[Ontbirds] Great Egret Petawawa
There was a Great Egret seen at Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park this morning ( May 1st ) at @ 10:00. I and the Outdoor Adventure Naturalist class from Algonquin College watched it for about half an hour. We could not see if the bird was banded because of the beaver dam that was between us and it. It flew up and circled when a bald eagle arrived. We left w/o seeing it land again, however it didn't appear to be leaving. The park is located off Laurentian Drive in Petawawa. Laurentian Drive is off of County Rd. 51 ( old Highway 17 ) approx. 15 km. N.W. of Pembroke, in the ottawa valley. Enjoy, Mark Dojczman. ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] birds in the Bradford area
Migrants are slowly trickling into the Bradford area with the first waves of warblers showing up. Today I again saw the Bald Eagles at the south end of Cook's Bay at what seems to be their nest site ( quite hidden amongst the tamaracks on the east side of the Holland river mouth) and a pair of Ospreys have set up their home atop a lofty silo on the 13th Line of Bradford-west Gwillimbury. A (the) Sandhill Crane(s) are still in the area, presumably nesting as last year, and a Green Heron was spotted on a newly finished beaver pond just south of Lefroy along with quite a few Wood Ducks.and a pair of Buffleheads.earlier this week, Doug Mattingly sent me some pics of a Great Egret on the 6th Line of Innisfil. Finally, in a flooded corn field near the 11th Line and County Road 11 in Bradford-West Gwillimbury there are a few Northern Pintails hanging around. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Snowy Egret reported last weekend. Bradford is located east of Hwy. 400 and the aforementioned birds are north on County Rd. 11 (Yonge St.), and east towards the Holland River and Lk. Simcoe. Peter Wukasch ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] York Region/Simcoe County Migrants
As with many places in Ontario, spring migration has been gathering steam up here north of Toronto. Monday was a red-letter day with three VERY interesting birds noted: one was a late SNOWY OWL photographed on a Keswick dock, another was the SNOWY EGRET reported by Doug McRae north of Bradford, and, last but not least, a BLACK VULTURE in King Township observed by Craig Corcoran may have been the first one ever for York region (any old records, Theo?). Although no members of this distinguished trio of birds were rediscovered in subsequent days, they certainly raised ornithological eyebrows. Ten warbler species were reported in York Region this week, the most unusual one being a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER observed by Allan Roitner at King City's Seneca College campus today. Allan also had two Black & Whites, 20+ Palm Warblers, and a fallout of at least one hundred Yellow-rumps. Eastern Bluebirds and a pair of Osprey are back on territory at this location too. On Monday at the north end of Yonge St. in Holland Landing Keith and Chris Dunn had several warbler species, the first BLUE-HEADED VIREO of the spring for York Region, plus a BROAD-WINGED HAWK and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. On Tuesday the same duo birded the west side of the Holland River, which is in Simcoe County. Along Line 10 north of Bradford they added SCARLET TANAGER, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, YELLOW WARBLER, and AMERICAN BITTERN to their spring lists. On Thursday I followed their lead and drove over to Line 10, which is the northern boundary of the Scanlon Creek Conservation Area - another good place for birding in this area. I got a kick out of seeing a BELTED KINGFISHER on a phone line looking down at a RUFFED GROUSE walking across the road. In the swampy woods east of the RR tracks I added a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and several N. Waterthrush. One concession north of this I searched unsuccessfully for Doug McRae's egret but was treated to a mid-day surprise when a mob of crows chased a GREAT HORNED OWL across the road right in front of me. Also present were four RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, a PILEATED WOODPECKER, and - at the foot of the observation platform (Holland Marsh Crown Property) - two calling AMERICAN BITTERNS. One of them startled my Golden Retriever and I when it burst out of the cattails beside us and flew away in squonking protest. To my great fascination its mate called to it moments later from the under the boardwalk (hum the old hit song if you wish) under out feet! If a bittern's "koonk-a-choonk" call can ever be considered plaintive, this one was. Later that day I returned to York Region and stopped in at the Cawthra Mulock reserve in NW Newmarket. New arrivals there were BROWN THRASHER, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. I also flushed a Ruffed Grouse and two Wood Ducks in the short time I was there. Doing domestic errands later I was pleasantly surprised to watch a big female COOPER'S HAWK go ripping across Yonge St. just above windshield height while I waited for the lights to change at along Mulock Ave. in the busy heart of suburban Newmarket. A little further northwest of this location Mike Van den Tillaart watched an influx of almost 200 PINE SISKINS fly into his backyard feeders this week. Siskins, usually just winter visitors here, seem to have settled into nesting mode, doing flight displays and other mating behaviours all over the place. In the continuing northward expansion of NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS, Keith Dunn had one visiting his yard in Keswick last Saturday. Newmarket, King City, Holland Landing, Keswick, and Bradford are all located north of Toronto and south of Lake Simcoe. For more specific directions to the several places mentioned here, please e-mail privately. Ron Fleming, Newmarket ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Hooded Warblers at Rattray Marsh Conservation Area, Mississauga
