American White Pelicans at Big Creek in Amherstburg V3

4,5,6...7 American White Pelicans? My first for Ontario. Heavily cropped...

After reading about the reported White Pelicans and Little Blue Heron at Holiday Beach this week, I felt I should go and check it out.  It was reported that the Egret numbers at Holiday Beach/Big Creek might be the largest recorded Egret roost numbers in Canada. This morning, I was unable to find a juvenile Little Blue Heron, as most Great Egrets were very far from the hawk watching tower, and my scope is just not sharp enough to see beak detail to distinguish a LBH from a Great Egret.

Or is this a Juvenile Herring Gull?

Recent walks of Point Pelee beaches gave views of Bonaparte's Gulls and Lesser (?) black-backed Gulls. I was hoping to see a Little Gull, but I haven't convincingly seen one yet. I can't honestly differentiate between a greater and lesser gull at this point, so I usually go by what is more statistically abundant. Ebird charts for Essex County hint that Greater black backed Gulls are much more abundant than Lesser black backed Gulls.

A quick kayak trip into Point Pelee's Marsh resulted in surprisingly low numbers of shorebirds. I was expecting more to be honest. On the various islands of mudflats I saw:
2 Semipalmated Sandpipers
5 Killdeer
1 Juv Spotted Sandpiper
3 Short billed Dowitchers
15 Canada Geese
25 Black Terns (in the Lilypads)

I should enter this into e-bird. I should go out at least one more time into the marsh. Probably in the second week of August.

Any thoughts on the subspecies of this SBD? Hendersoni?

Lots of butterflies around at Point Pelee along west Beach. Common Buckeye and American Snout are very abundant, but Giant Swallowtails, Red Spotted Purples, Viceroy, Monarch, Painted Lady and even Variegated Fritillary. I was hoping to see an Olive Hairstreak this week but dipped.

 

 

Good Birding,
Dwaynejava

Long Dash Skipper? ... Probably Pecks

Least Bittern at Holiday Beach

I was talking to a birding friend at Ojibway Park recently and he mentioned Least Bitterns at Holiday Beach. So this morning, I headed out, set up my scope on some of the distant islands of cat-tails and sure enough ... Least Bittern! I've gone out for the last two or three mornings at 8:00 am and found them after some thorough scanning of some ideal habitat. A scope and lots of patience is needed to see these incredible species.

According to Allaboutbirds.org: "Least Bittern is one of the most difficult marsh birds to spot".

Least Bittern is yet another species at risk in Ontario. According to the Royal Ontario Museum: "The main threat to Least Bitterns is draining of wetlands for conversion to farmland and urban development. Bitterns generally require large, quiet marshes and as marshes decrease in size and human recreation increases, the population declines in an area." (ROM).

Recap on threats to Least Bitterns:

• Destruction of Wetlands.
• Human interuption on the few remaining wetlands (sea-doos, recreation).
• Pollution ("Roundup", "Weed and Feed", Fertilizers from Farms and Golf Courses).

These deer flushed a Black crowned night Heron seconds before this shot.

At one point, I noticed hundreds of ducks suddenly start to fly from Big Creek. I looked up and saw this Juv Bald Eagle. Surpisingly, it turned towards me and buzzed the observation tower!

Black crowned Night Herons are pretty common at Holiday Beach

Common Gallinule or Common Moorehen? Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Wood Ducks around as well.

Some butterflies seen included Pipevine Swallowtail, Northern Cresent, and Delaware Skipper among others. I haven't seen any Hairstreaks yet.

Pipevine Swallowtail. Amazing mix of Orange, Blue and Black.

Northern Crescent and Pearl Crescent are often confused. I'm going by flight date. Also note the thicker black border on the outer edge of the upper hind-wing.

Deleware Skipper... Life Skipper.

This is some bonus video from my previous week's posting. It has some video of the Upland Sandpiper, and a Bobolink that was near my car. To my surprise, a female Bobolink perched on the fence as well! You can hear the call of the Bobolink very loudly in this video clip, and if you listen carefully at 0:08 seconds, you can hear Savanah Sparrow, and at 0:35 seconds, you can hear a distant 'cat call' of an Upland Sandpiper.




