Monday we were out birding locally and then heading to Hamilton to meet with our tenants. After our usual checks at Grass Lake and Paris Plains Road we stopped into Pinehurst CA. We had not been in this year and it is often very good for spring birding. While Jerry was taking a picture of a migrating Common Loon I saw a tern heading across the lake. I yelled to Jerry to take pictures as I knew that we do not often get small terns in Brant County. I got my bins on it and watched it for all of 10-15 seconds until it was out of sight. We discussed what tern we thought it was. We had two choices, Common or Forster’s. We had just added Forster’s on Friday and Common do not show up for another week or so. Based on what we had seen and the date we put it in our ebird report as Forster’s Tern and how we entered it on Discord in the Brant chat. Within minutes I had some texts about it being a great bird and a first for the County. Wow, that would be fantastic if we had seen the first record for the county. But now I was a bit worried. Forster’s and Common are difficult to tell apart at the best of time and I am not proficient but I do have some knowledge of the two species. I felt it was Forster’s but would the pics Jerry took be able to confirm it? By this time we needed to be heading into Hamilton and we had decided to stop and try for a Loggerhead Shrike that had been found the night before. This is a species we will get out west quite easily but it would be a new bird for our Hamilton Study Area Life List. So we went. There were lots of birders and the bird had been seen but not currently and when it was seen it was quite a ways back. We scoped for a bit and socialized with the other birders all lined up along the road but the bird did not reappear. We opted to leave for a bit and drove down to Grimsby Wetlands and walked around there for a bit. No new species. We went back up as the Shrike had been seen again but when we arrived it had only been seen by one person for seconds. We talked to some different birders and then had to meet with our tenants.
Tuesday we were both awake at 5am and out birding before 8. We took the usual local route and then headed to the Paris Stormpond. We both quickly saw Northern Rough-winged Swallows mixed in with the Tree Swallows fighting the wind. We knew these birds were with the swallows the other day but did not manage to see them. Now they are added to our year list.
A report came in of a rare Neotropic Cormorant in Toronto at Tommy Thompson Park and one that we really need to have on our list. We discussed it briefly and decided that we would go for it in the morning thinking it would more likely be sitting rather than off feeding. We birded Brant Park for a short bit, walking 5km before rains forced us to our car but managed to add our first Pine Warbler of the year and I finally saw a Hairy Woodpecker in Brant County to bring me even with Jerry again in our County lists.
We headed home for some lunch and then decided to head to Toronto for the Cormorant rather than wait till the morning. We got there by 2:30 and started the trek in. This is the park we went to in the winter for the King Eider and it is a 4 km walk in to where the bird was. The Neotropic was also at the 4km spot. Jean Iron had posted just before we arrived that is was still being seen so once we got to the area I gave her a call to get better directions and she guided us to a spot where we could see the bird. Whew! we had our rarity. We spent some time scoping, watching, chatting and taking pictures of the bird that was content to sit and sit.
Neotropic Cormorant
Back in the winter, if you remember, we tried for the King Eider twice and vowed not to try again. The Eider was still there! We added an Eider from Stoney Creek to our year list but have a horrible picture that shows no detail so we thought, “we are here, might as well try to get a pic”. The thing was the last location was 2 km further into the park and off the main pathway but we were elated after getting the cormorant so off we went. The wind was picking up and once we turned off the main path and got close to the lake it was very chilly, reminiscent of the January treks we had made. Well maybe not THAT cold! We scoped the area it had been seen yesterday and ….nothing! Uggggh! We started walking back and checked in at all the embankments on the way back down. Nothing! The King Eider once again beat us and we came away without a picture. We did find an early Cliff Swallow though for our 4th new bird of the day so that helped the sting of the Eider no show. With our walk that morning and the hike in and out at TommyThompson we managed to clock 19.3 km, 26,000 steps for the day. A Pelee kind of day. We arrived home at 8:15, with sore legs and feet. A looong day but totally satisfying.
Wednesday was Jerry’s 68th birthday and his present was a beautiful Brown Thrasher at our feeders! I pull out all the stops for his gifts I tell ya!
Brown Thrasher ( Jerry’s Birthday Bird!)
We took some pictures and video and then headed towards Hamilton to do a few more things at the condo. We stopped on the way to see if we could hear a Louisiana Waterthrush that had been reported in Dundas. This species is present in small numbers in Dundas Conservation Area and returns to the same area most years. We have seen it a few times but mostly you just hear their song. We walked the trail a bit but with limited time we had to move on without hearing it.
Thursday we had yoga in the morning and then headed back to Hamilton because the keys we picked up for the Condo yesterday did not work so we had to have them redone and picked up before the holiday weekend. We are so close to finishing with the condo and will be moving the last couple of things on Friday and handing keys to our tenants. Just in time for the onslaught of spring birding…we hope! On the way home we stopped again for the Louisiana Waterthrush but still did not hear the bird singing. It was finally warm and sunny and we had a lovely walk through the ravines.
Friday morning we were up early and out of the house before 6:30am. Our destination was Safari Road and an area that has marshland on both sides of the road. In years past, birders had to cautiously walk a narrow edge along the road to hear and see birds in the marsh but a few years back something changed in the lay of the land and now every year the road floods completely and has to be closed through the spring. It has become a birder’s paradise! With rubber boots of course.
As soon as we stepped out of the car we heard the oong-KA-chunk of an American Bittern and it continued for much of the time we were there. We also added Common Gallinule and a Marsh Wren. The Wren became our 200th bird species so we are half-way to our goal of 400! Exciting times people! Unfortunately, all those were heard only birds so pictures will have to wait. We had the last moving of furniture to and from the condo and then happily handed over keys to our tenants around 4 and with an hour or so before a dinner at Craig and Sue’s we headed up the escarpment to 8th road in Saltfleet where we added Pectoral Sandpiper and some Dunlin for the Ontario list.
Saturday and Sunday morning were social days and we sadly watched as Yellow-throated Warbler showed up in Durham, a Kentucky Warbler at Pelee, a Glossy Ibis in Grimsby, a possible Laughing Gull that was later determined to be Franklin’s in Ottawa. Ugggggh, but I’m being zen and chill about it. I learned last year that there are usually multiple chances at most rarities and its all playing the odds. There will be more Glossy, we don’t need the Franklin’s, the Yellow-throated Warbler would be the one to chase and that is the plan for Sunday afternoon if it is refound.
Sunday Jerry took some friends of Babi’s to see her and have lunch so I walked the rail trail and some friends property on my own. I had hoped to see a Broad-winged Hawk migrating over or a Towhee but I just got lots of great views of the species I have already seen. I tested myself on bird song with Merlin and was happy that I am getting almost every one now. Next week we have to start testing ourselves on warbler songs. I also spent some time trying to get video and pictures of Ruby-crowned Kinglets who are notorious for being quick.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (a photo by Ellen!)
Jerry picked me up after lunch with plans to head for the Yellow-throated Warbler but it had not been seen since early morning and traffic was backed up so we opted to head to Niagara in hopes of getting our Black Vulture for the year. On the way to Niagara I saw a large kettle of Broad-winged Hawks off of Burlington Street and Jerry managed to pull off and jump out to see them as well. Another bird for the year and our last Ontario hawk needed.
We have tried twice before for Black Vulture on visits down for other things but this time we were going to spend all our time at Locust Grove which is where most sightings are.Two and a half hours, warm weather, blue sky, and 9 Turkey Vultures flying around but not one Black Vulture! Have I not been putting out enough good birding Karma? Sheesh! On the way home we decided to stop in at Grimsby Wetlands, we were going right by it, and see if we could pick up anything else and hoping the Glossy Ibis from yesterday would drop in again. No joy there, although Jerry managed to get some nice pictures of a Common Gallinule showing it’s lovely huge green feet!
As per usual Sunday night at 9:17 a report came in that a Crested Caracara, a non-migrating vagrant (rarity) from Texas had been photographed near Amherstburg just at 6pm. We had already decided that we could not drive the car any distance and had booked a rental to pick up at 8 when we dropped our car to the dealer. It was not ideal as you usually want to be at a rarity first thing in the morning, but hawks often roost until it warms a bit so we figured it would give people a chance to refind it and hopefully it would be sticking around a bit. At 7 the bird was found not far from where it was photographed and 2 young birders were very happy! Jude who arrived a few minutes later, was not, as the bird had flown. A while later it was refound again, but by the time birders got to it, it had flown again. We were still driving at this time but there were a lot of birders there, driving roads and searching, slowing down, making u-turns. The locals were starting to complain on local FB pages. The bird was “seen” again at another spot and this went on until we arrived just at 11 with another “sighting ” that turned out to be an Osprey. People were pretty discouraged, a few lucky people had it fly over them but each report was a flyover and the bird did not seem to land and sit. We finally opted to head into the Conservation Area where it had been last seen sort of heading that way and added some birds to our year list while hoping it would be found nearby.
American White PelicanCaspian Tern
We met up with some local birders and photographers Noel and Mel and they offered us a tour of Holiday Beach CA since we had never been! I know, long overdue for us to hit this fantastic hotspot for migrating birds. Along the way we picked up Robert and Trish and so we had a lovely walk and some social time talking about our favourite subject – birds! I have said before that the best part of this hobby is the people you meet and I totally forgot to be bummed out at not getting to see the Caracara because of the company. We had seen this species many times in Texas but it would be a nice one to get for Ontario and for this year.
We stuck around into the mid afternoon and with no new reports and not seeing it as we once again circled the area we opted to cut our losses and headed to Pelee NP for a quick walk. It was raining/snowing as we drove but cleared up just as we got to the Visitor’s Center. We did a quick walk through Tilden’s hoping to see an early Louisiana Waterthrush but no joy. We were pretty hungry by this time having done our usual “bird diet” of not eating anything all day so we stopped for quick fast food before heading home. The food perked us up enough that we decided to stop at Erieau to see if we could scare up Lapland Longspurs that had been reported earlier and a Yellow-headed Blackbird as well. It was close to 6pm by this time and while it was still light out it was cold and really windy. No joy for either species. We did see a Wilson’s Snipe for a nice close-up photo though. Picture is further down.
Tuesday we were up and out the door by 8:30 doing the usual drive around the corn fields for our 7-8 attempt at Lapland Longspurs. We stopped at the side of the road when we saw a Vesper Sparrow and rolled down the window for better looks and suddenly a familiar song came in loud and clear. It was a Lapland Longspur. We confirmed the song with our Ibird Pro app and then started scanning with our binoculars. The birds are brown, the corn husks are brown, the ground is brown. When you are scanning you hope for movement but it was super windy so all kinds of leaves were blowing around making us think it was birds flying. Jerry got out thinking to scope but it was feeling like -16 with the wind and the gusts made it impossible to scope well. We drove down the road and then back again hoping we might see a flight or at least hear them again but after the initial song there was radio silence. Still we had it for the list as a heard only (HO) but hope to still see them in the next week.
Wednesday morning we returned the rental and picked up our car. They found a wire that was kinked and nearly broken off that was causing the problems. A mere $500 for two repairs and a rental LOL! We drove the roads for Laplands, hoping to see at least one this trip but there was very little activity and we didn’t hear or see any. It has continued to be windy and very cold. After a visit to Babi and on our way to Hamilton to meet with our new tenants a report came in from Chatham that the Caracara had been seen! We had a quick discussion while we continued in the wrong direction and opted not to go for it. We would not get there until after 4 and if we had to search it would not give us much time before dark. We figured if it stayed in the area and people knew where it was at dark we could try for it first light Thursday morning. Unfortunately, the bird remained for only about 45 mins and then it flew off again and despite people driving after it, it was lost from sight. It is not easy to chase birds like this unless they may be staying at landfills or sources of food, otherwise they are on the move a lot. The good news is that it is still in Ontario and we know it will not cross the open lake so if it continues its flight along the shore perhaps next stop will be Long Point.
Thursday was back to more of a winter/spring mix of snow/rain throughout the day so we opted to use the time to catch up on household chores.
Friday we started with the Laplands again with no joy but did hear our first of the year Swamp Sparrow at Grass Lake. Then we headed down to Long Point to at least be in the area if the Caracara was refound. We scanned fields ourselves just in case it would materialize for us! We stopped in at Turkey Point and added Forster’s Terns to our list and then headed to Long Point. One of our favourite walks is through the old campground off the main road. In spring it can be full of newly arrived migrants. We quickly heard many Golden-crowned Kinglets and saw Eastern Phoebes and a Hermit Thrush. As we were following the Thrush and Jerry was trying to get a picture something else caught his eye – an American Woodcock! snuggled into the leaf litter. It was so close I could take a pic and video with my iphone. We seldom get to see these birds except when they are doing their dizzying displays at dusk. We stopped at a few more of the regular spots at Long Point but did not get anything else new.
Wilson’s SnipeAmerican Woodcock
My fav birds of early spring. Two similar looking birds with cool flight displays and noises. If you want a laugh google “American Woodcock or Timberdoodle walking”.
Saturday we did a local walk but did not add anything new to the year. Its a frustrating time of the year because I get hourly reports of new birds being seen across the province but they are not in significant quantity that I can expect to run across them. And as per last year, I am not chasing common species just to add them a few days earlier. I have to be patient and wait until the numbers increase and the birds are at more hotspots. Easier said then done but I am way more “zen” than I was last year.
Sunday was a family day and Babi joined us for dinner. We don’t celebrate individual birthdays for us, our kids and their partners anymore. Instead we have a guys celebration in the spring ( their birthdays are Feb/March/April) and the girls in late summer (ours are Aug/Sept). I expected that a rarity would no doubt appear but no reports came in other than Brett had 100 Laplands over at Paris Plains Church Road. I left the onions I was in the middle of chopping and we quickly drove over and within 5-10 minutes we had a group of about 20 fly over us. Not good enough for a picture but we have at least seen them now. Warmer temperatures and some south winds coming so things should pick up significantly this next week. And where is that Crested Caracara? Might it show up again?
I found out late Sunday night that a rare Barnacle Goose had been reported in Quebec, just over the Ontario border. A crucial mistake on my part. I have been getting a daily list rather than an hourly needs list from Quebec. Had I set up hourly reports I would have seen it around 10 and we could have driven the 5.5 hrs to get it. I was frustrated with myself because I had thought about changing the setting a week back and with everything going on I just did not do it. So Monday morning we got up and I connected to the Quebec Discord group and a few Ottawa birders to find out any information if the goose was still there. We packed bags so we were ready to go and waited patiently. I had changed my needs alert so I was getting hourly ebird reports and I had sent a message in French and English to the Discord chat. I do not speak French but like most Canadians can usually figure out some of what is being said and we all have google translate to make it even easier. The hours ticked by 9, 10, 11 and no ebird reports and no one replied on Discord. We went back and forth about should we just take a chance and go, that maybe no one was looking for it and we could head into Quebec for a few more days for more birds we need. Then before noon someone responded that the 5,000 Canadian geese that had been there yesterday had almost all left and there was no Barnacle Goose either. Sigh, grrrrrr, but hopefully a Barnacle Goose will find its way into Ontario over the next few weeks or another one in Quebec.
Because of the morning delays we did not get out to bird until late afternoon and had the joy of birding through snow, rain, sleet, high winds and cool temps, just your typical spring birding day LOL. We managed to track down 3 Blue-winged Teals that had been reported earlier in Brant and added Cedar Waxwing to the year list as well. We then stopped at the Paris Stormpond on our way home and added a number of species for our Brant County list.
Blue-winged Teal
I had hoped we could get out often this week to bird but showings at the condo and then car issues took up the week. The mechanics were not sure if they had “fixed” anything and suggested we spend the weekend checking the car on cold starts to see if we were having the same problem so a planned trip on Saturday to Pelee was shelved as neither of us felt comfortable driving that distance with a continual problem. The forecast for Pelee on Saturday was a balmy 16-17C while the rest of Southern Ontario dealt with rain and a major ice storm. On Saturday around 4:30 a Barnacle Goose was seen in Ottawa and flew away 20 mins later. Sunday was the ice storm so I imagine no one got out to re-find it and nothing was found on Monday either. I sure would like another chance at a Barnacle. And so the week passed with just 2 birds added and me still itching to make significant gains with the list. The car performed well on the weekend tests and so the adjustments they made hopefully solved the problem and we were ready to bird Monday.
Week 13 2 species added 175 J&E
Monday we headed to Rondeau to just bird. We were not chasing anything specific but assumed we would find some new spring migrants. It was so nice to be out, relaxed and just enjoying all the happy bird song along the trails and the signs of spring. It was a lovely day!
It’s happening!!!
Merlin picked up a Rusty Blackbird near the Visitor Center but I scanned all the blackbirds and could not see one. The call never repeated and we did not hear it so as per our rules it was not added. At one point we were entering a side trail when we heard the tapping of a woodpecker and so turned back to see what kind it was. We saw a bird fly up into a tree and it was our first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the year. It was not the bird that was tapping, we could still hear that, but the decision to turn around got us a bird we might have otherwise missed. I love when those things happen. We ended up adding 5 species for the year. Some pics from the day.
Great EgretBald EagleChipping SparrowEastern PhoebeKilldeerYellow-bellied SapsuckerTurkey Vulture
On the way home I looked down to see the first tick of the season climbing up my pant leg. A black-legged tick. Guess it is time to start the tick regime that accompanies most of our birding in Southern Ontario now.
Tuesday we had to go to Hamilton but spent some time birding locally first and added a Field Sparrow for the year. On the way back from Hamilton we drove the routes close to home for Lapland Longspur. We have a limited chance for these birds as they briefly stop on their migration route and lucky for us most years they stop about 10 minutes from home. But it requires multiple drives through the vast fields hoping to see a flock or hearing a group in the corn fields. We have made about 5-6 drives over the last week and had nothing but it is early. The peak time is over the next few weeks so we hope to catch up with some of them soon. In the meantime, we keep driving past…
Field Sparrow
Wednesday a Black-headed Gull was found down Niagara way and when the alert came in we just went into “we have to leave” mode and were in the car driving before I realized that we will almost, for sure, get a Black-headed Gull in Newfoundland in the fall. We had a laugh and turned around. It had started to snow and with freezing rain and heavy rain forecast it made our decision easier. If it had been a nice day then we would have tried for it and then gone on to bird in Niagara for the Black Vulture we still need but it just made sense to come home when we don’t “need” it for Ontario. It is funny how that reflex to just go for any rarity posted is still there from last year.
Thursday we did the drive past for Laplands before our weekly yoga class and then spent the afternoon with friends in Eden Mills. A few minutes after we left a report came in of a BARNACLE GOOSE in Stoney Creek! IT HAPPENED! ANOTHER CHANCE! We quickly tried to figure out where we had to go, tried to get new directions started with limited service and then took a wrong turn that added 15 mins to our drive. It was, of course, 5pm and so we ended up in rush hour traffic that was not exactly rushing. LOL We arrived at 6 and there were plenty of people there, all parked along Highway 20 and out on the shoulder of the road while heavy traffic flew by. The goose had moved quite far back so we used Dave’s truck bed to get up to see the goose. Thanks Dave! Later it flew closer to us so Jerry got some pictures of it. If you remember last year, Barnacle Geese need to go to the Records Committee for acceptance as a wild bird. This bird is within the migration window but it was with only 2 Canada Geese and generally they are found in large migrating flocks of hundreds or thousands of geese. There are known farms around Smithville/Lincoln that have Barnacle Geese as pets/food so it could be an escapee. Lots of pictures were taken and reports will be submitted but the results will not be available until summer 2026 so for now it is counted on our year as bird #182. If another Barnacle Goose shows up in a large flock in Ottawa we will likely have to try for it to make sure we keep it on our list.
Barnacle Goose – wild, we hope!
Friday we did a loop for Lapland Longspurs again and then headed to some flooded fields south of Brantford where Lesser Black-backed Gulls had been reported. There were 3 there but they were very far back in the field, as they were last year. It turns out that our only picture of a Lesser Black-backed Gull last year was from this same field and about the same sad quality. No fault of Jerry, just a crazy distance and bad lighting. Our scope view is a bit better than the camera view but it gives you an idea of what we are looking for – 200-250 gulls to scan through looking for the one that has a darker gray back.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Saturday the weather was pretty rainy which made watching our grandson’s hockey tournament an easy choice (which they won!). We also sold some more items from the condo and we finalized renting it so after a 19 year gap we are once again landlords. Unfortunately, the engine light along with the stuttering of the motor in the car started again and so it obviously was not fixed by the dealer last week.
Sunday instead of heading to Niagara and Long Point as we had hoped, we stayed local because of the car issue. We spent a couple of hours driving the cornfields once again hoping a flock of Lapland Longspurs had arrived but no joy. We did find 4 Vesper Sparrows which was another year bird for us.
Vesper Sparrow
Next we checked our local Osprey nest in Paris and one of the Osprey’s was sitting on the tower adding another year bird. to the list. It has been a good week!
Osprey
We continued on to the Storm pond to try for some more swallows but only added a Barn Swallow as an Ontario species. Northern Rough-winged and Bank had both been reported there but with 200 Tree Swallows zipping around the pond it was difficult to find the one or two brown swallows in the mix. While I am concentrating on my Canada list there are birds that we will be adding to the Ontario list and our Brant County list too. We (ebird) keeps track of all of those lists so its easy to check where you stand.
After a visit to Babi, our final stop of the day was the fields where we had the Lesser Black-backed Gull the other day. A Long-billed Dowitcher had been seen there and that would be a first time bird for Brant County. It was just as far as the Gulls were so no pic opportunities but we saw this species out in BC and got pictures then.
Last week we added 2 species, this week we added 10 new species for the Canada list, 13 species for our Ontario list and 16 species to the Brant County year list. Spring migration is building. Things are ramping up! Lots of species showing up, we just need to track them down…
Spring migrants trickled in the beginning of the week with continuing warm weather but by weeks end bone-chilling cold and wind returned. We took the opportunity to finish the condo work so we could post ads to rent it. We finally finished that job on Thursday! The relief was immense as we delivered the last boxes for donation and scrubbed the last area of the condo! Lets hope it rents quickly.
Friday we decided to spend the day birding as I was anxious to add birds to our Canada list. We drove up to Grass Lake to see the first Eastern Meadowlarks back in the fields and already singing. They were very skittish though and Jerry did not manage a decent picture although he tried. Further along we came across a group of Turkey Vultures enjoying a breakfast of road-killed raccoon. The birds or a kind passer-by had flung the carcass into the field so they could enjoy the feast without the danger of becoming a statistic themselves. Jerry often performs this service (with gloves and paper towels) when we come across animals dead on the road. Not a pleasant task for sure.
Turkey Vultures
We birded our way to Burlington to find the Fish Crows that live and nest along the lake. They were not at the usual Sioux Lookout Park so we drove towards Bronte checking out other parks with windows open listening for their distinctive call. On the way back I suddenly heard that short nasal call and swung the car around to see if we could find it. We pulled into a parking area and the crow landed in a tree close by so Jerry heard the call as well. He got out to try and get a picture but the crow moved off. We continued to drive and check out any crows but none called and so we ended up without pics or audio which means another trip back at some point to get that confirmation. Below is a call from last year of a Fish Crow and below that is the call of an American Crow.
Fish CrowAmerican Crow
We continued to stop and bird at a few places along the lake into Hamilton and then stopped in at Windemere where we quickly saw our first Tree Swallow of the year. He had already decided what box was going to be “his” and would not leave it despite us walking right by it.
Tree Swallow
Next we headed up the escarpment hoping to find some Blue-winged Teals, but they were not at their usual spot on 5th road. We managed to add a Greater Yellowlegs to our Ontario list but little else was visible with very strong winds making scoping and birding difficult. We decided to continue across Haldimand and eventually ended up at Long Point to see if anything new had arrived since last week. The wind on the causeway was strong and chilly and we quickly headed for the more closed area of Crown Marsh and Old Cut but could not manage to add anything else for the year.
The weekend continued cold and windy and we opted to stay home and enjoy the first few days in a long time where we had nothing to do. Next week the weather is not supposed to be much better with SNOW! and rain and negative temperatures. We may head south (Point Pelee or Rondeau) for a day trip just to get out and catch up with some more spring migrants. At this time of year we are all itching to get out and see new birds and so I scan the weather reports for those warm south winds that will bring more migrants back to Ontario. Unfortunately, none are forecast until next Sunday so things might still be slow.
Last year at this time we had already seen 157 species in Ontario and this year we have only seen 122. A crazy difference of 35 birds. Mind you, we saw a number of early migrants in BC this year so I am not rushing to add them to the Ontario list knowing we we will get them over the next few weeks but still, it does show the difference in the amount of time we spent birding. It will be interesting to see where we end up at the end of the year with our Ontario list. My friend Jude is doing a Big Ontario Year and is currently at a whopping 164! I wish him the best!, we had a great time last year often going for the same birds at the same time and we will try to help him as much as we can this year. He has a great shot at getting over the 340 mark.
We are currently in 5th spot in Canada with birders from BC ahead of us because they already have migration starting. I anticipate catching up over the next month or so and we should be near the top by the time we head out west in June.
Fingers crossed for a change in the forecasts next week…we want spring weather!
Another fairly slow week as we spent the first few days selling things from the condo and donating the rest to various local charities where we know the proceeds or items will help others. Since it was March Break we had 3 of our 4 grandchildren stay with us for 3 days and that doesn’t always translate to birding. We did manage a hike in Brantford on Thursday and ran a checklist but no new species were seen. Finally, on Friday after the last one was dropped home we headed down to Port Rowan where a very obliging Red-throated Loon was still swimming in the narrow channel offering spectacular views! Bird #168 for the year. We likely saw many of these out in BC but because the Pacific Loons were always so far out we decided not to try to find the odd Red-throated that might have been among them. They are very similar in their winter plumage.
Red-throated Loon
One of the ways to distinguish the Red-throated Loon from other North American loons is the bill is almost always pointing upwards at an angle.
Saturday morning we headed back to the condo but stopped enroute for a Red-headed Woodpecker that was found by Flamboro Downs. It was a juvenile so had a brown head instead of red. We found it immediately on the same hydro pole it had been reported on yesterday. It is always nice when birds are so obliging.
Red-headed Woodpecker
We then did a quick stop at Flamboro because a Eurasian Wigeon and Greater White-fronted Geese had been reported the last few days but neither were being seen when we arrived and it started to rain shortly after. We had driven by yesterday with Evie in the car and opted not to stop because we wanted to get to Port Rowan for a year bird over two birds that we already have on our lists. I don’t want to have to see double the birds this year just so I can add species to my Ontario list or my Brant county list. It gets onerous really quickly trying to bird that way.
After work at the condo – will it ever end? we headed home for a quick dinner and a report came in of a Pink-footed Goose in Ottawa! A lifer, a rarity, and a year bird. It took a bit of time but it was refound and many Ottawa birders got out to it before dark. We discussed. We had talked earlier in the day about a trip to Quebec because there are again about 4-5 good birds to add to the list currently being seen in Quebec. Could we add Ottawa at the start and then continue on to Quebec. We figured out logistics and timing and it would mean most of the week, at least 5 days in Quebec. It was very tempting but the condo is hanging over us at this point. We really need to get it ready to rent and rented by May 1 as we are at Pelee and then out west until August. The reality is there has been a Pink-footed Goose in a pond in Newfoundland since 2020 and it remains there as of yesterday. What are the chances it will still be there in September? What is the life-span of a goose? And the birds that are currently in Quebec are likely to be there again in the fall and into the winter. It would be a nice bird for my Ontario Life list but I don’t worry too much about that list.
The advantage to being able to bird the whole country this year means I have these kinds of choices where many rarities are not as crucial to get because they can be seen somewhere else and at another time. I am still taking a chance but I think I will roll the dice on this one and choose to get the condo done first and then worry about those species later in the year. This might be a regret down the road – we will see…
After dinner we headed into Brantford and met up with Robert and Sue for an evening’s entertainment of displaying American Woodcocks. We had 3 “peenting” just after 7:30 and then one zipped past us before they started doing the display flights called a “sky dance” or a “timberdoodle”. Launching themselves as high as 200-300′ in the air they then spiral down while the wind through their wings makes a whirring noise and then land near where they took off. In the video below you can hear the continual “peent” “peent” if you turn your volume up . We tried to take pictures and video of the flights but with the fading light and the speed of the birds we did not manage to get anything.
So two new birds on Saturday takes us to 170 species for the year. Slow and steady. Of the 217 common species in Ontario we have seen 113 so we are half-way there. Warmer weather this week should start to bring shorebirds through and with the rain this weekend there should be plenty of flooded fields to check for them.