This afternoon around 2:40 pm I found a male and female Hooded Warbler feeding along a small overgrown 'stream'. They were about 40 feet from the Meadow Trail and were startled by Cooper's Hawk which flew down Sheridan Creek. I move over to the first bridge upstream from the marsh and saw them feeding near the upturned root of a Manitoba Maple that was cantilevered over the creek. The major maker for their location is a large dark green metal storage bin on the shore of the creek. They were last seen there at 3:15 p.m. Directions: Take Bexhill of Lakeshore about 5 or 6 long blocks east of the intersection of Erin Mills Parkway and Lakeshore. Park on the street and wall downhill to the mail trail that runs through the area. Turn right and go to the intersection of the Knoll trail and main trail. A dirt path veers off to the right and the location of first sighting is about 70 paces to the top of the hill. The 'stream' emerges from a culver concreted onto the hill. The second location where I saw them was the first bridge north of the marsh. Wayne Renaud ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Ivory-billed Woodpecker coming to Toronto
An excellent documentary on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is being shown at the annual Hot Docs http://www.hotdocs.ca/ in Toronto next week. I had a sneak preview and the movie provides a great review of the recent discovery/non-discovery in Arkansas. There are two showings 6 & 8 May. See the website for more information. Cheers, Mark Peck Ornithology/Department of Natural History Royal Ontario Museum 100 Queen's Park Toronto, ON Canada M5S 2C6 Mark Peck Ornithology/Department of Natural History Royal Ontario Museum 100 Queen's Park Toronto, ON Canada M5S 2C6 416 586 5523 fax 416 586 5553 ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Thickson Woods - Whip-poor-will
This morning a whip-poor-will was found in Thickson Woods. In a large scrub pile west of the small boardwalk, it was perched on a relatively low, open branch, giving excellent views. Other notable birds viewed included Wood Thrush, Willow Flycatcher, Ovenbird, Black-Throated Blue Warbler and Palm Warbler. Directions ( from previous posts ): Leave Hwy.401 at Thickson Road, Exit 412 and go south to the Waterfront Trial, running east just north of the woods. The entrance to the woods is 200m east of Thickson Road, on the south side of the Waterfront Trail, with entrance to the Meadow opposite. Please note that there is now no parking on the Waterfront Trail. Birders are requested to park on the east side of Thickson Road, north of the trail. Good Luck Mark _ Reinvent how you stay in touch with the new Windows Live Messenger. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9650731___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] New birds at Thicksons Woods
This morning 7:00 - 10:00 A.M. Ovenbird Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Pine Warbler Others saw or heard Tennessee and Blackburnian Warblers, Veery and Swainsons Thrush Wood Thrush Eastern Towee Baltimore Oriole Winter Wren Hermit Thrush Green Heron Great-blue Heron White-crowned Sparrow Chipping Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow possible Lincolns Sparrow Belted Kingfisher Thickson Woods is accessed of Thickson Road which is the easterly Whitby exit, south to Lake Ontario and the Woods are on the east side of the road behind private property. Bob Cumming ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Redheaded Woodpecker- Leslie Spit
There was a redheaded woodpecker at the base of the Leslie Spit this morning. The Leslie Spit is south of Lakeshore & Leslie St. in Toronto. Gunnar Bessel ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Friday, May 1st, 2009
On Friday, May 1st, 2009, this is the HNC Birding report: YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER PRAIRIE WARBLER YELLOW-CREASTED CHAT LARK SPARROW American Bittern Green Heron Bald Eagle Broad-winged Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Virginia Rail Sora Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Dunlin Great Horned Owl Whip-poor-will Ruby-throated Hummingbird Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Tufted Titmouse House Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Lapland Longspur Rose-breasted Grosbeak Rusty Blackbird Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Purple Finch What a week we have had in the Hamilton Study Area. Migration at its finest and so early. Many of our early dates were blown away this week as migrants arrived on warm winds and a few surprises showed up. On Monday of this week a LARK SPARROW was seen with two Chipping Sparrows on the lawn at Tyneside and Haldimand Road 66. An excellent record for this area, this bird was reported up until Wednesday but could still be there. Anyone seeing this bird please report its status. One observer reported another Lark Sparrow seen later on Monday. It's worth a look to see if there are any more around, please report any additional birds over the weekend. The bird does have quite a range on Tyneside Road being seen mostly at the farm on the northwest corner but has been seen down the road at the first house on the east side of Tyneside. Patience is necessary. Other birds seen at this location include Rough-legged Hawk, Chipping, Vesper and Savannah Sparrows. Down at Ruthven Banding Station a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was banded yesterday, a good record for the HSA. This is probably the best place to see Tufted Titmouse and its worth a visit to check out the facilities. At Lakeside Park last weekend a PRAIRIE WARBLER made an appearance on Saturday, an uncommon migrant for this area. Other birds seen there included Pine, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Warblers and thrushes have come in with a vengeance this week. It would be impossible for me to include all the sightings I have received unless you would like to read a novel but here are some of the highlights. By the way, all sightings are appreciated and forwarded on to our Noteworthy Bird Records so please keep sending. At Fifty Point Conservation Area last weekend a combination of earlier and late migrants made for good birding. Many locations this week reported large numbers of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Fifty Point was also host to Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Black-throated Green, Palm and Pine Warbler. Exiting Fox Sparrow and Purple Finch were also seen. East of here at Confederation Park last Sunday the same mixture was reported with the addition of a Hooded Warbler, always nice to see. LaSalle Park was good yesterday even in rainy conditions. Great Crested Flycatcher, Swainson's and Wood Thrush, Golden-winged, Tennessee and Magnolia Warbler were seen. The Northshore Trails at the RBG Arboretum reported Sandhill Crane, Green Heron, Great Horned Owl, Warbling and Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-winged, Yellow-rumped, Nashville, Palm, Black and White, Pine, Black-throated Green Warbler and Common Yellowthroat in addition to White-throated, White-crowned and Field Sparrow earlier in the week. The Dundas Marsh is high but birds reported from here include both Virginia Rail and Sora, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper, Bald Eagle, Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Yellow Warblers in numbers. Rusty Blackbirds also continue to be seen here. At the Dundas Hydro Ponds, Virginia Rail, Spotted Sandpiper, House Wren and Yellow Warblers were reported here. Around the lake at Shoreacres/Paletta Park in Burlington a number of migrants have been seen in the week including Blue-headed and Warbling Vireo, House Wren, many Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Nashville, Yellow, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Black-and-White and Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, a first year Orchard Oriole and Baltimore Oriole. Nearby at Tuck Creek Ovenbird and Eastern Towhee were additions to the above list. Down at Shell Park, the
[Ontbirds] Rose-breasted grosbeak at Riverwood in Mississauga
A male rose-breasted grosbeak was at Riverwood in Mississauga Thursday, visiting the feeders behind Chappell House throughout the day. Good numbers of white-throated sparrows were also present. Recent spring migrant sightings along the trails include blue-winged warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, and Baltimore oriole. A male wild turkey has also been seen on the property near the main parking lot. Riverwood is a Mississauga city park which covers 150 acres, largely forested but including diverse habitats, along the Credit River between Burnhamthorpe Road West on the south and Hwy. 403 on the north. It is contiguous with Erindale Park which runs along the Credit River between Dundas Street and Burnhamthorpe Road. The Culham Trail (hike and bike) runs through both parks and there are other marked trails in Riverwood. A printable map is available at www.theriverwoodconservancy.org. Reports of your Riverwood observations are appreciated at ea...@theriverwoodconservancy.org. Directions: From Hwy 403 take the Mavis Road Exit. Go south on Mavis Road to Burnhamthorpe Road West and turn right. Take Burnhamthorpe Road to the traffic lights at intersection with The Credit Woodlands (south of Burnhamthorpe) and Riverwood Park Lane (north of Burnhamthorpe). Turn north onto Riverwood Park Lane. Chappell House: Follow Riverwood Park Lane until the large Arts and Crafts style house is visible. Park (free) in the visitor lot on your right. The feeders where the rose-breasted grosbeak was observed are behind the house. A bird checklist for Riverwood is available in the brochure racks inside Chappell House. Judi Parker Mississauga, ON ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Golden-winged Warbler at LaSalle Park, Burlington
Yesterday as the rain began I found 9 species of warbler in the park. The male Golden-winged was feeding in some large trees adjacent to the parking/lot marina area. Also I saw my first Tennessee (2) and Magnolia (1). Other goodies included 3 White-crowned Sparrows, 3 Swainson's Thrushes and one Wood Thrush. There were also two Great- crested Flycatcher and three Blue-headed Vireos ; these we seen along the upper path that passes through mature groves of beeches, oaks and maples. Directions: LaSalle Park in located along the north shore of Burlington Bay with the only access off an southern extension of Waterdown Road at the intersection of North Shore Boulevard. Wayne Renaud ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] HSR:Brian Mishell
Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2009 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 48 3629 5955 Osprey 0 35 37 Bald Eagle 1 22 69 Northern Harrier 0 84115 Sharp-shinned Hawk 33 1424 1622 Cooper's Hawk5 46129 Northern Goshawk 0 4 6 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 33732 Broad-winged Hawk1 5457 5457 Red-tailed Hawk 3770 2788 Rough-legged Hawk1 37 88 Golden Eagle 0 8 12 American Kestrel 0 51 67 Merlin 1 7 8 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 7 Unknown Accipiter0 2 6 Unknown Buteo0 10 30 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 25 68 Total: 93 11646 17196 -- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter:Brian Mishell Observers:Barry Cherriere, Brian Hawthorne, Colin Horstead, Jane Weber - Fl., Linda Cherriere Visitors: Jane Weber from florida was there for the first two hours, no other visitors. Weather: Instead of forecasted winds from the SW we had very light wind from the NW veering to N. Cloud cover was from 70% to 100%. So no great surprise the action was slow. Finally rain stopped play at 3. 03 p.m. Raptor Observations: An early Merlin sighted over the quarry at 9.20 a.m.A 2 y.o. Bald over the pines at 10.25 a.m. quite high.A roughed legged hawk at 11.05 Colin Horstead, Brian Hawthorne stayed until 2 p.m. when rain became imminent. Most of the Sharped Shins were singles, and 13(14%) of the birds were spotted over the Willow Non-raptor Observations: Lots of W.T. Sparrows still there, Barry re-distributed birdseed in the p.m. so I imagine they will hang around. Easter Towhee also there as well as a pair of " copulating robins" in the field in front of the farmhouse kept us alert.Lots of warblers( unidentified) were observed throughout the watch. Predictions: I imagine the day tomorrow will be slow at least to begin with. Report submitted by Brian Mishell () Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON information may be found at: http://www.hwcn.org/link/niaghawk/ Site Description: The hawk migration at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is conducted by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). The counting is all done by volunteers. Not all members are counters nor does a counter have to be a member. Typically one person is the designated counter for each day but other observers present assist with the spotting and identification. Counting is done from a steel observation tower with a wooden floor. For wind protection on the cold days of March, a black plastic wind guard is installed around the towers platform. This platform easily accommodates ten people but on most busy days, no more than five or six observers would be on it. The site lies within a publically accessible property owned by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. There is no charge for admittance. The tower stands in the centre of a mowed area with a gravel ring road near the outer edge. This provides lots of room to park vehicles (along the road) and set up lawn chairs, telescopes and cameras. Toilet facilities are present. During the counting season, the NPH erect a counting board to display the days observations for the public. The box enclosing the sign contains brochures and silhouette sheets for the public as well as bulletin boards with news and historical sighting records. Directions to site: To get to Beamer CA, take the QEW to Exit 72, follow Christie St./Mountain St. to the top of the escarpment, turn right on Ridge Road West, and go 1.6km to Quarry Rd. Turn right on Quarry Rd. and drive 100m to the conservation area. Parking is normally available inside the park. If parking at the entrance or on the roads, do NOT leave valuables in your car. Please note: Data in this report is not official until reviewed and fi
[Ontbirds] Green Heron at Fletcher Wildlife Garden (and other Ottawa birds)
Stopped off at the Garden after work for a quick look around. Had the usual Cardinals, American Goldfinches, Northern Flickers, and various sparrows. The highlight was watching a beautiful Green Heron come in for a landing at the pond near the parking lot. It moved around a little, then caught sight of me and was off. Also took a turn around Mud Lake this morning and saw the usual warblers, then I came across a White-winged Crossbill. I thought this was strange, but I'm pretty sure of the ID. I also had a House Finch near the water treatment plant. Here I was looking for spring migrants and finding mostly winter residents. Oh, and I almost stepped on a beaver. Marc - my terrible but slowly improving bird photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/stongey ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Bohemian Waxwing, Whip-poor-will, Torrance Barrens
During an evening visit to Torrance Barrens April 28, we noted a Bohemian Waxwing perched atop one of the bare oaks. Birdsong included 1 Whip-poor-will (early), 2 Sandhill Crane, 1 American Woodcock, 2 Wilson's Snipe, Common Loon, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher. Directions: Take Muskoka Road 13 between Torrance and Southwood. The barrens occupy about 8 kms. of this road mid-way between the towns. Best areas for night birding are Highland Pond by the main parking lot and the extreme west end of the barrens just before the Red Maple swamp. George Bryant for Jim Heslop, Barry Jones, Sid Daniels, Rick Snider, Bob Stamp ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