Good Birding,
Dwaynejava

Sources:
ROM, "Least Bittern Species at Risk", Royal Ontario Museum, Oct 2008, WEB, June 25, 2012
http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&id=104

Allaboutbirds.org , "Least Bittern" , Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nd, WEB, June 26, 2012, http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/least_bittern/id

Northern Crescent ID: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/species/NorthernCrescent_e.php
Pearl Crescent ID: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/species/PearlCrescent_e.php
Delaware Skipper ID: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/species/DelawareSkipper_e.php

Winter Wrens and a few more lifers...

  
Wow, its been at least four Fridays in a row that I visited Holiday Beach. It really is a nice way to end off the work week! On my way into Holiday Beach, I stopped at one point because I thought I heard Pine Siskin, but it was flocks of Black Capped Chickadees (In Dogberry thickets). I heard another strange call that I was unfamiliar with... Jim from the HBMO later informed me it was a call note from a Carolina Wren Chickadee. It was sureal to be on the tower and hearing a Carolina Wren make its call notes then its Tea-Kettle, Tea-Kettle Tea kettle call!

I only had about 1.5 hours to hang out at the Hawk Tower, but I had three, maybe four lifers!

Winter Wren ( Lifer 207)
Golden Eagle (Lifer 208)
Northern Pintail (Lifer 209)
Gadwal (Lifer 210)

Some other birds seen were:
Caronlina Wren (Heard, seen, but not photographed)
Seasonal Sparrows
Major Ducks
Eastern Towhee
Red Winged Blackbirds were numerous
American Kestrel near the Query

 Eastern Comma butterfly just below the observation tower.

I've really wanted to see the Winter Wren. I was really hoping to see it because I had read that they pass through this area at this time of year. I've read so much about them in the last two weeks, I feel like had deserved to see one! I was a little shocked at how easily seen they were along the short road to the Hawk Tower. I must have photographed 2 and seen about 4 others skulking about. The first photo was the result of me pished directly near the thicket near the hawk tower for 10 seconds! The one in the photo above was all over the place. It found a small woodpecker hole and was jumping in and out of it. Perhaps he will stay the Winter? At one point, I heard this little guy even make a scolding call. You gotta love wrens!!!

This is a Golden Eagle chasing flocks of Starlings. Almost not worth posting. Jim let me view this awesome bird through his scope, but this is the best I could do with my 500mm 'bigma' lens.

 Look at this duck density behind the trout pond. There must be 7-10 species in this photo alone!

(Wood Duck, American Coot, Mallards, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Pied Billed Grebe    (in other panned photos American Widgeon) in hindsight... it was incredible. Hunting taking place seems to have concentrated many ducks towards the trout pond).

This is a Northern Pintail Duck.  Does anyone know what type of duck is at the top of this shot? (two thoughts are: Gadwal, & Eurasian Wigeon) Gadwal it is... Lifer! #210

Good birding!
Dwayne

'The End'

Solitary Sandpiper...Life list bird #200!

Solitary Sandpiper at Ojibway Park... the 200th bird on my life list!

I stopped by Ojibway tonight for a quick walk between 7-7:30pm. There wasn't too much happening bird wise... a few BC Chickadees, WB Nuthatches and many American Goldfinches were hanging out near the feeders.  On the way out of the park, I was walking along the pond and saw/heard a shorebird that looked like a spotted sandpiper. I took a few shots and noticed a major white eye ring and spotting on its back as opposed to barring... Awesome! Solitary Sandpiper!

I stopped by Holiday Beach last weekend with my wife and son and it was pretty quiet. Bob P was manning the tower and informed me that a Yellow Breasted Chat was skulking in the bushes/trees adjacent to the tower. He also pointed out an Osprey that was flying over Big Creek. We stopped by the banding station and watched the biologist weigh and band a Red Eyed Vireo and Empidonax Flycatcher.

Osprey at Big Creek in Amherstburg. Note the duck on the water.

