Return of the Kings

It was a rainy day.  I hoped for a Canada Warbler or Olive-sided Flycatcher, but instead, while being pelted by a cold morning rain, I finally found the King Eider at Colonel Sam, and later in the morning as the sun came out, found a cute and playful pair of Eastern Kingbirds.  Neither new birds for the year, but both nice to watch, again.

I had come to Colonel Sam Park a couple of other times the last few days, and had yet to find the Eider.  This morning I ran into one of the guys I had seen the previous day and he had just seen the Eider and gave me directions to the bird.  He said there was no Warbler activity, and I hadn't seen much myself, so I headed west and to the little bay the duck was said to be swimming in.  As I walked I heard thunder.  It got darker and started to spit.  More thunder and it started to rain heavily.  I was soaked by the time I found the King Eider.  It was a second year male and I had wanted to see and photograph it, as I only had a photo of an adult female, I'd seen in LaSalle Marina earlier in the year.

That mission completed, I headed to West Dean Park in Etoicoke to see if there was any Warbler activity there.  I enjoyed my walk in West Dean Park, and though there were not a lot birds, and the ones that I did get close to seeing were scared off by off-leash dogs, at least the sun was out and I was able to dry off from my soaking at Colonel Sam.  I eventually came upon a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, that were frolicking and fly catching all around a sunny meadow and it was fun to just watch and enjoy the show.

So not a lot of time for Birding while I work this week, other than mornings, but I am making plans for my week in Alaska.  Tomorrow I am booking a 9 hour Pelagic off the coast of the Kenai Fjords National Park and then plan for a trip to Denali and perhaps another pelagic from Seward.

It's all very exciting.  And there is still Newfoundland and South Texas to look forward to, as well.

A Few Good Birds

A few days at home and a few good birds to add to my 2012 Big Year.  Nothing Spectacular, but it has been fun to go Birding in my own backyard for the last few days.  James Gardens for the TOC walk on Saturday, Colonel Sam Smith Park on Sunday morning and, after brunch with my mom for Mother's Day, the woods behind Douglas B Ford Park just off of Royal York down the street from my own house.

Just 4 new birds: Red-eyed and Philadelphia Vireo, Tennessee Warbler and the most fun bird of the weekend, a Willow Flycatcher.  The first three were just too high up in the Warbler Neck parts of the tree to photograph, but the Flycatcher was using someone's backyard water slide as a base of operations for it's fly catching duties.

As we walked in the woods, Sue heard the familiar "Fitz-bew" call and I was able to follow it around and onto a path next to a house with a back yard pool and water slide.  Just as I looked up, the bird landed on the top of the slide and stayed long enough for me to see it, but was quickly gone.  Later, on our return trip from the woods, both Sue and I got to see it a number of times going back and forth from the slide to the woods and I was able to get photos.

And the baby Robins have hatched in the nest in our front yard, weighing in at 0.1 ounce.

Oh and the last thing I saw on Sunday afternoon was not a bird, but a Vole, adding another "rodent-y" thing to my "Rodent-y Thing List," giving me, I think 8 for the year.

This week I will be working every day and doubt I'll be able to add more birds, but the Willow Flycatcher was number 361 for the year.  And so the countdown to 400 begins... 39...

Relocating to Rondeau: More Birds, Fewer Bugs

Point Pelee was great.  It's just that I didn't see any new Warbler species there.  Now, that wasn't necessarily the fault of the park, as I had been in Florida for a great Fallout and had added a couple more right here in Toronto.  So, yes, we saw Warblers, but it wasn't the migration bonanza I had hoped for.  When I was a kid and I put a little too much food on my plate my mother would say, "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach."  Well, when it came to my expectations of Point Pelee, I had been guided by my experience at Fort DeSoto a couple of weeks earlier, and my expectations were bigger than the number of new warblers to see,

We began our last morning in the park looking for the Canada Warbler, but it didn't show, though we did see a lovely Yellow Warbler and a Swainson's Thrush while looking for either a Gray-cheeked Thrush or maybe a Louisiana Waterthrush.  Out next spot was the Woodland trail that turned out to be quite exciting as two good birds were spotted in short order.  The first to draw a crowd was a Red-headed Woodpecker,(I had chased one down in Florida two months earlier), and it put on a very nice show high in the canopy.  The second bird to attract a crowd was a Prothonotary Warbler that put on an even better show right next to the tree in which the Red-morph Screech Owl had its own fairly large crowd gathered on the same not very wide foot bridge.  Many times, while photographing the Prothonotary Warbler I felt like I was in danger of being cast into the abyss.

