Hudsonian Whimbrel ... at Black Oak Heritage Park?

 

One less butterfly... can anyone id the caterpillar?

I birded Black Oak Herritage park with 2-3 target species today:

Yellow Bellied Flycatcher

Olive sided Flycatcher

Whimbrel

I had been speaking to another birder (black oak) recently saying that hudsonian godwits are common at Pointe Mouillee in late may - which is in Michigan about 20km south of detroit. So ... if whimbrell are 20 km due south of Black oak (which borders the detroit river corridor) could some whimbrel go through the detroit river - up towards lake st clair then up towards lake huron? My birding friend suggested no - they go towards point pelee to lake erie and lake ontario.

 So I was birding at black oak today and it was pretty birdy. Lots of bird song... and lots of leaves! I had a generous look at a mourning warbler, as well as a mid forest butteo hawk which was a broad winged hawk!

Willow Flycatcher

Well - I stood along the detroit river and attempted to do a 10 minute shorebird sit. Nothing of much interest. Then a Willow Flycatcher caught my ear. I was photographing it when I noticed a flock of migrants streaming overhead. After waiting what felt like an eternity, my focus kicked in and I snapped as many photos of this flock of birds as I could. Photograph first - id later!

Well low and behold... your blogger's whimbrel wishes came true. His hypothesis was correct. Whimbrel at pointe mouillee can go towards point pelee as well as use the detroit river corridor to continue migrating north.

I was pretty amazed. Nobody in all the years of ebird had seen whimbrel here until my sighting today.  I feel like I made some onitholgical history. I guess every dog has his day. 

Good birding!

Dwayne

Birding Ojibway's Black Oak Heritage Park in Mid May + Life List Reflection

May 15th is the peak date for migration but this year - it was one of the "big wave" days where people around the the shore of lake erie are inundated with bird diversity and bird volume. I often read about these big days while eating my lunch at work! Yesterday, May 15th -- a local birder hinted that there was a "fallout" at the Black Oak Heritage Park section of Ojibway Park. After work - I had a dilema - should I go to PPNP (and spend two hours driving) or just go to Black Oak and spend more time birding and less time driving? I chose Black Oak!

It wasn't as good as I was hoping and I'm sure many of the birds seen by the previously mentioned poster had moved on or were just not in the parts of the park that I was walking. Still, I had some nice looks at Indigo Buntings, Blue headed Vireo, Bay breasted Warbler, and Scarlet Tanagers.  At one point, I watched a Bay breasted Warbler jump from a tree branch into a little rushing stream and he took a little bird bath! I was hoping to see a Canada Warbler - but I just haven't seen one yet this year.  

The second topic of this posting was just to think about my life list. A few years ago I was on the Post Woods Footpath at Point Pelee and saw a Yellow and Grey bird with white eye rings for a second and it dipped down into a thicket and disappeared from view.  I had also heard that a Connecticut Warbler was seen on that path so I lifered it. But over they years that particular sighting didn't sit well with me because at the time, I don't think I parsed the field marks of the bird and really eliminated any similar birds. A Nashville Warbler is a smaller bird but has similar looks from certain angles, and if you didnt see the bird's throat colour...an honest mistake could be made.

So on May 14th, I was riding my bike at Black Oak Heritage Park with my wife and two kids when at one point, we stopped near a body of water and my two boys wanted to take a break from biking and inspect the pond. While that happened, I heard a loud, crisp bird call that sounded like this: Chip CHIP chup chip Chippity Chip Chup....(with pauses and repeats) I felt like I had heard that call before, and it was so distinct and different from many other bird calls. I should have taken video with my cell phone to record the bird call - but I was too focused on "Getting a picture" and looking up into a tree in the bird song's direction (I should have been looking down at the ground). 

After getting home, I looked up some bird song mnemonics and realized that the Connecticut Warbler had a similar sounding song. I listened to the song and to my disbelief ... It dawned on me that the mystery bird that I was hearing from point -blank range was indeed a Connecticut Warbler!

