From Owls to Ducks

I was not sure what I was going to do in the birding department today, but from what I saw yesterday, I decided to check some inland spots north of here. Hardly any ducks were on the St. Clair River yesterday, so I almost did not go to the river. But it was a good thing I did. More on that later.

Bickford Line is an excellent nature corridor with many large woodlots. It is good at all times of the year. Today, I stopped first at Moore Wildlife Area, but it was rather disappointing. There are always wintering Yellow-rumped Warblers, titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers (inc. flicker) in abundance. I did get a couple of flickers and heard a titmouse, but not much else. The birds must have been elsewhere today. I had Yellow-rumped earlier in the winter.

I then moved east down the road to the McKellar Tract. This is a crown-owned chunk of property with a variety of habitat including pine plantations. Obviously it is good for owls. I had hoped to come across a Saw-Whet, but instead I flushed a group of six Long-Eared. I managed to get a few photos, but lighting was not good, and branches were in the way. I also saw a Short-eared.

I have no doubt a Saw-Whet was in there, but there were too many trees to check. It was a nice walk, and no other birds besides a couple of chickadees. I will check again next week perhaps.

Well, I might as well check the St. Clair River anyway! I started at Lambton Generating Station with not much, so I then started moving down river and noticed quite a few things to look at compared to yesterday.

At one location, I came across a male American Wigeon--the first for the winter. (There is always one somewhere). Now, this was not any ordinary location, it was the exact same spot I first saw the Ivory Gull in 1995! I will always remember that spot.

Just north of Sombra, I noted large rafts of Canvasback/Redhead. As far as I could see there were large numbers. Quite a few Ring-necked Ducks were seen as well. Where did all these ducks come from??

It was here that I spotted a white-winged gull. An immature Herring Gull was beside it on an iceflow, so the size comparison was evident. It was slightly smaller than the Herring, so that would make it an Iceland. It was an adult of the Kumlien's type because it had the slightly grayish primary tips and little head streaking.

Gulls have been scarce on the river this winter, and the northern white-winged gulls have been almost absent, so this was a real bonus.

Just south of Sombra at the head of Fawn Island, I saw a real bonanza of ducks. This location is quite reliable for large numbers of ducks in the winter. Mostly Redhead were here and they were tightly packed! I looked for half an hour and did not see anything unusual until I spotted a scoter. For the longest time I was thinking that it was a Surf, but then I did see the white wing patches. White-winged Scoters can hide the white patches very effectively. The facial pattern between the two scoters is slightly different, but it is sometimes hard to discern.

A little farther down, I picked out an American Coot among hundreds of Redhead in one raft. It looked out of place!

There were several rafts of mostly Redhead all the way down to Walpole Island. The last large raft was off the north end of Walpole, but I did not look at it because I would have to take the long way around onto the island.

It was interesting to note the difference from yesterday as hardly any ducks were to be seen. I would think all these ducks came from Lake St. Clair that is freezing over with the recent cold weather.

Also interesting was the fact that the northernmost rafts were mainly Canvasback, while the southernmost rafts were Redhead. Canvasback must have a more northerly distribution!

There were probably 30,000+ ducks out there today.

Today I saw at least fifteen species of ducks, Mute and Tundra Swans, and Canada Geese, plus a coot! Finally a good day on the river.

Some Point Pelee Birds

POINT PELEE JANUARY 25, 2008

Today was the first day in almost two weeks that I was able to get out birding. It was very cold and a bit windy, but the sun was very bright. I decided to check out some wintering birds at Point Pelee. There are large numbers of Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Purple Finches and White-throated Sparrows in various spots of the park.

My walking was limited due to the cold and my recent illness, but I checked out the Redbud Trail south of the visitor centre first. A large number of robins and waxwings were there feeding on the various berries. A couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers were around as well, but they are quite regular there in winter. I also saw a few Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Northern Flicker.

Back at the parking lot, a couple of more Yellow-rumped Warblers were flitting around.

I then headed over to Shuster Trail where I had heard that many Purple Finches and White-throated Sparrows were hanging out. I was not disappointed. Probably twenty Purples were around--the most I had seen in one spot in mid winter. Lots of White-throated Sparrows were in the underbrush, and some of them were even singing partial songs! I cannot say that I have heard a White-throated Sparrow singing in January before.

Quite a few robins and waxwings were here as well, plus a couple of Hermit Thrushes and a couple more Yellow-rumped. A Carolina Wren was also added to the mix.

I noticed an abundant supply of dogwood berries and other treats along this trail. No wonder these birds were hanging around there!

On the way out of the park, I drove slowly as there were still lots of waxwings and robins along the road.

Outside the park I saw three or four Sharp-shinned Hawks and a possible Cooper's. Also an adult Bald Eagle was perched in a tree at one point not too far north of the park.

Despite the cold, it was a beautiful day to be out with the bright sunshine. I managed a few distant photos of the Cedar Waxwings, Hermit Thrushes, and Purple Finches.

Bird Lists

White-breasted Nuthatch

Wallaceburg

January 19, 2008

I was not able to get out this weekend due to illness, so I will write something about listing. I am not a hardcore lister, but I do keep lists of birds that I see in certain places. Everyone has their own rules and ways of listing.

Generally, a list may be birds seen in or from a certain location such as a park, yard, official birding circle, or a city. My lists include places where I see a significant number of birds. I do keep a yard list here in Wallaceburg, and it currently stands at 151. That includes birds seen in the yard, anything flying over, or birds seen in the distance while I am on the property. Obviously there are many things that fly over in migration that I have not seen.

I have some good birds, and the Sage Thrasher tops the list by a longshot. I spotted this creature on March 16, 1997 in a yard on the next block. I never actually saw the bird in my yard, but I did see it as close to the middle of the road one morning.

Other birds include Osprey (flyover), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Cerulean Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and White-winged Crossbill (2x). Although a poor photo, the Worm-eating is shown as well as the crossbill. Ironically, the Worm-eating was here when I arrived home from birding at Rondeau one May day where I had also seen one there.

It is interesting to see what comes to the yard in a May fallout. I remember a huge fallout May 10, 1995 when I counted 40 species in the yard (and I went to work for eight hours!). I guess I should have called in sick that day! The number of birds at one time was just incredible. It was the same all over southwestern Ontario that morning.

I also keep a list for the Rondeau birding area. I have seen 306 species of the 352 recorded in that circle. The best was probably the Swainson's Warbler that I found on May 13, 1995. It was likely a result of that aforementioned fallout. In two days that particular weekend, I saw 34 species of warblers at Rondeau.

Another list is at Brander Park, Port Lambton. It tends to be a migrant trap with the woodlot, and the variety of habitat. That list stands at 194 with the best being a White-winged Tern in 1991.

I do not keep a list for Point Pelee, as I an not there enough to make it worthwhile.

Other types of lists include 24h type, especially in May. These are usually the Baillie Birdathon ones. I always do mine at Rondeau. The highest number I have found is 148. Some people go all over the province for their Baillie trying to rack up a big number. However, I find that doing one in a birding hotspot such as Rondeau can bring a higher number. And you do not do all that driving!

Just by coincidence, an unofficial Ontario Winter List came out today, and is being kept at this site. It lists all the species recorded in Ontario from December 1 to February 29 this winter.

Winter?

Our weather is sure screwed up! Now we have unseasonably (by a longshot) mild weather. We certainly started out with a cold winter. Last year it seamed the opposite. And what is with all these high winds? This is rather unhealthy for the natural environment.

For a birdwatcher, this is not good news. The mild weather causes birds to spread out and they become difficult to find it seems. Today this was exactly the case, as I drove around. They must be somewhere! Virtually nothing was on the St. Clair River to look at. Driving the back roads, a few Red-tailed Hawks were seen. An immature Northern Shrike was a decent find though. I saw several Kestrels, with one harassing a Red-tailed.

Being cooped up in a dusty shop all week, one needs to get out on the weekends. It is disappointing when not much is around to see. However, the sun was out today, and we have not seen much of that in the last month. At least it made it a nice day for a walk, and there was little wind for a change!