We finished down at the Tip at the south end of the Park, and got good looks at a few more Warblers and were nearly attacked and devoured by masses of Midges, gnat like creatures about twice the size of mosquitoes, that bug the heck out of you but at least don't bite.  There must have been thousands of them and in fact there were so many that you could hear a constant hum not dissimilar to an active bee hive.

After lunch we headed out of the park, but not before stopping at the Marsh Boardwalk.  Sue had mentioned the previous day that we might find Black Terns there, and it was not long before she spotted one on the marsh.  So I was able to get one more bird added to the list and only 3 new Year birds for the Park.  Along the way we saw a Swamp Sparrow in it's natural environment.  Again it was a bird I had seen in Florida, but on dry land.

All along I had been receiving e-mails from OntBirds about the Warblers and others in Rondeau Provincial Park and since it was on the way back to Toronto, I thought it would be fun to check out.  An hour and half later we arrived at Rondeau and after a brief stop at the Visitor's Centre, and a look at their feeder birds, headed off to the residential neighbourhood of the park.  Unlike Point Pelee, people still live in their own homes in Rondeau.  One house in particular is festooned with feeders and they have had the rare opportunity to host a visitor from the south, a Yellow-throated Warbler, each of the last three springs. A provincial rarity to be sure, it comes and goes from their suet feeder through out the day.

The home owners invited us, along with a few other birders, to stand in their front lawn and wait the arrival.  Some folks had been known to wait up to five hours without seeing the bird.  I wasn't prepared to stay that long, but was willing to give it time, considering all the birds that did come to their front and back yard feeders.  Turns out Rondeau is pretty much like Point Pelee, but with more birds and fewer bugs.  Just in their yard alone, we saw two other warblers, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breaded Grosbeaks, two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and our second Red-headed Woodpecker of the day, at the backyard feeder.

After about 20 minutes, though, our patience was rewarded and the Yellow-throated Warbler flew in and had a small snack on the suet feeder, before flying into a tree and vanishing to wherever Yellow-throated Warblers vanish to after their evening performance.  We all got good looks at it, thanked the home owners and set out for some of the other park trails.

At the Tulip Trail where a Canada Warbler had been seen earlier in the afternoon Sue spotted a Warbling Vireo in a tree.  We had only been at the park half an hour and already I had added two new birds.  And it was going to get even better, as the South Point Trail at Rondeau proved to be a Warbler Wonderland.

First up was an Eastern Towhee, pointed out by a group of birders just leaving the trail.  Then we came to an area chock full of Warblers.  Chestnut Sided, Yellow, Palm, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped.  Then two of the birds we had missed in Pelee made an appearance.  First up was the Blue-winged Warbler that, at first only made a brief cameo appearance, but then came out for an encore and flitted from along the tops of some tall grass.  Our last bird was a Wilson's Warbler, pointed out by another birder.  I got on the bird quickly and was able to see its black cap clearly before it vanished into the depths of the foliage.

By that time, anyway, we were both tired and hungry and it was time to head back to Toronto.  All said and done, it was a great trip.  In we found 64 species in a day and a half and I was only able to add three to my Year list.  In Rondeau, we saw 36 species in about 90 minutes, and I was able to add five more birds to my Year's total, giving me 11 for the trip, including 3 at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons.

Crouching Sparrows, Hidden Warblers

We arrived at Point Pelee National Park by 6am on Wednesday morning with high expectations of seeing lots of Warblers, Sparrows and Vireos, Oh My.  And though we ended the day with 46 species seen, it was not great in terms of Warbler fallout.  It was a great day of seeing birds in general and we did get to see lots of very good birds by the end of the day, but the morning was a grand disappointment.   It seemed to be for most birders out there.  It started off well enough with a male wild turkey doing everything in it's power to attract a mate, except for the fact that there were no females present.

After checking out the Turkey, we walked the 2.6 KM to the Tip, the southernmost point in Canada, where the waves will drag you under if you even think of dipping a toe in the water.  Along the way we saw lots of Baltimore Orioles and Yellow Warblers and for a while we were wondering which of each we had seen more of.  I think the Orioles took a commanding lead in the morning, but the Yellow's had a good comeback in the afternoon.  We also saw a goodly number of Orchard Orioles, and Barn Swallows as well as a few sightings of Eastern Kingbirds.

When we got to the Tip, there were lots of people looking for birds, but very few birds to be seen.  Mostly the background music was Orioles and Red-winged Blackbirds, with a few others thrown in for an occasional change in melody.  And everywhere we looked there were birders, men and women and kids of all ages, walking the paths from one end to the other, hoping to see anything but a Yellow or Yellow-rumped Warbler.  At the very end of the Tip, as we stood as far south as one can stand in Canada without getting wet, we did get a look at a Herring Gull, mixed in with lots of Ring-billed Gulls.