So I guess I can say that I've officially lifered a Connecticut Warbler - even though I didn't see the bird with this particular interaction with the bird. My old self would have felt bad for not having produced a photo - but I must say that hearing the song of a good bird could be equally if not more satisfying than simply seeing a bird. Another blogger once had an interesting analogy of identifying birds by song by stating something to the effect of:  ...Sorry I didn't get a picture of a the bird with spots on its chest - I was enveloped in its ethereal bird song....

Anywho ... Its these brief events and interactions with birds that help us learn bird songs and just be better birders. I will now officially know the song of the Connecticut Warbler and just be prepared better for the next time I hear its song.

Good birding!

Dwayne

Pacific Loon, Kentucky Warbler and a Field of Golden Plovers

American Golden Plovers in Breeding Plumage - How Cool Are They?

Migrating Golden Plovers

I birded Point Pelee this Saturday May 9th, and started off in the Onion Fields of all places. I wanted to follow up on a recent report of 300 American Golden Plovers! I think there may have been 50-70 Golden Plovers when I was looking at them but still, very nice to see these avian gems in their breeding plumage.

Upon entering the park, my friend Rick suggested that I stop at Dunes, where a Kentucky Warbler had just been recently ontbirded. That ended up being some of the best birding of the day as a very shy Kentucky Warbler was seen, a Canada Warbler, Chestnut Sided, and a Grey cheecked Thrush were all seen at this spot.

Later on in the day, I ended up seeing a few more great species - my first of season Red headed Woodpecker and Bay breasted Warbler.

I had to leave Pelee at about 4PM to get back to Windsor for a dinner outing, but of course, as I was leaving the park I checked my email just in case a mega rarity had been reported... Pacific Loon at NW Beach!!!!

Pacific Loon at Point Pelee

Wow - an awesome bird! I saw one a few years ago through Jean Iron's scope but this was my first chance at getting a decent look at it and perhaps even a diagnostic photo.

Good birding!
DM

PS: Has anyone else noticed the influx of Red Admirals this week? They are everywhere and its almost reminiscent of Spring 2012. Could this mean that this year is going to be another good year for butterfly watching?

May 17-18 Birding: Pelee, Kopegaron Woods, and Oak Openings Metropark

Kopagaron Woods last Friday was pretty amazing. I had attempted to twitch a Scissor tailed Flycatcher in Wheatley, and figured I would stop by Kopagaron Woods. It was pretty amazing. There was a small group of warblers and migrants which were staying very low due to the cold temps that had moved in late last week. Right near the entrance to the forest path was amazing. Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Canada Warbler were present with many Bay breasted Warblers, Chestnut sided, Magnolia, Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanagers all very close to the ground! Veery and Swainson's Thrushes were very present as well.

Female Blackpoll Warbler

The following day, I spend the morning at Point Pelee and upon arrival, I was able to see a Pacific Loon that Jean Iron had ontbirded just as I arrived at the park. She had it in her scope as I reached east beach! More Philadelphia Vireos were seen along east beach.  Some nice highlights as the afternoon progressed were: Northern Parulas at close range, Canada Warblers, Yellow breasted Chat and Ruby throated Hummingbird nectaring Wild Columbine Flowers!

Northern Parula right along Tilden's Woods footpath

Yellow breasted Chat - Perhaps on breeding territory? Lets hope! This guy was singing from a thicket making all kinds of weird noises... Trying to impress the ladies!

Hummingbird nectaring on Wild Columbine flowers

Some nice Thrush species were seen as well. On Saturday, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Robins, Wood Thrush, Gray cheeked Thrush were all seen. In fact, I think all the Eastern Thrush Species were in the park with the exception of Bicknells! Along the Tilden Woods Footpath, I heard my first singing Wood Thrush for the season. It's song was amazing to hear. If you have a few minutes, and want an amazing read and description of the wood thrush, click here to read John James Audobon's account of this bird. You owe it to yourself!

