Black-Crowned Night Heron—Les Piccolo

 

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Just an update on swift numbers going into the Court House chimney since the last post. From May 23 to May 25, there were 250 to 500, depending which day. I thought that they had pretty much departed and that there was going to be fewer and fewer. Then there was last night, May 26; at about 8:35pm I estimate there were 1500 plus swifts that went in. Which was about 35 to 45 minutes earlier than the previous nights, because of the cloudy conditions, with a light drizzle of rain.

 

John Ralston (May 26, 2009)

 

Location: Maple Leaf Road, west end

Observation type:  Traveling Count

Observation date:  5/26/09   Distance covered:  1.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:  6:25 AM

Duration:  50 minute(s)

Number of people in party:  1

 

 1 Ruffed Grouse  , 2 Blue Jay  , 6 American Crow  , 7 Black-capped Chickadee  , 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch  , 2 American Robin  , 1 Gray Catbird  , 1 Golden-winged Warbler  , 4 Nashville Warbler  , 3 Chestnut-sided Warbler  , 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler  , 1 Black-throated Green Warbler  , 1 Blackburnian Warbler  , 1 Black-and-white Warbler  , 3 Common Yellowthroat  , 3 White-throated Sparrow  , 12 Pine Siskin ,

 

Location name: Forest and marsh near 195 Maple Leaf Rd

Observation type:  Traveling Count

Observation date:  5/24/09   Distance covered:  3.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:  6:30 AM

Duration:  2 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

Number of people in party:  1

Don Hall

2 Canada Goose , 2 Wood Duck , 2 American Wigeon , 1 Mallard , 1 Common Merganser , 2 Ruffed Grouse , 49 Double-crested Cormorant , 1 Bald Eagle , 3 Sandhill Crane , 3 Wilson's Snipe , 2 Black Tern , 1 Mourning Dove , 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker , 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee , 7 Alder Flycatcher , 1 Eastern Phoebe , 3 Red-eyed Vireo , 5 Blue Jay , 3 American Crow , 2 Common Raven , 12 Black-capped Chickadee , 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch , 2 Winter Wren , 2 Hermit Thrush , 4 American Robin , 6 Nashville Warbler , 6 Yellow Warbler , 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler , 3 Magnolia Warbler , 2 Cape May Warbler , 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler , 3 Black-throated Green Warbler , 2 Blackburnian Warbler , 1 Black-and-white Warbler , 3 American Redstart , 5 Ovenbird , 6 Common Yellowthroat , 4 Savannah Sparrow , 3 Song Sparrow , 5 Swamp Sparrow , 4 White-throated Sparrow , 20 Red-winged Blackbird , 8 Pine Siskin

 

Hi Guys, Jack Jones and I had a great day birding on the 20th May, we took in Echo bay, Pumpkin Point, St Joes Island and a lot of Back roads. The weather was warm a slight Easterly breeze kept the insects at bay, these same insects encouraged warblers,

and flycatchers, to show themselves.

 Birds Seen. Echo Bay. Adult Bald Eagle standing on Osprey platform?? Killdeer, Song Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Siskin and American

Goldfinch, Gulls both Ring Billed and Herring,Robin, Common Grackle, Starling, Common Yellowthroat, Tree Swallow, Snipe, Marsh Wren,  Baltimore Oriole, American Bittern, Canada Geese, Calaboogie Rd, Sand hill Crane 50+ Turkey Vulture, Turkey on Rd,

 Photo taken,

 Pumpkin Point Platform area, Osprey 1 pr, Tree Swallow, C Yellowthroat, R W Blackbird,  Y Warbler, White Throated Sparrow,

Eastern Phoebe, Sharp Shinned Hawk,  Yellow Rumped Warbler, Black Throated Green Warbler, Least Flycatcher, Wilson's Warbler,

Scarlet Tanager 1 male,  Park, Northern Flicker, Chipping Sparrow, Red Eyed Vireo, Y R Warbler, Palm Warbler, L Flycatcher,

Blackpoll Warbler 3, Baltimore Oriole 2,  Red Breasted Merganser 1 pr, Bufflehead, 2 pr Greater Scaup, Red Headed Duck 3, Greater