Even so, there seemed to be no joy in Peleeville.  At least for the morning.  Not that we weren't seeing birds, but they were mostly birds you'd see anywhere.  People come to Point Pelee in May to see lots of migrating Warblers and the like.  The three previous days had been great in terms of numbers of birds.  Oh well.  We plugged along and the day got better and birdier as the temperature climbed.

We walked up to the Sparrow Field and got some very nice birds, including a Brown Thrasher and Chipping Sparrow.  I also got my first House Wren of the year, thanks to Sue taking a seat on a log to rest, while I hunted, yet again, for a Clay-colored Sparrow, again with out luck.  I did find an American Redstart along the way, and got a nice look at an Eastern Bluebird, as well.

As I was walking back to where Sue was sitting, she was silently waving me over.  As I crouched down next to her, she pointed at a bush where a diminutive bird was perched.  I got my eyes on it and yes, it was a House Wren.  We had seen many birds already that morning, but it was my first new Year bird of the day.  By then it was time for lunch, but not before we stumbled upon the best bird we'd see that day.

As we were walking back to the main park road to walk back to the Visitor's Centre, we heard an odd, distinctive bird call that neither of us recognized but knew was something to be seen rather than heard.  We crossed the street and within seconds spotted a big bird.  I knew the look, as I had seen a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Florida recently.  This was a Black-billed Cuckoo and one of the birds that was top of my list for Pelee.  It was the best, and last new Year bird of the day, but it was cool and another example of being at the right place at the right time.

An example of not being at the right place at the right time was the search for the Canada Warbler, another top of the list bird for us on our first day in Pelee.  Along one of the park paths, as we were returning from seeing the Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl at least a dozen birders were gathered round a pile of shrub off the path in the woods.  We knew they had something special.  People were saying they had just seen the Canada Warbler.  Oh boy!  Jackpot!  Nothing!  It had vanished into the thicket.  There was one moment of hope, but it turned out to be a Magnolia Warbler.  Well, it could have been worse, it could have been raining.

Claps of thunder, low clouds, cold wind and yes, rain.  Sue and I stayed a little longer, but decided to spend the rest of the thunderstorm taking an afternoon nap in the dry warmth of the car.  It was a good rest, and nice to snack on coffee and cookies as we waited, but within a half hour the rain had stopped and we headed back to see if the Canada Warbler had come out to dry off.  Again, a dozen, if not more, birders were gathered around where the bird was seen.  As I was walking up to them something darted across my field of vision.  I couldn't see it, but as we approached the group, one woman said that she had just been looking at the Canada Warbler and it had flown across the path into the other side of the woods.  Great.  Missed it by "that" much!  However I did get a nice look and photo of a Chestnut-sided Warbler, so it turned out just fine.

We waited a while, continued walking, maybe we'd at least get a Water Thrush.  But within minutes the sky darkened, the temperature dropped, the winds increased and it felt as though a hurricane was about to blow through.  Sue headed to the car for safety but I hung out for one last chance at the Canada Warbler.  It didn't appear, but I did get to have a nice chat with Justin, who was one of our guides up in Algonquin Park a couple of weeks back.  That was fun while we waited in vain for the warbler to show, and he did explain how to tell the Magnolia from the Canada Warbler, as the Magnolia has a yellow rump.

Soon the rains began in earnest and it was time to flee for the safely of the car.  By then it was late enough to call it a day. Before we had a chance to exit the park, we stopped one more time, though.  Sue had thought it we might be able to see Black Terns, but as it turned out, we got to see a baby owl.  A Great-horned Owl that looked more like Cousin It from the Adams Family than any owl I'd ever seen.

So, in the end, it was a good day, but not the great Warbler day I had hoped for.  But until December 31, there is always tomorrow and we will be up once again at the crack of dawn trying again to see if the Warblers and Sparrows might not be crouching or hidden every time we walk by.

Migrating to Point Pelee

Well a new Birding adventure has begun as we head to Point Pelee to take part in the annual pilgrimage to Point Pelee National Park. Thousands of birders from around the world make their way here every year for the Warblers and other migrating birds.

But first we stopped at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons to see a Wilson's Pharlarope.   We walked the lagoons twice over without any luck but we did manage to see about 24 species in the surprisingly nice smelling sewage lagoons and I did add 3 new birds to my year along the way: Bay-breasted Warbler, Eastern Kingbird and Solitare Sandpiper.  I also added a number of birds to my Ontario list, including a Bobolink.

