[Ontbirds] Chimney Swifts and Common Nighthawks
Hi Everyone I spent from 7.35 pm to 8.25 pm tonight -August 26, 2011 at Dickson Public school in Galt monitoring a Chimney Swift roost site. The school is located at 65 St Andrews Street in Galt- Cambridge. This is 1 block west of the Southworks mall which is along the Grand River. A large chimney is located on the south side of the school. During the first part before the Chimney Swifts started entering the chimney I observed 100 Common Nighthawks heading south along the west side of the Grand river. While I was counting Chimney Swifts another large group flew over of about 25 for a count of 125. I counted around 300 chimney swifts entering the chimney. I plan to monitor the site on Saturday . Bill Read www.oebs.ca ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Friday, August 26th, 2011
On Friday, August 26th, 2011, this is the Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report Green-winged Teal Scaup sp. White-winged Scoter Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Bonaparte's Gull Common Tern Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Wood Pewee Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Common Yellowthroat Bobolink Baltimore Oriole It's been a busy week this week in the Hamilton Study area, no super rarities, but there is a clear indication that birds are on the move and birders should be out and about looking. Shorebirds are still in the news this week and there is a great variety to be seen if you have the time and patience and a scope. The viewing platform at Windermere basin is almost finished and this venue provides the most variety in the area for shorebirds at this time. Morning light is better. Throughout the week, the following was reported: Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet (last reported Sunday), Semipalmated, Least, Baird's, Pectoral and Stilt Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher. Another good place east of here is Rattray Marsh where water levels have dropped to expose mud for shorebirds. Here this week were Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper, Semipalmated, Least, White-rumped and Baird's Sandpiper. A good showing of over 120 Red-necked Grebes were recorded on the lake from here. This is a major staging ground for this species. Other non shorebird species noted here were Great Egret, Nashville, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Black-and-white and Canada Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was seen and heard here. Today, light east winds were present at Van Wagner's Beach. None of specialty species were present yet but Long-tailed Duck, Scaup sp., Green-winged Teal, White-winged Scoter, Common Loon, Common Tern, Bonaparte's Gull and Sanderling were birds seen here today. Passerine numbers are picking up this week. Last weekend at Woodland Cemetery, Osprey, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Least and Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow, Cape May, Blackburnian and Black and White Warbler, American Restart, Bobolink (36) and Baltimore Oriole were migrants seen. At Waterdown North Wetlands Trail, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blackburnian, Black and White and Canada Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat and Baltimore Oriole were migrants seen here. Olive-sided flycatchers are moving through with reports in traditional places such as Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle. Other reports of this bird came from the Crieff Bog in Flamborough and from Bronte Harbour. An Osprey and a resident Merlin were also seen in the vicinity of the harbour, the Merlin likely a bird that has nested here. In the odds and sods Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Great Egret were seen in Dundas Marsh. A Bald Eagle is also still present out in Cootes Paradise. A large group of Common Terns were seen out on the Hamilton harbour likely staging for migration. That's the news for this week. It should be a good couple of weeks of heavy migration and the east winds are always cause to get out to the beach. Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Prince Edward Point Bird Report for week of Aug. 19-25
REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD POINT for the week of August 19-25, courtesy of David Okines The MALLARD numbers in the harbour are slowly increasing and up to 33 can be found there now. An OSPREY has been fishing in the harbour since the 22nd and single BALD EAGLES were seen on the 20th and 25th, both were immatures. SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER’S HAWKS have been seen regularly while a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen on the 20th. A MERLIN was present on the 25th. Up to 12 WILD TURKEYS have been present most of the week. Shorebird activity has remained similar to last week although SOLITARY SANDPIPERS increased to 15 on the 20th. COMMON NIGHTHAWK numbers were down this week but they normally peak next week. Two CHIMNEY SWIFTS were seen on the 22nd and 6 were seen the next day. NORTHERN FLICKERS showed an increase with 8 seen