Yellowlegs 1,  Porchuk Rd, Kestrel Mourning Dove, St Joes Island, Government Rd, Bar River, Garden River, Song Sparrow, Blue Jay,

Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Common Tern, Broad Wing Hawk 2 on fence posts Photo taken, Spotted Sandpiper, Bobolink 4, Indigo Bunting 1, Ovenbird, Roughed Grouse, Raven, American Crow, Pileated Woodpecker,

Belted Kingfisher, Mallard, Red Bellied Wood pecker heard twice Eastern Meadowlark 1,  For me the day was completed by being

able and privileged to see approx 100 chimney swift at 8-50 to 9-30pm disappear down the chimney at the city courthouse, my

thanks to all the birders present.

Tony Walker (May 22, 2009)

 

Howdy Folks,

There were about 500+ Chimney Swifts entering the Court House chimney last night, May 17, 2009. That's the corner of Elgin and Albert st, the best viewing area is from the parking lot accessed from Albert st. They enter the chimney at about 9pm, so if you go, be there by 8:30, so as not to miss them. A friend informed me that they have been back in numbers since last Wed, so this spring migration event may not last much longer. In previous years, it lasts for 3 or 4 days, but with the cold weather and high winds this past week, they may stage here a little longer.

John Ralston (Forwarded by Val Walker, May 19, 2009)

 

Location name: Forest and Marsh near 195 Maple Leaf Rd

Date & Effort Observation type:  Traveling Count

Observation date:  5/23/09   Distance covered:  3.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:  6:25 AM Duration:  1 hour(s) 50 minute(s)

Number of people in party:  1

Don Hall

5 Canada Goose , 5 Mallard , 1 Blue-winged Teal , 1 Ruffed Grouse , 5 Common Loon , 1 American Bittern , 1 Great Blue Heron , 2 Wilson's Snipe , 1 Common Tern , 2 Mourning Dove , 3 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker , 5 Downy Woodpecker , 1 Northern Flicker , 3 Alder Flycatcher , 2 Red-eyed Vireo , 5 Blue Jay , 3 American Crow , 1 Common Raven , 12 Black-capped Chickadee , 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch , 1 Hermit Thrush , 3 American Robin , 1 Gray Catbird , 4 Nashville Warbler , 4 Yellow Warbler , 4 Chestnut-sided Warbler , 2 Magnolia Warbler , 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler , 3 Black-throated Green Warbler , 2 Blackburnian Warbler , 9 Ovenbird , 7 Common Yellowthroat , 3 Savannah Sparrow , 4 Song Sparrow , 6 White-throated Sparrow , 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak , 8 Red-winged Blackbird 

 

Location Name: Wayne Court, SSM

Observation type: back yard @ tulips

Observation date: May 21, 2009

1 female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Linda Young

 

Location name: Lake George near Maple Leaf Rd

Date & Effort Observation type:  Traveling Count

Observation date:  5/10/09   Distance covered:  3.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:  6:45 AM Duration:  1 hour(s) 10 minute(s)

Number of people in party:  1 – Don Hall 

4 Canada Goose, 2 Mallard, 2 Ruffed Grouse, 11 Common Loon, 1 Double-crested Cormorant, 1 American Bittern, 2 Bald Eagle, 3 Wilson's Snipe, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 3 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 9 Blue Jay, 4 American Crow, 20 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Winter Wren, 7 Nashville Warbler, 1 Magnolia Warbler, 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 6 Black-throated Green Warbler, 2 Black-and-white Warbler, 2 Northern Waterthrush, 3 Swamp Sparrow, 7 White-throated Sparrow, 12 Red-winged Blackbird, 2 American Goldfinch

 

Location Name: Echo Bay Village

Observation type:  Casual Observation

Observation date:  5/3/09

1 Broad-winged Hawk, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 

1 Black-throated Green Warbler

 

Don Hall 

 

 

Location name:  Lake Street Viewing Platform

Date & Effort      Observation type:           Stationary Count

Observation date:           5/3/09             

Start time:         9:00 AM                       

Duration:           1 hour(s) 50 minute(s)          

