Warbler - 5
15. Black throated Green Warbler - 10
16. Yellow Rumped Warbler - 10
17. Palm Warbler - 13
18. Blackburnian Warbler -2
19. Black and White Warbler -4
20. American Redstart - 20+
21. Bay Breasted (female) -1
22. Ovenbird -2
23. Northern Waterthrush - 2

As amazing as the day was, I didn't get any life birds! But I'm not complaining...Other highlights include:


Indigo Buntings- 2 (FOS)
Rose breasted Grosbeaks - 7
Bald Eagle Nest with two parents feeding babies
Screech Owl-1
Scarlet Tanagers - Male, Female and Orange Variant!
Yellow throated Vireo -1
Red eyed Vireo - 3
Warbling Vireo - 5
Veery -1
Swainson's Thrush -1
American Woodcock - 2 one on nest, and another struttin' along a waterway edge.

I don't want to compare Magee Marsh to Point Pelee or Rondeau or Long Point. They are all different and all amazing. I have to say though... The "density" of birds today was unbelievable. I literally saw 23 warblers in about 4 hours which is probably the best day of warbler viewing I have ever experienced. But, I was looking at Essex County's Ebird Rarities, and Pelee and Rondeau both had amazing days as well, and Pelee had many noteworthy rarities that I don't think Magee Marsh had (Worm-eating, Kentucky, Golden Winged- all life birds for me, as well as Prairie Warblers).

 

 Not a bad day at all!


Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Birding the Ojibway Prarie Reserve in Early Spring

I should keep a list for just my moms house!

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!

American Woodcock Timberdoodling