Backyard Sparrow Bonanza Continues (Part 2) Oct 17th

 

Wow,,, So yet again, I spent 30 - 45 minutes birding from my kitchen table this morning, looking to my back yard through my back patio - and the birding was surprisingly good! This weekend's birding has provided the following sparrows:

House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White crowned Sparrow
White throated Sparrow
Dark eyed Junco
Vesper Sparrow (*new yard species)
Clay colored Sparrow (*new yard species)

And today:

Lincoln's Sparrow (*new yard species)
Purple Finch (*new yard species)

Recap of yesterday's Sparrow Highlights: 

Today's Lincoln's Sparrow:

The previous blog posting from yesterday featured a nice selection of sparrow species, highlights being Clay Coloured and Vesper Sparrows - but today - I had a Lincoln's Sparrow! I also had Purple Finch, a pair of Red bellied Woodpeckers as well another Hermit Thrush. 

I have a mental bird list of species I've seen in/from my backyard --- and I think I need to make a page dedicated page to keep track of those species. I think I also should have a small bird bath pond or water fountain as I've noted a small flooded area behind my fence has attracted many species. 

Good Birding!

Dwayne

Backyard Birding - Sparrowfest? + New Binoculars

 

On Friday Oct 15th I had gotten home from work and spent a few minutes 20-30 just setting at my dinner table, looking out at my back yard through my patio door. It seems particularly "birdy" and having a new pair of binoculars* I was geeked to check out what was in my back yard. Today, Saturday Oct 16th, I think I had some other noteworthy sightings, --- I think Clay Coloured Sparrows!

Amazingly I had some pretty good birds!

There was a very active Eastern Phoebe. 

White Crowned, White throated Sparrows, + a single FOS Dark eyed Junco

Field Sparrow, Chipping, Song, House as well a first ever (yard bird!) Vesper Sparrow!!?!?!?

For Warblers, I had Palm, Yellow rumped and Palm Warblers

I also noted a Hermit Thrush!

Unless I'm mistaken, I think I've found two new yard birds - Vesper Sparrow and Clay colored Sparrow. Both new yard birds!

Quick note on Binoculars - 

* With great sadness, I realized recently that I have lost/misplaced or was a victim of theft for my recent pair of Vortex Diamondback Binoculars. I sometimes park my car in my driveway and either forget to lock my door, or leave my windows open.

So I had bought another pair of Vortex Diamondback Binos (8x42). Shortly after buying those, I noticed that BestBuy had an open box Nikon Monarch 5's for ~$200 so... I couldn't help but pick those up as well. Then as I was clearning my garage out last week, I had found an old pair of Nikon Monarch 5's that had fallen under my garage landing steps. So I went from having 0 binoculars over the last 1-2 months to having 3 pairs at the time of me typing this. I had explained to my wife that even though 3 pairs may be excessive, ... I can bring my two boys out with me and they will have their own pretty awesome binoculars. 

Which of the two binocular brands do I like better???  --- I cant really say. They are both quite amazing. I know everyone has their own budgets and preferences for binoculars, but I am quite happy with $300 binoculars. I tend to lose them alot anyway...

 

October Back Yard Birds and Other Sightings

The last week or two have been a little lack-luster for birding. The weekends have had horrible weather and weekdays are filled with work commitments!

Backyard birds over the last few weeks include:

• Palm Warblers
• White crowned Sparrows
• White throated Sparrows
• Red breasted Woodpecker
• Dark eyed Junco
• Blue Jays
• Cardinals

I had ventured out to Hillman Marsh about two weeks ago since I was out in Essex for a work commitment. I went to Hillman as I heard that some Nelson's Sparrows were being seen there. Unfortunately, there were gail-force winds making birding (and standing outside) difficult. I did see a roadkilled Eastern Fox Snake which was sad to see.

Karen H recently informed me that there was a Blue-Morph Snow Goose at the Volmer Pond in Lasalle and I was able to follow up on that sighting. Overhead, a Bald Eagle soared in the sky... always nice to see. 

It will be interesting to see if this year is a great year for winter finches (See Ron Pittaway's Winter Finch Forecast). I think seeing Common Redpolls or White winged Crossbills will be a nice treat to make the upcoming winter season a little more bearable. I bought a new nyjer seed feeder in hopes of attracting some good northern birds.

Perhaps the same factors that are giving Snowy Owls booming populations in the north will also make sightings of Gyrfalcons and Northern Shrikes a little more abundant as well.

This weekend seems to be a complete washout in terms of rain... It would have been really nice to go to Holiday Beach to do some hawk-watching. Late October always gives some nice views of late migrating raptors such as Red Shouldered and Rough Legged Hawks as well as Golden Eagles.

Maybe next weekend's weather will be a little better? Lets hope....

Good birding,
Dwayne

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