Sunday, my family visited Toledo Zoo, but stopped by Oak Openings Metropark for a quick 20 minute walk. I hate rushed birding, but in that twenty minutes, I had seen:
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Bluebird
Lark Sparrow
Red headed Woodpecker - (seamingly lots - 4 seen along a 50m walk)
Eastern Kingbirds

Oak Openings is the Easternmost Stronghold for this beautiful western sparrow

I stopped by a small area withing the Oak Openings to look for the re-introduced Karner Blue butterfly. I spoke to a few women in the parking lot who informed me that the re-introduced Karner Blue is basically not "thriving" as their website suggests and that there is only one area which they might still be seen at, but it is off bounds to public, and hasn't been seen yet this year. Along the parking lot, Eastern tailed Blues and Dreamy Duskywings were visible along with Tufted Titmouse at close range.

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Wild Lupine - Easily Seen at Oak Openings and the foodplant for the extirpated Karner Blue butterfly

Birding Pelee with the Ojibway Birding Group

This is a late posting, since this walk took place last Saturday (May 19th), but I figured I would do a quick write-up anyway. Our walk started off at the tip, because a California Gull had been seen the day earlier, but the most noteworthy birds were small flocks of Rudy Turnstone and a Lesser Black backed Gull.

Lesser Black Backed Gull... Can you find him?

Red eyed Vireo. Difficult to photograph!

Our walk between the Tip and the vistors center had the following birds: (off the top of my head)
Northern Parula
Eastern Wood Pewee
Common Grackle
Tennessee Warbler
Black throated green Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Eastern Kingbirds
Black billed Cuckoo (heard)
Blackburnian Warblers (several duller females)
Chimney Swifts
Great crested Flycatcher

Plus the birds photographed below:

Poor photo of one of my favorite warblers. Just a few meters from the trail. Backlit with sun behind this tree. Thanks Kelly and Paul for getting me on this bird!

Philadelphia Vireo singing at waist level in a thicket. I saw two more later on in the day on Shuster Trail.

Coin Series 2012: "Our Legendary Nature"

 I've been looking for these quarters that have been recently been released from the mint but have been unable to find them. So I stopped by a small collectables store on University today and picked up a few. My first hunch was that the bird coin was a Snowy Owl, but it turns out to be a Peregrine Falcon. Canada Mint as a pretty cool advertisement on Youtube for this series.

Speaking of Peregrine Falcons, there are four babies nesting at the bridge in Windsor. Two are poking up in this photo below. Click here for more about the Peregrine Falcons: http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Windsor+Peregrine+falcon+chicks+named+tagged/6646170/story.html

The media (and the former youtube video) really make a big deal about these birds and how amazing our environment must be that this extremely rare birds are making a comeback. To a certain extent, yes, its good news that DDT was banned, but we still have a long way to go. I must admit that seeing four fledglings grow up just minutes from my house will make June a little more exciting.

Ojibway Walks

Ojibway walks this week had:
Ring necked Pheasant
Blue Grey Gnatcatchers (nesting)
Green Heron (Being Mobbed by a Blue Jay)
Indigo Buntings
Eastern Towhees

Hobomok & Silver Spotted Skipper as well as many duskywings.

Hobomok Skipper on Blue Flag Iris

The grassy antenna field in LaSalle that I visited last summer has a few grassland species again. The most prominent bird is Red winged Blackbird, but there are a few Eastern Meadowlarks and singles of Bobolink and Savannah Sparrows.

Amazing bird. Only the second or third time seeing this in Ontario in my life. Very skittish though. I could only get within about 60m before it would move to a distant tower support line.

The song of a male Bobolink is really incredible. It might be the coolest bird song I have heard out of 300 I have on my life list.

I think I will be going to the Carden Alvar OFO Field Trip... I'm 70% sure I'm going. Very exciting... I could be seeing potentially 5 or more life birds.  

This migration season, in my humble opinion was a little bit of a let-down. Butterflies stole the show.  I came across a good article about the butterfly explosion that took place in early May. Read here for more: http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=f9d6d0f8-5da6-46f5-8b45-e93c8c85c21b

Good birding!
Dwaynejava