I ended up at Rondeau Park (no sense driving around endlessly and seeing very little!). Walking around the campground, there were a few chickadees, a handful of Cedar Waxwings, and some other common birds. The highlight was a group of five Field Sparrows taking advantage of the sun. I got a few shots of some of them. They may be a common summer bird, but they are a decent find in the winter. They usually associate with Tree Sparrows. (I saw no Tree Sparrows today, if you can believe that!). Sometimes you may also get a Chipping Sparrow with them. I always find Field Sparrows in Rondeau's campground every winter, and sometimes a chippie.



Several Red-bellied Woodpeckers were around the park as well. The resident Pileated Woodpeckers are rarely seen in winter. One wonders where they hide. I have not seen one since earlier in the fall.

Rondeau Bay is now completely open--extremely unusual for this time of year. Some ducks and geese were there, but I did not bother to scope them out. Most waterfowl left in early December due to the freeze up. Some coots and Ruddy Ducks are at Erieau--decent winter species.

Lots of gulls were out on the lake, but too far out to see details. They would likely be closer if we had more normal weather. There were hundreds at Erieau on the Bay ice last Sunday. Only the four usual species though, and no Slaty-backed (!).

I wonder where the Redpolls have gone to. I saw none today. Once again, it is easier to find them when it is cold. At least I still have siskins at the home feeder. Perhaps a couple of redpolls are around too, but I am never home during the day.

I thought of going to the east edge of Chatham-Kent (NOT!) to look for the Townsend's Solitaire that was reported on Thursday. Chances of finding it again are slim, but it is likely in the area. I have seen three of those in my life (found one), but not one in CK yet.

Weekend Birding

The weekend after New Year's is traditionally when we attempt a waterfowl count. This is an annual census that takes place around the southern Great Lakes. I always do the St. Clair River. The usual species were found, some in good numbers. Of the less common stuff, I usually get a scoter or two, and this year was no exception.

I started a first light on Walpole Island. It is imperative that one gets out as early as possible, because by early afternoon, things will have dispersed. That goes for birding at any time! I do not know where things go later in the day, but first thing in the morning is almost ALWAYS the most productive. I found that this was the case on Saturday. I had reached Sarnia by noon, and then headed back down the river to see if there was anything different. It was a marked difference from the morning. It seems amazing how things disappear! Good thing I did it Saturday, because Sunday morning there was dense fog. As well, the temperature had risen considerably, and I have found over the twenty years plus of birding the river, that when it is milder, you will certainly see fewer birds.

Anyway, I started off with a sizable raft of Canvasback/Redhead near the tip of Russell Island, as seen from Walpole Island. Mute Swans were there as well.

At Port Lambton, off Brander Park, I was delighted to see a White-winged Scoter. It just came to mind that the scoter is a new species for my Brander Park List! I have an impressive list for there, but that is a topic for another time.

There were ducks all along the way, but the next concentration was at the head of Fawn Island south of Sombra. This spot is always good in the winter for waterfowl. There were large numbers of Mute and Tundra Swans, and Canada Geese (including one Cackling Goose). Also, lots of scaup, Redhead and Canvasback and other divers.

Near the Sombra ferry dock, I spotted an odd Aythya duck. It looked mostly like a Greater Scaup, but was obviously different. After doing much research on the internet and in books I have, I still could not say 100% what it was crossed with. I strongly suspect with Ring-necked Duck. It had the white "spur" on the forward side, but the back and wings were mostly gray. Who knows?

While across from Detroit Edison plant, I spotted one of the Peregrine Falcons atop the building. They obviously nest there, and are seen every winter as well.

At Shell Oil Refinery dock at Corunna, there were many Hooded Mergansers. They seem to like this spot every winter for some reason. On the way back, I also spotted a Pied-billed Grebe there.

Up in Sarnia, a Surf Scoter was near the harbour. I spotted this bird before on December 29.

At Point Edward, at least 25 White-winged Scoters were out on the lake. That is an excellent number for winter there. Not much else though.

I spotted one of the local Peregrine Falcons there near the bridge. They nest on the bridge.

There is always a different mix of birds at Sarnia. Long-tailed Ducks are there. These are almost never seen farther down the river. Quite often American Coots try to winter in Sarnia Bay. I found one there for the count.

Birding along the St. Clair River in winter seems different than what it used to be. The milder winters have everything to do with it. By Christmas, thousand of diving ducks would congregate on the river and last till late February. Nowadays, we have not had the concentrations of the old days, even in the middle of winter. Canvasback and Redhead constituted the bulk of the ducks in those days, and they still do for the most part. But now we see more Mallards, swans and certainly geese. Swans were never seen on the river in winter, but Mute Swans have had a population explosion in recent years. As well, Some Tundra Swans have decided to winter on the river. They never used to be around in the cold months!

Of course, in the "really old days", there was nothing on the river. It froze solid! My grandparents always talked of skating on the river, and even driving cars over to the US. Routes would be marked by discarded Christmas trees. They even had fun racing ice boats down the river!

On Sunday, I tried for the Harris's Sparrow. It was not at the site, but I did find a large sparrow flock nearby in an evergreen hedgerow. There were many White-crowned Sparrows and others, including a Field Sparrow. The Harris's was likely them.

At home I had lots of Redpolls, finally. Thirty to forty decided to drop in for the day. I had one that was much larger, and I am not sure what to call it. It was not a Hoary, but it was certainly different. Maybe the rostrata form of the Common Redpoll?

All the counts and surveys are done, so time to just do casual birding all winter!

Christmas Season Summary

I guess it is time to reflect on the Christmas Bird Counts now that the holiday season is over. Weather was certainly a significant factor in the counts this year. Some had decent weather, while others had horrendous weather. Overall, the numbers of birds were down from previous years, but some species did reach record highs. I'll go over the counts that I participated in.
The first one was Kettle Point on December 15. It was quite cold and a bit breezy, but fairly decent weather-wise for a count. Total species for that count was 69, probably a bit above average. Likely the best bird on the count was an adult Golden Eagle that was observed by myself near Rock Glen. Hoary Redpolls were recorded on this count, just like almost every other count this year. Strangely, no Bohemian Waxwings, no Pine nor Evening Grosbeaks were tallied even though the Pinery area is good for them. I worked my usual area of Rock Glen CA and had the fewest number of birds ever.
The next day was supposed to be Rondeau/Blenheim. Needless to say, it had to be cancelled due to the snow storm. It was held one week later on the 23rd. Unfortunately, the weather was horrendous! Heavy rain and very high winds were the word of the day. As a result, numbers were down from average. One new bird for the count was an Eared Grebe at Erieau. Once again, I saw the fewest number of birds that I ever did in the south point trail area of Rondeau. I also had to check out south beach, and it was brutal! There was no beach to walk on due to the high waves. Wind gusts were up to 80 km/h.
However, when all the reports were in, 100 species was the total.
The day before on the 22nd, I worked the Port Huron CBC on the Canadian side. The weather was very pleasant with no wind and some sun. I did well with 38 species in my area, including 3 Gadwall ducks, and two Peregrine Falcons. I am told the species total for that CBC was 74.
The 22nd Wallaceburg CBC was held on December 27 in decent weather. It was cloudy for the most part, but a clear day for the count. I worked the south part of the circle as usual, and tallied my lowest number ever (no surprise!). I have been doing that area for 20 years, so I have some idea as to what to expect. The count ended up with 86 species which was very good. New for the count was Hoary Redpoll just like many other counts.
The final CBC was St. Clair NWA. Weather was poor for this one with high winds and periods of snow. However, the storm brought in record numbers of Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs. They seemed to be every where in big numbers! 14,592 Snow Buntings were recorded and 155 longspurs. Redpolls were plentiful as well with a record of 617. However, strange as it may seem, not one Hoary Redpoll was seen. The trusty Barn Owl was seen again, but not until the compiler was driving home! Many people have seen this bird over the years, but you have to be at the right place at the right time. A minute either way will make the difference! One new species for the count was Wild Turkey. The species total rang in at 81. Once again, I have to say that I saw the fewest birds ever in my designated area. Is there a trend here?
Anyway, CBC's are always fun and interesting and something to look forward to each year.
Butterfly counts are next!