on the 23rd. The first EASTERN WOOD PEWEES were seen on the 20th. Two COMMON RAVENS were seen on the 22nd and the only AMERICAN CROW so far for the fall was on the 24th. 33 BANK SWALLOWS were counted on the 22nd and BARN SWALLOWS peaked at 120 on the 23rd. The first VEERYS (2) and SWAINSON’S THRUSH of the fall were banded on the 23rd and a WOOD THRUSH was caught on the 24th. Eighteen species of warblers were seen this week with TENNESSEE WARBLERS arriving on the 22nd, NASHVILLE WARBLER on the 24th, 2 CAPE MAY WARBLERS were seen on the 23rd as was a western PALM WARBLER. A BLACKPOLL WARBLER was recorded on the 24th and the 22nd had the first WILSON’S WARBLERS of the fall. One to five CANADA WARBLERS are still being seen or retrapped daily. Up to 65 BOBOLINKS are being seen in a day and occasional COMMON GRACKLES are going over. To reach Prince Edward Point, follow County Road 13 from South Bay for 17 kilometres. The network of birding trails in the Point Traverse Woods have been mowed and groomed for the fall season. The Observatory is just a half kilometre past the Point Traverse corner. Terry Sprague tspra...@kos.net www.naturestuff.net ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Common Nighthawk over Exeter
Folks... This afternoon, at 17:15, while sitting on the porch watching the world go by, I had a Common Nighthawk fly East to West over the south end of town at quite a distance. Having run inside to get the bins, I lost the bird. After 10 minutes of patient porch sitting, the bird was spotted at the same distance flying West to East. Having not seen a single bird in town this summer, I take this to be a slowly wandering migrant. In any case, a nice 'porch' bird. Rick Thornton Exeter ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Franklin's Gull at Wawa Sewage Lagoons
Hi everyone, Apologies for the delayed posting, I seem to have sent the original email to the wrong address. Firstly, I would like to thank everyone that has provided us with specific birding sites and contacts in Northern Ontario. It is great to know of such a knowledgeable and helpful birding community! On Wednesday afternoon, between thunderstorms, Jaime and I stopped at the Wawa Sewage Lagoons. We had a great couple of hours, finding four new birds for our ride, highlighted by a juvenile Franklin's Gull in the large, southeast pond. I visited the same pond briefly yesterday morning, but the Franklin’s Gull was not present (it’s possible it was on one of the other three ponds). Other birds we saw included: Canada Goose: 10 Wood Duck: 7 Gadwall: 1 American Wigeon: 6 Mallard: 10 Ring-necked Duck: 20 Lesser Scaup: 8 Bufflehead: 3 Common Goldeneye: 25 Solitary Sandpiper: 2 Greater Yellowlegs: 1 Bonaparte’s Gull: 3 Herring Gull: 5 Belted Kingfisher: 1 American Crow: 6 Common Raven: 1 Barn Swallow: 2 Cedar Waxwing: 15 White-winged Crossbill: 2 Cheers, Nigel Jackett White River, ON http://www.tilthelasttree.com Directions: Wawa is at the east end of Lake Superior. Take Wawa Exit from Hwy 17 onto Mission Rd (Hwy 101). Turn left on Golf Course Rd (not signed, but first left after the Tim Hortons). Follow down the hill for 400m until reaching the ponds on both sides of the road. ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Niagara Falls Egret Colony
August 26 - I observed the Great Egret Colony above the Horseshoe Falls from Three Sisters Islands, Goat Island, Niagara Falls, New York. At 10:50 AM, I could see as many as eight in active Great Egrets. At 11:00 AM one had left, but I found two more to the far left (upstream) in front of the Engineerium. At 11:07 an adult Great Egret flew in and landed next to two nestlings, which suddenly became three nestlings. One of the nestlings stuck its head far down the adult’s throat and appeared to consume all of the food. The adult flew away after feeding the young. All three egret nestlings were wildly flapping their wings. At 11:19 AM a second adult landed next the far left Great Egret and suddenly what I was counting as one Great Egret for the past thirteen minutes became three nestling Great Egrets! The adult was only on the small island about a minute, at which time I had a total of 14 Great Egrets. Since the adults only stayed a minute or two during the feeding period, I assume the thirteen inactive (except when feeding) egrets were all nestlings. At 11:30 AM I could only see eleven egrets, since the two to the far left had slipped back into the foliage. At 11:45 AM I stopped observing. Based on the feeding activity and position of the nestlings there appears to be five egret nests on the island above the Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls and at least 13 nestlings. Note: The late date for Great Egret nestling is July 25 in The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. Does anyone know the late nesting date for Great Egret nestlings in Ontario? If so, please respond to me privately. I suspect this will be a new late record for Ontario. In the bushes and trees near the south end of Goat Island there was a good fall-out of warblers and migrants. In watching one group of warblers move to another group of bushes, I counted 30 warblers. There was at least 11 species of warblers including Ovenbird, American Redstart, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Canada, Black-and-white, and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Bill Watson Buffalo Ornithological Society ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Point Pelee Area Birds - August 26, 2011