Number of people in party:          2

8  Canada Goose  , 33  Tundra Swan  , 2  Wood Duck  , 4  Mallard  , 3  Northern Shoveler  , 20  Ring-necked Duck  , 14  Bufflehead  , 2  Common Merganser  , 1  Pied-billed Grebe  , 5  Double-crested Cormorant  , 1  Turkey Vulture  , 1  Osprey  , 4  American Coot  , 5  Wilson's Snipe  , 25  Tree Swallow  , 1  Sedge Wren  , 5  European Starling  , 2  Yellow-rumped Warbler  , 8  Song Sparrow  , 11  Swamp Sparrow  , 3  White-throated Sparrow  , 10  Red-winged Blackbird  , 2  Brown-headed Cowbird  , 1  House Sparrow 

 

Don Hall

 

Location name:         Lake George near Maple Leaf Rd

Date & Effort  Observation type:      Traveling Count

Observation date:     5/3/09            Distance covered:     3.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:      7:00 AM                   

Duration:        1 hour(s) 35 minute(s)                    

Number of people in party:   1 

6  Canada Goose ,1  American Wigeon ,2  Mallard ,1  Blue-winged Teal ,2  Ruffed Grouse ,1  Bald Eagle ,1  Broad-winged Hawk ,2  Sandhill Crane ,2  Greater Yellowlegs ,9  Wilson's Snipe ,5  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ,2  Northern Flicker ,19  Tree Swallow ,5  Black-capped Chickadee ,1  Ruby-crowned Kinglet ,3  Hermit Thrush ,5  American Robin ,3  Yellow-rumped Warbler ,7  Palm Warbler ,4  Song Sparrow ,7  Swamp Sparrow ,15  Red-winged Blackbird

 

Don Hall

 

 

Location name: Belleview Park

Date & Effort Observation type:  Casual Observation

Observation date:  4/30/09  

5 Red-necked Grebe

 

Don Hall

 

Locations: Whitefish Point, Tahquamenon River Mouth

Date: April 25 (Whitefish Point Spring Migration Outing)

Reported by: Tony Walker

This year, as it was in 2008, Mother Nature gave us showers and a wind from the North West, temperature 5 degrees C with sporadic drizzle. But a small group of birders following the Philosophy of "nothing ventured nothing gained" arrived at the point. The absence of Raptors, except for several Turkey Vultures, was highlighted by the fact that the sand dune platform counters hut was locked. For me this is a first, I have always seen Raptors. But we had a silver lining in the form of the second only sighting at Whitefish of an adult Avocet in breeding plumage; the bird was a little skittish but a large group of birders with scopes and cameras were given great views as the bird flew by and then walked along the beach. Its call was slightly slower than the one on Robert’s palm unit, but it was very clear and easily identified. I have listed birds at the river mouth and point in two groups.

Birds at Tahquemenon River mouth: Northern Flicker, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Common Merganser,  Red-breasted Merganser, Common Golden Eye, Bufflehead, Ring-neck Duck, American Wigeon, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant,  Greater Yellowlegs, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Greater Scaup,

Birds at Whitefish Point:  Sandhill Crane, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, White Throated Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Black capped Chickadee, Swainson Thrush, Snowy Owl Female imm (1 at the point), Common Loon, Eastern Phoebe, Common Raven, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Herring Gull, Turkey Vulture, American Avocet (at the Harbour).

 

Location name: Echo Bay - Pumpkin Point Area

Date & Effort Observation type:  Traveling Count

Observation date:  4/26/09   Distance covered:  27.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:  7:25 AM

Duration:  3 hour(s) 5 minute(s)

Number of people in party:  7

 

30+ Canada Goose

25+ Tundra Swan

7 American Wigeon

20 Mallard

2 Blue-winged Teal

8 Green-winged Teal

6 Redhead

35 Ring-necked Duck

6 Lesser Scaup

100+ Greater/Lesser Scaup

30+ Bufflehead

15+ Common Goldeneye

6 Common Merganser

4 Wild Turkey

2 Sharp-tailed Grouse

3 Pied-billed Grebe

12 Double-crested Cormorant

2 Great Blue Heron

30+ Turkey Vulture

12 Osprey

7 Bald Eagle

3 Northern Harrier

1 Golden Eagle

3 American Kestrel

1 Peregrine Falcon

8 Sandhill Crane

3 Wilson's Snipe

12 Rock Pigeon

2 Mourning Dove

5 Northern Flicker

2 Eastern Phoebe

3 Blue Jay

2 Tree Swallow

2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

30+ American Robin

100+ European Starling

4 Song Sparrow

6 Swamp Sparrow

3 White-throated Sparrow

15 Dark-eyed Junco

25+ Red-winged Blackbird

2 Brown-headed Cowbird

 

Also 2 Moose, 2 Beaver and 1 Black Bear

 

Don Hall 

 

We saw 2 night hawks above Willow St, just opposite Rome's at the Cambrian Mall.

