Northern Bobwhite at Malden Park

With recent ontbirds postings about Northern Bobwhite at the Dow Wetlands in Sarnia, I had been wanting to drive out there to see it, but couldn't work up the motivation to drive out there (ozone action days). Luckily, an ontbirds posting mentioned Northern Bobwhites at Malden Park, of the Ojibway Complex in west Windsor. Since Malden Park is just minutes from my home, I stopped by Malden Park to see if I could find this awesome bird myself.

With very little effort, I found it this morning on the north end of the park, where the bike path runs along the backyard fences of a row of about 15 or so homes. The bird was seen about near the fourth house from the west-most home. I heard it calling before I saw it. It was calling "White!" without the "Bob-ba" preceding it. Northern Bobwhite is not a lifer for me as I did see it in Florida at the Babcock web reserve. This is my first photo of this bird though!

Note:Northern Bobwhite is a species at risk in Ontario. The link below mentions that harsh winters with lots of snowfall seem to kill off any natural popluations of this bird. Natural populations are basically limited to areas around Walpole Island where Lake Huron flows into Lake St Clair.  This is probably a captive released bird  http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact&id=110&lang=en

The Green Heron fledglings seem to be doing very well as they were foraging for food this morning. Belted Kingfishers and Spotted Sandpipers were seen as well.

I spotted a Spotted Sandpiper...

My first Android Application- Tickle Tufted Titmouse!

Actual Screenshot from my HTC Sensations 4G phone. I'm running Android 403 (AKA Ice-cream Sandwich)

I picked up a book recently on how to create android apps for touch-screen smartphones. I've had it sitting around for a month or so but finally started reading it yesterday. I read the first 150 pages and created my first app. Instead of petting a kitten and hearing meow, I decided to have a Tufted Titmouse and have it make its call: "Peter Peter Peter".

One app I would like to create is one that might take verbal dictation out in the field, convert it to text and then possibly create a text file (.CSV) that could be uploaded directly to E-bird. That might be too ambitious but its something to shot for. 

Visual IDE environtment of AppInventor. Expereimenting with Speech Recognition

Good Birding!
Dwaynejava

PS: The wildflower show is about to begin!

Turks-Cap Lily or Carolina Lily ... Ojibway Park Tallgrass Prairie

Birding Hiatus Birding

Having a little time to spare this morning, I figured I would try my luck at finding the Black Scoters that were so abundantly* reported as of late at Point Pelee. On the way to PPNP, I stopped by Hillman Marsh  and checked out the shorebird cell & wetland cells. Upon arrival at the shorebird cell, Kelly and Sylvain greeted me and gave a run-down at what was being seen (no Common Teal). Kelly mentioned a Northern Bobwhite calling about 20m to the right and mentioned how they were common back in her home state. She attempted to whistle the call but curiosity forced me to play the call on my Ibird App. A few moments later, the Bobwhite called with its very distinct and obvious call, fresh in my memory from having just played it. Northern Bobwhite was lifered about a year ago in Florida at the Cecil B. Webb WMA near Fort Myers. One crossed the road while I was driving... but its one of the few birds on my life list that I never got a photo of. 

The wetland cell was pretty quiet but had two Yellowlegs and about 20 Dunlin.

At Pelee, the tip's west beach was today's main destination.  While waiting for the tram to the tip, I re-united with Kelly and Sylvain along with Kory who had an incredible new 85mm Vortex scope. The four of us scanned the rafts of ducks from the tip parking lot, looking for Black Scoters.  Amongst thousands of Scaup,  (I think) I saw a Common Loon along with smatterings of Rudy Ducks, Bufflehead, and Surf Scoter. After walking North from the West Beach tip parking lot, we had a great vantage point on thousands of Ducks and Kory spotted the Black Scoter after considerable effort. Kory then spotted a pair of Horned Grebes that were right in front of us!

Where's Waldo? Where is Black Scoter?

*About four Black Scoter were amongst thousands other ducks. I can't beleive how hard it was to find them. A good scope, a little luck and patience were needed to see this rare coastal and salt water dwelling scoter!

 

A quick walk along Shuster Trail turned up several Winter Wrens, a Hermit Thrush and a few sparrows. A small Kinglet was seen next to the visitor center. I left the park at about noon as I had church and family plans.  Overall, it was a 'Good Friday'.

Good birding!

Dwaynejava

PS: Check out this photo that Raymond Barlow took of a Peregrine Falcon at Niagara Falls...

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/142337407

 

PSS: Did you hear that there is a Cougar roaming around in Amherstburg right now?

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/04/02/second-cougar-sighting-in-amherstburg/ 

Lifer Summary:

Black Scoter - 296