Point Pelee was quite active today compared to reports from yesterday. In 6 hours of birding the Park today Dave and Maureen Harvey from Maryland and I recorded 14 species of warbler including: Nashville; Yellow; Magnolia; Cape May (5); Pine; Prairie; Bay-breasted (3); Blackpoll (2); Black-and-white (5); American Redstart (4); Northern Waterthrush; Mourning; Common Yellowthroat (12); Canada (2 including a male in beautiful breeding plumage). Shorebirds at the Tip included 1 Ruddy Turnstone and 13 Sanderling. Flycatchers were well represented with 8 species including: Olive-sided (5); Eastern Wood-Pewee; Yellow-bellied; Acadian; Alder; Least; Eastern Phoebe and Great Crested (3). Other birds of interest included: Brown Thrasher; Indigo Bunting; singing Eastern Towhee; Veery; Yellow-billed Cuckoo in DeLaurier and Black-billed Cuckoo at the Tip; Red-bellied Woodpecker; Warbling (11), Red-eyed (5) and Philadelphia Vireo; and an immature Broad-winged Hawk sitting on a branch right over the tram at the Tip. The Marsh Boardwalk produced 2 Black Tern, a Virginia Rail, 3 Marsh Wren, a Swamp Sparrow and a calling Least Bittern. Todd R. Pepper 36 Cherrywood Avenue Leamington, ON, N8H 4Z9 pepper_t...@yahoo.ca "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin" William Shakespeare ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Ottawa: Parasitic Jaeger
Hi Ontbirders This morning at 8:30 a.m. I observed an adult light morph Parasitic Jaeger flying along the Ottawa River at Deschenes Rapids. The jaeger flew in from the east, spooked all the gulls that were resting on the exposed rocks at Deschenes Rapids than continued west and disappeared. I relocated it off Dick Bell Park from upper Deschenes Rapids. When I arrived at Dick Bell Park the jaeger was gone and I checked Shirley's Bay but no luck. There were few gulls west of Deschenes Rapids except off Innis Point where there was a small concentration of Ring-billed Gulls and 30+ Common Tern. Good Birding, Bruce Directions: Deschenes Rapids, from Britannia Filtration Plant: From Highway 417 (The Queensway) take exit 129 (Greenbank & Pinecrest Roads). If travelling west, the 0.3 km offramp dumps you right or north onto Pinecrest Road. If driving east, a 0.3 km offramp brings you to Pinecrest/Greenbank Road, where you will turn left or north onto Pinecrest Road and in 0.4 km join the westbound offramp traffic. Both groups will now follow Pinecrest Road north 0.8 km from here to Richmond Road. Turn right or northeast onto Richmond and go 0.5 km, crossing Carling Avenue, to Poulin Avenue. Turn left or north onto Poulin and go 0.6 km to where a left only turn puts you on Howe Street. Follow Howe west 0.2 km to Britannia Road. Turn right or north onto Britannia Road and proceed 0.8 km to Cassels Street. Turn right or east onto Cassels and go 0.7 km to a small parking area on the end at the Britannia Filtration Plant. Directions: Shirley's Bay: From Ottawa take Hwy. 417 west to the Moodie Drive exit and turn north (right) on Moodie Drive and continue to Carling Ave. Turn left at Carling Ave. and follow Carling to Rifle Road. Turn right (north) on Rifle Rd. Park at the lot at the end (boat launch). Walk back to the road, and continue through the gate on the Department of National Defense property. There is a trail on your right (clearly marked with vehicle "No Entry" signs) which heads into the woods, and, eventually to the dyke. There is lots of POISON IVY along the dyke. PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE RANGE CONTROL OFFICE BEFORE ENTERING THE DYKE AREA-- Call (613) 991-5740 and request permission to visit the dyke area for birding. Di Labio Birding Website Courses and Field Trips http://www.dilabiobirding.ca http://www.brucedilabio.blogspot.com Bruce Di Labio 400 Donald B. Munro Drive P.O. Box 538 Carp, Ontario K0A 1L0 Office 613-839-4395 Cell 613-715-2571 ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Kingston area birds to Aug. 26, 2011
Shorebird migration started locally with both yellowlegs reported on July 7th. Since then it has been steady but not spectacular. Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher and Semipalmated Sandpiper have been seen on several occasions and there have been lots of Least Sandpipers and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. In the "less common" category were a Stilt Sandpiper at the lagoons on July 17th, a White-rumped, a Solitary and a Western Sandpiper in the Wilton Creek at Morven on July 21, 24, and 26 respectively and a Long-billed Dowitcher at the lagoons on August 12th. Local habitat is not particularly good this year; the lagoons are full restricting the few shorebirds to the very edge; the water level remains high behind the dike on the KFN property and the Wilton Creek has one of its bridges under construction. There are lots of waterfowl, both on Amherst Island and at the lagoons. If one has the patience to sort through dozens of brown ducks some surprises are possible. There has been a pair of Ruddy Ducks at the lagoons at least since July 23rd. Lesser Scaup nested there again this year and over the summer Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup and Redhead have been seen. A Tundra Swan has oversummered off the east end of Amherst Island. The highlight of the summer was the discovery of nesting Great Egrets on Centre Brothers Island between Amherst Island and Amherstview. (This is a first for the Kingston area.) Since then Great Egrets have been seen in wetlands all around Kingston including the Lennox Generating Station, Simcoe and Amherst Islands and Glenburnie. Unusual sightings include Common Terns (They are not common at this end of Lake Ontario.) off Amherst island on July 12th and in the Kingston Harbour on August 12th, a Least Bittern on Garden Island on August 9th and a Little Gull at the lagoons on August 22nd. Landbird migration is picking up. There have been concentrations of Common Nighthawks in Kingston, Elginburg, Camden East and Gananoque. A few warblers have started the trek south with reports of Yellow, Blackburnian, Blue-winged, Chestnut-sided, Black and White, Black-throated Green as well as Am. Redstart and Ovenbird. An Olive-sided Flycatcher was on Garden Island on Tuesday. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605 ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Fwd: [GeneseeBirds-L] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Randolph - Cattaraugus C...
On August 25 the Black-bellied Whistling Duck was again seen at 8:15 to 8:30 AM and again at 3:24 PM near Randolph, NY. (about 70 miles south of Buffalo, NY and Fort Erie, Ontario) Bill Watson From: rhettbutle...@hotmail.com To: geneseebird...@geneseo.edu Sent: 8/24/2011 10:08:48 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: [GeneseeBirds-L] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Randolph - Cattaraugus County This afternoon I was able to confirm the presence of a Black-bellied Whistling Duck on Swamp Rd. in Randolph (Not sure if it falls in the town of Randolph or the town of Conewango), in Cattaraugus County. This bird was first reported to me at 9:00am by a friend of mine in the DEC who was in the area. I arrived at about 1:00pm and was only about half way back to the Osprey nest when the bird flew. The extensive white wing stripe and black flight feathers make this bird very hard to miss in the air. Eventually, it settled on the edge of a group of Mallards and gave great, though somewhat distant, views. It flew a total of three times in less than an hour so if you don't have a scope you still might catch it in the air. A digiscoped photo can be seen below: _https://picasaweb.google.com/josephcmitchell/2011#5644597231641354770_ (https://picasaweb.google.com/josephcmitchell/2011#5644597231641354770) Directions: >From Randolph, take Rte. 394 west and turn right on Swamp Rd. Proceed about three quarters of a mile north, you'll cross a small bridge and there is a small parking area on the left (west). Park here and walk the dike out to the Osprey nest. Look to the right (north) and the bird was with Mallards in and around the small grassy "islands". The link/coordinates below, provided with many thanks by Jim Osterlund, shows the exact location of the Osprey Nest (the small round pond with a grassy dot in the middle) and can be zoomed out to show Swamp Rd. and its relation to Randolph (Though the Google Map says "Borden St. Ext" the actual street sign does say Swamp Rd.). _42.174783,-78.98899 - Google Maps_ (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=42.174783,-78.98899&ll=42.17491,-78.989033&spn=0.00332,0.006968&sll=42.173922,-78.98 6228&sspn=0.00166,0.003484&num=1&t=h&vpsrc=6&z=18) My thanks to both Pat Coate and Bill Watson for posting this bird earlier as I did not get home until later this evening. I know the one call I sent out didn't give my phone number very well so here it is again. 716-604-7701. Feel free to call with any questions. Also of note was an adult Bald Eagle sitting far off in a dead tree. The pair of Ospreys began calling while I was there and circling closer to the nest. At that point I noticed a small falcon take flight from the nearby woods. On closer inspection it turned out to be a Merlin that promptly escorted both Osprey out of the area! The grass on the dike is a few inches high and near the Osprey nest I encountered a large (presumably) water snake that beat a hasty retreat. The area is dry but maybe bring boots anyway! At the Countryside Sand and Gravel ponds, to the north on Rte. 62, there were at least a dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers and as many Least Sandpipers at the pond by the main gate. A couple Semipalmated Plovers and a Great Egret rounded things out. Joe Mitchell = ___ GeneseeBirds-L mailing list - geneseebird...@geneseo.edu http://mail.geneseo.edu/mailman/listinfo/geneseebirds-l ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