It was 6:30 pm, Sunday April 19/09.

Val Walker

 

Location name: Echo Bay - Pumpkin Point Area

Date & Effort Observation type:  Traveling Count

Observation date:  4/16/09   Distance covered:  17.0 kilometer(s)

Start time:  6:55 PM

Duration:  1 hour(s) 40 minute(s)

Number of people in party:  13 

200 Canada Goose

3 Tundra Swan

2 American Wigeon

4 American Black Duck

20+ Mallard

2 Northern Pintail

5 Redhead

4 Ring-necked Duck

40+ Greater/Lesser Scaup

50+ Bufflehead

25+ Common Goldeneye

5 Hooded Merganser

2 Red-breasted Merganser

2 Sharp-tailed Grouse

4 Wild Turkey

2 Pied-billed Grebe

1 Double-crested Cormorant

6 Turkey Vulture

2 Osprey

3 Bald Eagle

2 Northern Harrier

1 American Kestrel

2 Sandhill Crane

2 Blue Jay

3 Black-capped Chickadee

2 Red-breasted Nuthatch

9 American Robin

100+ European Starling

9 Song Sparrow

2 Swamp Sparrow

40+ Snow Bunting

5 Red-winged Blackbird

10 Common Grackle

Marsh at Maple Leaf Road is still frozen, south end of Lake George is clear, Echo Bay also clear. Have seen Green-winged Teal recently on Lake George Road, and Northern Pintail on Hwy 638 near Hwy 17.

 

Guys, the ospreys are back; I saw an osprey by the new 4-lane today as well as a flock of 5 bald eagles (4 mature and 1 immature).

Steffon McGregor

(Forwarded by Tony Walker 4/13/09)

 

There are two Ross's Geese by the D line on St. Joe's island and 1 by the 1 one by the settling ponds by Desbarates.

 

Steffon McGregor

(Forwarded by Tony Walker 4/12/09)

 

This morning, Saturday 11 April 2009, at close to 7:00 am, I watched a

 single male Eastern Towhee under some shrubbery in my back yard. I'm

 located at the north edge of the city on Millcreek Drive, close to

 Strathclair Park; we have a lot of shrubs as well as a small stand of

 Red Pines further back in the yard. I saw it clearly through my patio

 window, at a distance of some 8 metres, with no intervening brush or

 branches. I recognized it instantly from the prominent field marks:

 black back, rufous flanks, and white patches on the wings that it

 displayed with some sporadic but vigorous wing-flapping. Weather was

 clear and sunny. I had time to grab a pair of binoculars and watch it

 through the window for a minute or two. It only stayed in the yard (at

 least, that I observed) for about 5 minutes.

 It was near a single American Tree Sparrow, the first I have seen this

 spring; an hour later I saw a pair of that species. Also in the yard at

 the time were a few Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls clustered together

 near our Niger seed feeder, and a Song Sparrow.

 A few minutes after it disappeared, I went outdoors onto the patio in

 the hopes of seeing or hearing it, but with no results.

 I note that during the recent Breeding Bird Survey, there was one record

 posted for the northern part of St. Joseph Island, and then a gap to the

 next reports on mid-Manitoulin Island and the Espanola area.

 Yesterday I was on some remote lakes in the northern part of Lake

 Superior Provincial Park. The snow in the bush is still waist-deep in

 most places, virtually no bare ground, and there is very little open

 water which is concentrated at the shallows at the mouths of creeks.

 None the less, there were a pair of Sandhill Cranes at a small beaver

 meadow in this otherwise heavily forested area. There were very few

 birds in evidence: a raven, a Gray Jay, one bunch of chickadees, one

 Ruffed Grouse, a few woodpeckers drumming in the distance, and 6 Herring

 Gulls that stood on the ice with hopeful expressions (but ultimately no

 reward) as they watched us fishing.

