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

American Pipits... Just by chance

Just a short posting tonight. I had gone out to look for Pipits once or twice this month on the advice that they sometimes hang out on compost piles at a landfill just north of Kingsville. After scoping the compost mounds for twenty minutes from the roadside berm, all I had seen was sky-blackening numbers of European Starlings and some doves in the area.  I left, dejected.

Then, while driving home, while still in the 'pleasent valley' area of Essex Co, I noticed four little sparrow-like birds perched on a power line on a gravel side road. I pulled over to see these buffy beauties! Lifer!!! #307! I took a few shots from my car, then walked out in a recently harvested soyabean field to get front lit shots. A nearby raptor flushed them, and I even got a chance to hear their tell-tale chirping flight calls.

American Pipits are also known as Buff-breasted Pipits or Water Pipits. They breed in the arctic north, and migrate to the Southern US for the Winter. My birding field guide lists them as 'common' in migration, but that has not been the case for me. Many birders have told me to listen for them flying over in flocks but, I'm old school, I prefer to see them perched or walking around on the ground. I guess they can be found along beaches, watery areas and fields. I had an impression that they could be seen in the Onion Fields or any birding hotspots along the north shore of Lake Erie.

This yellow rumped Palm Warbler was curious and bounced around in a leafless tree in nice sunlight.

Other birds seen in the area were some Yellow rumped Warblers, and a three separate American Kestrels. The Kestrel below had a huge insect, perhaps a Praying Mantis. Pretty cool!

I'm hoping to see Saw Whet Owls by the end of the month, it would be pretty cool to have three lifers in three blog postings. Any good advice to help me find one would be appreciated! ;^)

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Lifer Summary: American Pipit #307

Owl Mobbing Warblers!

 

This past Saturday at Point Pelee, I noticed about 6 orioles on a branch 30 meters east of Tildens trail. All of a sudden birds came out of nowhere and started going crazy. At the time, a few of us just watched the show in amazement. One viewer stated that the birds were probably mobbing an owl! I've seen crows mob larger owls (even the great grey owl attracted protest from the odd crow) but never warblers protesting Eastern Screech Owls. Northern Saw Whet Owls get protested by Black-capped Chickadees. How Cool!

For some strange reason, things died down and I continued walking. I did not think much about looking for the owl that the warblers were protesting. Later that day, my friend Rick from Leamington had mentioned that a Red-Morph Eastern Screech Owl was found on a branch off Tildens. I think that must have been the culprit!

 West Beach Habitat & Birds

 

These three landscape shots were taken with my new phone.

Variegated Fritillary... life butterfly

 

 

 

Can't wait to get back out next Saturday...
Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Point Pelee - Post Woods Trail... Post-work Posting

After work on Friday, I went down to Point Pelee for a Post-work walk on the "Post woods" trail. Its incredible to say this but I've never walked the post-woods trail! I haven't really walked the west beach trail much either. If I birded the tip of Point Pelee, I would often just take the tram back to the visitor center and typically walk Tildens Woods and Woodland Nature Trail.

 I had face-melting views of this Yellow-Rumped Warbler on Tildens'

My first walk covered Tilden's Woods and I saw Rusty Blackbirds as well as Northern Waterthrushes foraging the sloughs. White throated Sparrows patriotically sang "oh sweet Canada" as the occasional paserine flew overhead. One Winter Wren bounced around the path but my camera was unable to get any focus on it. I walked from Tildens Trail to the beach, and all the way up the beach to Sparrow Field. That must have been about 1-2 Km? Along the beach though, I saw front-lit Horned Grebes at 10-20m off the shore, along with all kinds of Gulls, Cormorants, Ducks and Scoters. I photographed some close Terns and later ID'd them as Forster's Terns (lifer #236). I have not really taken much time to really ID terns... I have assumed they were Common or Caspian. I saw deer venture out the forest and drink water from the beach shoreline. Chipping and Field Sparrows hopped along the sand catching little bugs. Seeing the newly cleared Sparrow Field was pretty cool. True to its name, I saw 4 sparrow species (chipping, field, white crowned and white throated).

I then walked the "Post Woods" trail North towards the visitor center. Black throated Green, Black-and-White warblers, along with a tree-top Blue headed Vireo were seen.  A Brown Thrasher was spooked as I walked northward. Blue-Grey Gnatcathers and Cedar Waxwings were seen. None in great quantity, but it seemed like everything around made itself known. As post-woods trail became the Woodland Nature Trail I saw one Blue Headed Vireo and several Palm Warblers foraging the treetops as the sun was setting to the west.

 Forsters' Tern above, Surf Scoters below

Did you ever see a Field Sparrow in Sparrow Field?

Hillman Marsh had thousands of Dunlin, typical Gulls and Ducks. Noteworthy birds were about 4 Willets and 3 Black Bellied Plovers. A Thrush near the parking lot had huge buffy eyerings. I can't help but think its a Swainsons. Its probably a Hermit Thrush! 

Saturday, I spent the day with family and friends in Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan. We went on the "Thomas the Train" train ride. Good times! Tomorrow, (Sunday) I will try to be at PPNP to watch the sun rise!

Good Birding!
Dwaynejava

Ojibway Seasonal Specialties

 I had a posting for last weekend's OFO trip to PPNP but I just couldn't hit the publish button... I had a short, uneventful trip, but at least I saw many great birders from near and far.  Unfortunately, I was sick Sunday and just not feeling good. I don't know how I got out of bed at 7 am on Sunday!!! Three birds of interest where a Swainson's Thrush, Greater black backed gull, and an unidentified owl I flushed on West beach as I was eyeing a Ruby crowned kinglet.

This week, I have really found myself busy with work and my night classes that I'm taking at the U. I did get out once or twice to Ojibway Park. Tonight's walk was surprisingly good!

It only dawned on me when I got home, but a photo I took of a juvenile Red Headed Woodpecker had a juvenile Yellow bellied Sapsucker in the same tree! I watched a Red breasted Nuthatch crack sunflower seeds from about 4m away... I saw Yellow Rumped, Bay-poll and American Redstart along with Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets. Solitary Sandpipers are almost guaranteed to be seen in the round pond at Ojibway, I think I'm 5/5 in my last 5 trips to the park.

 This Blackpoll warbler just sat on a branch for a few minutes after eating a little bug. I put the camera away and checked it out (with my new binoculars) for a few minutes.

I can't believe there was a Red headed Woodpecker at Ojibway again! I hope I run into this bird more in the future! Sorry about the mediocre photos... they are basically proof shots. The woodpeckers flushed shortly after I even noticed they were there.

This Kinglet is just a little bigger than a Hummingbird but so fidgety!

I will probably try to go to Holiday Beach tomorrow after work.

Good birding!
Dwayne