We started 2025 in Kirkland Lake and headed out to see if we could get the Rosy-Finch for this years list. Each species is a “new” bird for the year and so the day is one little hit of dopamine after another LOL. There are lots of happy shouts – “Blue Jay, first of the year!”, “Black-capped Chickadee, first of the year!” and so it goes. Our first bird of the year was a Ruffed Grouse, two actually, on the side of the road as we drove to the Rosy-Finch location. We expected to be the first ones there but Barb had driven up from Hamilton and had already had great views. The Rosy-Finch was in a tree when we arrived which made us very happy! Jared’s yard was full of birds with a few we normally would not be counting on January 1. There were Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, and Canada Jays as well as the usual species we get in our backyard. It was great to share the start of our year with Barb and Jared, the homeowner. We took pictures and video of the birds and then we headed out for the long drive home.

Normally, our January 1 would take place along Lake Ontario as it does for many birders in Southern Ontario. Most of the duck species are present and you can rack up some good numbers usually expecting to see 50-70 species on the first day. With being up north and spending 7 hours driving, our first day count was low – only 25 species but I would say we had some quality birds that are not always easy to see and two rarities. On the way home we took a quick detour at Orillia and headed over to Scugog where a rare Harris’s Sparrow has been frequenting a feeder for quite a while. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before it appeared under some cedars and we added a few more species that were coming to the many feeders the homeowners had filled. We also added a Northern Shrike Jerry spotted on the wires and when we got home at dusk a Great Horned Owl was hooting in the backyard. I ended up being a bird ahead of Jerry because I saw a Bald Eagle near Huntsville while he slept. I’m sure he will see one tomorrow.

January 2 we stayed at home and ran a list for the backyard and then took a hike down the trail to walk instead of drive. We added 13 more common species to our list with Jerry getting his Bald Eagle. We are even again. On the 3rd we had errands to run and so we did a quick drive through local spots and went for a short walk at WFR Dickson CA to see the resident Tufted Titmouse. It is also a great spot to get closeup pictures of many of the common birds as they are used to humans and being fed by hand. We added 6 more species.

On Saturday we opted to head to Wolfe Island and try for our nemesis bird last year, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. We tried multiple times for that bird and there were a few other sightings in the province but we missed them or the owners chose not to have the public visit. I was determined to add it to our Canada list. You need to take a ferry from Kingston and we arrived just in time to catch the earlier one and as we were driving on the ferry a Discord report from the homeowner said the bird had just been at the feeders. We drove the 15 mins but had to stop along the way for a Golden Eagle!, a Rough-legged Hawk and a Northern Harrier. All first of the year birds and nice views of them.

When we arrived at the home the owner Mark stepped out to let us know it was at the front feeder and we both got a quick look at it before it hopped back into the tangle of vines nearby. It was -12C with a strong wind so conditions were not great – frigid would be an apt term. I climbed back in the car for a few minutes and Jerry walked down and saw the bird at the side of the house where we both got great views as it sat out in the open for a bit. We drove around the island a bit and then opted to go back to the mainland and head west to take another ferry onto Amherst Island.

Amherst is also an IBA (Important Birding Area) and can be a mecca for migrating raptors and owls. It is not always easy to find said raptors and owls but we are assured that they are there. After getting off our third ferry of the day we headed to Owl Woods, an area where a number of species are known to roost. We met up with Dorlisa, Colleen and Geordie and Dorlisa was kind enough to give us directions to where they had seen a Barred Owl minutes before. We found it and spent a very few minutes taking some pictures and looking at it with bins from a distance away before heading out to leave it in peace.

A Discord report came in of a Tufted Duck in Toronto and we discussed whether to try for it but after checking the travel time we realized we would not get there before dark. We drove a bit and walked a bit more of the island but had no luck finding other owls or many raptors. The drive home ended up taking 4.5 hours because of snow squalls going through near Colborne. It was a messy, slow drive so we didn’t get back in the door until 8. Hungry and tired we were happy to sit down to a very quick dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Apparently, we are back on the “birding diet” of eating one meal a day!

On Sunday we had committed to doing the Brant Christmas Bird Count and while I very much wanted to be getting the Tufted Duck, we picked up Jeff, a local friend, and headed out to do the count. We knew our area would only take the morning so there would be time for the duck later. It was snowing and around -8 so it was a quiet start to the morning with a lot of the birds still tucked into their roosts. We saw 26 species of birds at 2 different locations and finished just after noon. The highlight was Jerry finding a Yellow-rumped Warbler that is probably wishing it was in south America with all its friends.

Reports had come in that the Tufted Duck was close to shore at Colonel Sam Smith Park in Etobicoke and many people were getting nice close looks at it. We headed there after a quick stop to drop Jeff off and arrived at 2 to find out that it had flown off about 5 minutes before! We hung out for a bit as many Scaup (it was hanging with them) were flying back in but we also knew that yesterday it had flown in late afternoon and had ended up just further west in the lake and viewable from a small park about 10 minutes away. We opted to go and check that place out. We set up our scope and started scanning the large raft of Scaup (ducks). Scaup and Tufted look very similar but the Tufted Duck has a black back and the Scaup have a grey back so you are looking through hundreds of ducks for the one with the black back. I found it! but by the time Jerry looked in the scope it had dove. As others arrived we now had 5 of us looking for it, scanning the raft and not re-finding it. Minutes went by and I was beginning to wonder if I had imagined it when Dorlisa saw it. Thank goodness, it was there! It took many minutes more for everyone to finally see it as it was actively diving for food and was only on the surface for 30 secs and then gone. More birders arrived after we sent the Discord report that we had found it.

We stayed for a bit longer as more birders arrived and helped as many as we could get looks at the duck in the scope. Always wanting to add that good birding karma! and I love helping people get on the birds especially if it is a lifer for them – the next best thing to getting a lifer is helping someone else get a lifer! There were plenty of high fives and then we headed for home. Thankfully a fast drive home with no snow squalls and we celebrated with one of my fav meals. Taco Rice Bowls! Yum

I have got in the habit of doing my blog on Sundays/Mondays so even though we are only 5 days in I am calling this Week 1 and then I’ll keep going with blogs ending on Sundays. Five days in we have seen 65 species of birds with 4 rarities. We still have lots of ducks and common species to add this winter but we are not in any hurry. Its been a good week.

WEEK 1 65 species added 4 rarities J&E 65 species seen