Magee Marsh & Open Oaks Metropark in Toledo

As a continuation of my previous blog entry, I went to Magee Marsh in Ohio after Pointe Mouillee in Michigan. I was about 1 week too late in the season to see a Prothanotary Warbler, but it was nice to see the park anyway. I did see American Redstart, Warbling Vireo, Black throated Blue and Pine Warblers. It was really nice habitat, but not as birdy as Holiday Beach was. I think its better for Northward Migration and just average for southward migration.

Snake eating frog at Magee Marsh in Ohio

On the way out, a car stopped on the road in front of me, and frustrated, I went around him only to notice a snake holding a twitching frog in its fangs 1' off the road. I quickly stopped and took the photo above. I'm not sure what kind of snake it was but it was really cool. About 10 seconds after I took the photo above, the frog was completely swallowed.


Open Oaks Metropark (http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/index.asp?page_id=510) in Toledo is only 1 hour south of Detroit but seems like a wonderful place to visit. They have some awesome breeding birds that are not easily found in Windsor. I would like to go back next summer.

Good birding!
Dwayne

White Faced Ibis at Big Creek... and a few warbling friends...

 

Wow, I left work today and headed out to Amherstburg... Big Creek Marsh and Holiday Beach to do some mid-week birding. Much to my delight, the Ontbirds notices of a White Faced Ibis from three days ago were still relevant! Sure enough, I saw parked cars, tripods, scopes and geeked out birders!

The real birders stood at a great distance, letting the bird wade in peace, while some locals walked as close as they possibly could to shot photos... Where is the birding etiquette?

 (Besides the Ibis, there were hundreds of Great Blue Heron in the background.)

It was a nice day out, but as soon as I arrived to Big Creek, the grey, cloudy skies rolled in with dingy, photography-killing light. Then it even started to rain!  The White Faced Ibis is a lifer for me... and the link below http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-faced_Ibis/lifehistory has a range map that really lets an ontario birder know just how 'accidental' this species is!!!

Next I stopped by Holiday Beach, and much to my happiness, the gate was open. I slowly drove down the the entrance road and stopped my car at one point when I heard lots of warbling.

Yellow Warbler!!! I have the feeling there were many around because I could hear them all along the drive into the park. Also, I basically took this from inside my car!

Holiday Beach was absolutely gorgeous. All the sloughs were flooded... I can just imagine that it will be humming with birds over the course of the next few weeks.

Next, I walked around near the observation tower, but did not see anything exciting. A few tree swallows, a cardinal, your obligatory grackels, robins and starlings.

Yesterday (Wednesdsay), I stopped by Point Pelee from 3-5pm and did not see much. I did see my first local warbler in spring molt.

The Yellow-Rumped Warbler was found at Blue Heron picnic area.

Hermit Thrushes are easy to spot in Woodland Trail this week. I ran into on loud Eastern Towhee, and MANY White Throated Sparrows.

Finally, I birded Ojibway quickly on Tuesday this week and did not see much. I did happen to run into a Tufted Titmouse, House finch and American Goldfinch.

Happy Birding!

American Wigeon ... just by chance

I attended a family friends' birthday party in Amherstburg today, so I left a little early and stopped by Holiday Beach to check out the ducks on Big Creek. I was shocked at how low the water was! I kayaked Big Creek last June and well, from Holiday beach, it looked like mudflats!You would not be able to launch a kayak into it!!! Big Creek closer to the bridge on Highway 18 had a little more water, but seemed very shallow as well.

I snapped a photos from the side of the road thinking they were just mallards and to my pleasent suprise... Lifers! I've never seen the green-faced, white crowned american wigeon! Upon looking up this duck on Allaboutbirds.org , I was amazed that its range is really on the western side of the continent. It only stopped here in migration. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Wigeon/lifehistory

Some Northern Shovelers were out as well.

I photographed a black capped chickadee, and was shocked at how cute it looked. I also noted that its rusty flanks are not present. Could it be a Carolina Chickadee? Or just a young, immature black capped chickadee. I guess I'll just assume the later.