 Klaas Oswald

 (Forwarded by Tony Walker 4/11/09)

 

Hey Guys,

 

I'm in Sudbury...stopped at Bar River and Desbarats on the way - nothing of note in BR, good numbers of Canadas though. In Desbarats, had 2 Ross's Geese and a Cackling in with about 250 Canada Geese right on the side of the highway (near the sewage ponds). I took a few ID'able pics through the scope for record's sake.

 

David

(Forwarded by John Ralston & Tony Walker, 4/11/09)

 

April 7 2009 at 8:50 am

 

Eight Sharp-tailed Grouse were displaying in the field immediately across from the runway at the west end of Calabogie Road. 

 

Don Hall

 

April 6, 2009

Location Echo Bay Lake Street Viewing Platform

Observation type:  Stationary Count

Observation date:  4/6/09   Distance covered:  N/A

Start time:  4:45 PM    Area covered:  N/A

Duration:  0 hour(s) 15 minute(s)   Elevation:  N/A 

Number of people in party:  1

Comments:  Very cold wind. Echo Bay 20% open.

 

25 Canada Goose

20 Common Goldeneye

30 Hooded Merganser

42 Common Merganser

1 Great Blue Heron

3 Bald Eagle

2 Sandhill Crane

6 American Crow

 

Don Hall

 

April 1, 2009 

My first Turkey Vultures of the season - 2 near Echo Bay

 

Don Hall

 

March 12 2009

"Regulars" in the Lake George wetlands between Maple Leaf Road and Bar River Road include:

1) Small flocks of Common Redpolls eating the seeds of Speckled Alder, White Spirea and Sweetgale

2) Sharp-tailed Grouse in small numbers (perhaps one or two)

 

Don Hall

 

March 9 2009 

A Rusty Blackbird is a regular at the Sault Canal, on St. Mary’s Island along the trail east of the boardwalk, last observed March 9. About 8 or 10 American Robins are also over wintering in the St. Mary’s Island/Whitefish Island area.

 

Don Hall

 

February 23 2009 

While skiing the Lake George Shoreline from Maple Leaf Road to Pumpkin Point I flushed a total of 23 Sharp-tailed Grouse. Three were near Bar River Road, and 20 were in the Pumpkin Point Marsh about 600m north east of the marsh viewing platform.

 

Don Hall

 

Today I took a ride over to the corner of Deplonty Road and Fisher Road east of Desbarats, the location of Northern Quality Meats (beef processor) to look for Bald Eagles which frequent the property.

Although no eagles were present today, I did find a couple of interesting birds.  There was a light phase Red-tailed Hawk, a light morph Rough-legged Hawk and a raven with an unusual pattern of white feathers on its head and wings.  At first, I thought the colour of its head was related to something it was carrying in its bill but the colour was present on both wings (it appeared to be the matching secondary flight feathers on each wing).  I was unable to get a frame of the wings in flight but did get a couple of frames while it perched nearby.

The rough-legged soared above my car and I was able to get a semi-clear frame which shows the marking of this raptor.

Contributed by Mark Olivier, Feb. 7, 2009

(Note: Mark's photos can be seen by clicking on the "Birds" link in the Photo Gallery.)

 

After having had the boreal owl in the yard earlier in the month, my mom and I have taken a number of dusk and dawn drives in an attempt to locate other owls.

 

Daylight viewing  was great along CLOUDSLEE ROAD just to the east (1-2 Kms) of Hwy 638 at Bruce Station on the 21, 22 and 23rd of January.  In speaking with some of the land owners that owl [a great gray owl] seems to have been making daytime flights across fields for a few days prior to my sighting it.   On the 24th  we did not find it in that location but did find a bird several kms to the east on a property on the south east corner of ASONIA Rd and Duff Rd.   Duff Road can be accessed from Hwy 17 between Bruce Mines and Thessalon.   I was able to get some frames of this bird as it moved into an aspen tree and attempted to rest in the spotty sunlight. 

 

I did also have a brief sighting in this second location on the 25th.

 

I hope some folks are able to get out and enjoy a sighting or two.

 

Contributed by Mark Olivier, Jan. 28, 2009

(Note: Photos of the great gray can be seen by clicking on the "Birds" link in the Photo Gallery.)