We then moved on to Hillman Marsh Conservation Area where we had hoped to see some American Avocets , but we were shut out.  We did see an additional 18 species, including a Least Sandpiper, American Kingfisher, Great Egret, and Great Blue Heron.

Tomorrow we head to Point Pelee National Park, the spring "Festival of Birds," and what we hope will be a Big Day of Birding.

A Day Off

Yes, I took a day off from chasing birds today.  Yesterday Sue and I Birded Mount Pleasant Cemetery and Tommy Thompson Park, and I finished on my own at Colonel Sam Smith Park.  Amongst the many birds we did see, only one was new, but it was a good one.  Both Sue and I spotted the Least Flycatcher high in a tree, but it was Sue's keen ear in identifying the call that clinched number 346.  We did get some other good birds along the way, including a Blackburnian Warbler, Northern Flicker, Hermit Thrush, Black-throated Blue and Nashville Warbler, and Sue's first Yellow Warbler of the year.

Today, I had a lot to do, including my annual visit to my accountant to get my taxes done, so chasing was out of the question.  Not that I didn't see any birds, as there were birds around my house and on the feeder, but tomorrow we head to Point Pelee and it will be three straight days of new birds.  I can't remember a day, whether I had to work or not, in recent memory that I haven't gone out, even for a short time, with binoculars and a camera.

Off to bed early tonight, and on the road even earlier tomorrow.  I have been looking forward to Point Pelee since the beginning of the year.  It was the first birding trip we had planned, aside from Florida in February, after I had decided to do a Big Year.  Reports from Pelee already make it the don't miss trip of the spring.  I doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight from the excitement of it all.

May Means Migration

Another month and another new bird.  A second try, earlier on the morning of May 1st, at Oshawa Second Marsh resulted in the Little Gulls that I had missed the day before.  However, there was no sign of the Brant, so as it turned out two trips were better than one.  Once again, the spotting scope proved its worth, as I was able to get good looks at both the Bonapart's and the Little Gulls, for size and wing colour comparison.  Who knew that there was an annual Little Gull viewing weekend behind the GM plant?  I missed the actual event this year, but will be sure to attend in 2013.  Sounds like a good time was had by all in attendance.

May 2 was not for the birds, as I had a full day of work, but managed to get out in the evening with Sue and as often happens, you never know what you might see.  In this case it was Wood Ducks in a tree.  Very cool and my first really good look at Wood Ducks this year.

May 3rd was a bountiful harvest of Warblers and Sparrows and birds of all types.  Local birders on the OntBirds e-mails were referring to it as fallout.  It was pretty good birding, but not really a fallout.  More of a great migratory day, as I saw at a large number of birds of every description.  Since I had been present in Florida the fallout at Fort DeSoto, the only new warbler I was able to count was a Nashville, pointed out to me by a birder in Colonel Sam Smith park that evening.  Still there are plenty of Sparrows and Warblers out there that I have not yet seen, and that is the point of going to Point Pelee next week.

I started out the day on Thursday  at Tommy Thompson Park, moved on to Humber Bay East and then on to Colonel Sam, where I was finally able to find a Rusty Blackbird.  All day long there were e-mails about the large numbers of fal warblers and I wanted Sue to see a few too, so we both went back to Colonel Sam this evening, before the rain.  By then, though there were not as many birds and it was quite chilly.

Yesterday I went out again to Mount Pleasant Cemetery and ran into a nice guy name Dave who was playing hooky from work for a few minutes of birding.  With his help I was able to see a Chestnut-sided Warbler.  Later I went to Rattray Conservation Area and ran into him again.  We birded for a while and watched more than a dozen Common Tern fly by, spotted Green and Blue-winged Teal and a Spotted Sandpiper before had to leave, this time he really was going to work.

Not long after I ran into a nice lady named Linda and we birded together for the next hour or so.  She was trying to help me find the Blue-winged Warbler, that she and others had seen, but it was too quiet and too hidden to be spotted this time around.  We did finally find a Blackburnian Warbler before it was time to go, so I still added two new Year Birds and added about a dozen birds to my Ontario list for the year.

I finished the day in my own back yard, which leads into a cemetery and while walking there found 8 species including a Chipping Sparrow and a returning Sharp-shinned Hawk that Sue had found last summer.

It hit me how many birds I've seen this year,(345), when I could only add 5 new birds in 5 great days of Birding.  It looks to be a great week or two of birding with the influx of migratory birds, and 3 days out at Point Pelee.  Is it wishful thinking to think I can get 55 new species and reach 400 by the end of May  Perhaps it's not out of the question, though I'd be happy with hitting 400 in June when I go to Alaska for a week.

Photos from the last few days: