"Just popping down the dump..."

Wednesday 28th December 2016

That's what I said, and genuinely intended to do, as I headed out of the door. Living here on Wolfe Island, we have to take all our recyclables (almost everything) and rubbish to the local waste collection centre ourselves. Just a year or so ago it was an actual dump with gulls and vultures in abundance but, for the best, it now focuses on recycling and the dump is long gone.

Anyway, I never just 'go to the dump' - I always have my bins and camera with me, as I inevitably take a circuitous route via all the best birding hotspots. Not too much along the way in terms of rarities but these Tundra Swans in town were particularly cooperative. Notice the difference in the extent of the yellow dot at the base of the bills on these 2 birds. No wonder newbies often claim to have seen the much rarer Trumpeter Swan in error believing that they should be able to see yellow at 200 metres with their 8x40s! Oh, by the way, something like 10% of all Tundras show no yellow at all so beware!

Tundra Swan - Marysville, Wolfe Island, ON - see the yellow?

Tundra Swan - Marysville, Wolfe Island, ON - lots of yellow

After taking a run through the village, I then took the famed 4th Line in the search of Snowy Owls. There are not so many around this year - we've had 3 good years on the run so this is not surprising. However, a small arrival over the last week has seen up to 6 birds along this road. Though this picture was taken a few days back, the very same bird was present day.

Snowy Owl - 4th Line, Wolfe Island, ON

I also picked up a Rough-legged Hawk on my journey - the first for some time as this species is also in short supply this year. However, bigger news was forthcoming when I received a phone call from Kingston-based birding buddy James Barber. He'd just relocated a couple of female Harlequin Ducks seen in Kingston during the annual Christmas Bird Count, directly outside his apartment at Portsmouth Olmpic Harbour. I was just minutes from the ferry, so without winter coat, breakfast, clean teeth, or fresh clothes, I headed over to the mainland and picked up my 245th Frontenac county lifer - Harlequin Duck.

Harlequin Duck - Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Kingston, ON

These birds were actively diving just metres from the shore unperturbed by birders, dog walkers and joggers - a wonderful sight! Now for a male...

'Til next time.
Mark.

An Afternoon on Wolfe Island

Wednesday 14th January 2015

Once again, it has taken me far too long to get around to this but since I had such a successful afternoon on Wolfe Island, I thought it was time for an update. Most of the following photos were taken on this outing and are therefore of dubious quality so I've included a couple of extras to 'enhance' the story along the way.

Great Blue Heron (immature) - Hwy 96, Wolfe Island, ON

After a prolonged period of cold, I awoke to find that it had happened - Lake Ontario had frozen over and was now solid as far as the eye could see. However, this immature Great Blue Heron was hanging out not too far from the ferry in a small stream that seems to flow year-round. Unfortunately it looked a bit screwed - not sure how long it'll last, I'm afraid.

The last couple of days had been bright and sunny so I was hoping that a known Eastern Screech-Owl would be out sunning itself. Unfortunately, I didn't get out to the island until the afternoon by which time clouds were beginning to roll in, so I went straight for the owl and there it was; a red morph Eastern Screech-Owl.

Eastern Screech-Owl (red morph) - Wolfe Island, ON

Pleased with things so far (2 year birds for the list), I popped over to Horne's Ferry to see if any water was still open between Wolfe Island and the States, as this is the route that the Great Lake Freighters (Lakers) use. Definitely no open water, though 4 Tundra Swans and maybe 800 Canada Geese were way out on the ice. In a nearby wood, 4 Bald Eagles and 6 Common Ravens were making a fuss.

My next target was Lapland Longspur (or as we call them in the UK, Lapland Bunting). I'd been given directions to a 'hot' location, where at least 3 had been seen the day before, and Bingo!, there they were, now numbering 4 birds. They were performing very well just feet from the road but unfortunately the camera felt a bit phased by the whole episode and let me down somewhat (not my fault of course). These shots are OK but considering how close I was, I'm definitely a little embarrassed.

Lapland Longspur - 5th Line, Wolfe Island, ON

Lapland Longspur - 5th Line, Wolfe Island, ON

Lapland Longspur - 5th Line, Wolfe Island, ON

It is interesting to see how these birds hug the ground, dropping right down onto their bellies when feeding. And onto the next bird, Snowy Owl. Now, I must admit that I've been somewhat spoilt over the last couple of winters, with 2 good invasion years, so I don't search for them as well as I could but this one was right up on a post beside the road. In total I saw 6, though I am aware of another birder out at the same time who recorded 22. Something like 60 were recorded on the Christmas Count. Talking of Christmas, this bird looks like it's enjoyed a little too much of the Christmas spirit...

Snowy Owl - 4th Line, Wolfe Island, ON

And the afternoon continued, with perhaps the most 'unlikely' bird of the day, Savannah Sparrow. However, I saw not 1 but 3. Two on 4th Line and another on 3rd Line. These dainty little sparrows should not really be here over the winter period but every year one or two are seen. Superficially similar to Song Sparrow, this species is identified by a number of features, the most obvious being the yellow lores and fine streaking on the flanks.

Savannah Sparrow - 4th Line, Wolfe Island, ON

So still missing a couple of target birds for the day, I thought I'd give the extreme west of the island a bash before having to get back for the ferry. Here I encountered well over 200 Wild Turkeys, the largest flock numbering 120. As the second of these photos shows Wild Turkeys do fly.

Wild Turkeys - Baseline, Wolfe Island, ON

Wild Turkeys do fly - Baseline, Wolfe Island, ON

My last 2 'year birds' were Snow Bunting (didn't manage to get a photo as they were very flighty) and Horned Lark (= Shore Lark in UK) of which I obtained a couple of very poor photos. So here is a (poor) picture of a Horned lark I saw at Cressy Point, Prince Edward County last March:

Horned Lark - Cressy Point, Prince Edward County (March 2014)

...and these Snow Buntings are from Amherst Island in December of 2013.

Snow Buntings - Martin Edwards Reserve, Amherst Island, ON (Dec 2013)

Not a bad afternoon, with 23 species recorded in 2 1/2 hours bringing my Ontario 2015 Year List to 79, my KFN Circle List to 79 (I know, I haven't been anywhere else yet), and my Frontenac list to 64. 50 weeks until it starts over again in 2016...

Till next time,
Mark.

Two Lifers - Two Days

Thurs 23rd - Fri 24th October, 2014

OK, they weren't both lifers for me but between birding buddy James Barber and I, we each scored a lifer on consecutive days during a week devoted very much to birding the local area and catching up on late (or if you prefer, early) migration.

The weekend before started well with an OFO trip to Amherst Island, led by Mike Burrell, where the group hooked up with some early winter migrants/visitors including a snowy trio of Snow Goose, Snowy Owl (an individual that forgot to go home last summer) and a handful of Snow Buntings. However, the highlight for many was a small migration of raptors that included almost 100 Turkey Vultures, several Red-tailed Hawks (including a classic 'northern' abieticola), Sharp-shinned Hawk and bird-of-the-day, an immature Northern Goshawk. No pictures from that day I'm afraid, but this shot of the same Snowy Owl was taken back in September at the same location.

Snowy Owl - Martin Edwards Reserve, Amherst Island, ON

So moving forward to Thursday and my lifer. Now it's not such a big deal if you've been living in Canada all your life but when news of 4 Evening Grosbeaks at Mike's feeder came through, I 'knew' the wait was finally over. This species, as with many other seed-eaters, irrupts during years of poor crop further north so it was really just a matter of time before I hooked up with this cracking species. In the same genus as Hawfinch, I knew what I was in for and was not disappointed! With a supporting cast of Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch and Rusty Blackbird, we were provided great views of one of the females at the feeder and slightly more distant views of a couple of males and another female up in one of the trees. The males are quite spectacular - you really should check them out - but here she is...

Evening Grosbeak (female) - Washburn Road, ON

When we got home, we were pleased to hear that a Golden Eagle had been seen that day at Prince Edward Point, along with plenty of other migrating raptors. There was admittedly a twinge of regret but with winds looking very favourable for the next day (NW), James and I decided we would spend the day at the Bird Observatory and see what the winds would bring.

Even as we were driving to the Point that next morning, we were seeing signs of a potential raptor movement with a handful of Red-tailed Hawks hugging the shoreline. After setting up (we actually brought camping chairs), we sat back and let the action begin. It was relatively slow at first, with a mix of Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks coming through, though until about 10:30 Sharp-shinned Hawks made up the majority of sightings. And then it happened, the first eagle came through at 10:50 - unfortunately it was the more common Bald Eagle but we were ready, and at 10:55 our first Golden Eagle of the day came through, really low, and James had just bagged his lifer, with a record shot to boot. Ten minutes late, the second bird came through and we both got photos and great looks at this one. And that was it - the flood gates opened and over the next couple of hours we recorded 14 different individuals; on 2 occasions we had a minimum of 4 birds in the air at the same time. We even got to see a couple of birds talon-grappling and spiralling out of the air - amazing. Reviewing our photos later, there could actually have been even more birds...

None of my photos were great, but here are a couple of the highlights.

Golden Eagle (imm) - Prince Edward Point, ON

Golden Eagle (imm) - Prince Edward Point, ON

Golden Eagle (sub-adult) - Prince Edward Point, ON

Here also is one the Red-shouldered Hawks:

Red-shouldered Hawk (adult) - Prince Edward Point, ON

Oh yeah, almost forgot to say we had a flock of 17 Evening Grosbeaks earlier in the morning, followed by a single near the observatory. Weird how that works but I was still glad to have bagged that species at Mike's the day before. So, by 14:00 and chuffed to bits, we 'retired' to the lake with our chairs, lunch, and a cool drink and spent an hour or so lake-watching in the glorious sunshine. Not too much to report, but later on we encountered a nice flock of 23 Sanderling and 2 Dunlin out near the lighthouse.

Sanderling and Dunlin - Prince Edward Point, ON

Planning to stay into the evening for owl banding, we were pleasantly surprised to get back to the station and 'dragged' 20 metres down the trail to where a Northern Saw-whet Owl had recently been found roosting. This was a real bonus as we were privileged fantastic views of this diminutive species in late afternoon sunshine, rather than having to accept one hanging upside down in a mist-net or in the hand. Thanks must go to the staff at the station for putting us onto this bird.

Northern Saw-whet Owl - Prince Edward Point, ON

All-in-all a grand day and overall a fantastic week.

Till next time,
Mark.

Bits and Bobs - before the rush?

January - March 2014

As the title suggests this is really just a catch-up on some of the highlights of the winter so far. I say 'so far' because there's still a foot of snow (or more) in the back garden. The first few Spring arrivals have been showing up over the last week but there's certainly not a great deal to be singing about just yet.

To kick off, this is how cold it was. Brrrr...

It's cold out!

However, there have been some birding highlights of course and to get the ball rolling is this Great Grey Owl I saw in Prince Edward County back in January. It hung around for a few days but was apparently quite elusive at times for others trying to find it.

Great Grey Owl - Wellington, Prince Edward County, ON

And staying on the owl theme, this Snowy Owl up near Perth certainly wasn't elusive and, in fact, put on bit of a show. Shame the weather was so poor...

Snowy Owl - Perth, Lanark County, ON

Waterfowl have been understandably scarce due to the extreme cold but a few goodies still managed to be found. The highlight for me was 4 King Eider at Prince Edward Point that were present for about 2 weeks from late February. It has been over 27 years since my first (and only) King Eider at Scolt Head in the UK!

King Eider (immature male) - Prince Edward Point, ON

King Eider (2 of the 3 females) - Prince Edward Point, ON

King Eider (immature male and female) - Prince Edward Point, ON

King Eider (immature male) - Prince Edward Point, ON

This next one though was a lifer and one long overdue. This male Barrow's Goldeneye had been hanging out near Bate's Island in Ottawa for most of the winter so James Barber and I trundled up there in late January and were rewarded with good looks at both the male and a female. Unfortunately, the female was more camera shy, though James did manage to get a shot of her in flight.

Barrow's Goldeneye (male) - Bate's Island, Ottawa, ON

Barrow's Goldeneye (male) - Bate's Island, Ottawa, ON

The following Red-tailed Hawk is, I believe, of the 'Northern' subspecies. Now whether B. j. abieticola is actually valid as a subspecies is currently a topic of debate but this bird shows all the described characteristics (extensive belly band and dark throat, just for starters).

Red-tailed Hawk (B. j. abieticola) - Amherst Island, ON

Well, that's all for today. Hopefully the southerlies we're currently experiencing will bring in more than just snow...

'Till next time,

Mark.

Farewell 2013...

Tuesday 31st December 2013

And so another year comes to an end and another starts tomorrow. For us birders that means being up and out by dawn ready to start our new 'Year Lists'. All things considered I did pretty well here in Canada this year and just managed to sneak in a final 'County Tick' a couple of days ago with Glaucous Gull (see below) in Lennox and Addington County. That was a personal achievement, reaching exactly 200 species for the county. I also managed to get 202 for Frontenac County, so new targets need to set for next year. Trouble is that without a job, I'm short of funds but on the flip side I certainly have the time.

So to round off the year, here are a few random photos from the last week or so starting with this Barred Owl I saw on Christmas Eve at Marshlands Conservation Area. I particularly like the one of it regurgitating a pellet - nice one!

Barred Owl - Marshlands CA, Kingston, ON

Barred Owl - Marshlands CA, Kingston, ON

Barred Owl regurgitating pellet - Marshlands CA, Kingston, ON

Barred Owl - Marshlands CA, Kingston, ON

Maintaining the predatory theme, this is a Rough-legged Hawk (Rough-legged Buzzard) that decided it didn't want to be photographed over on Wolf Island a couple of weeks ago when on the Kingston Christmas Bird Count.

Rough-legged Hawk - Wolfe Island, ON

Ontario has seen an impressive influx of Snowy Owls this winter - on just the one day of the aforementioned Kingston CBC, 22 Snowy Owls were recorded. Yesterday, I ventured out to Wolfe Island again and personally connected with 13 different birds. With the 3 on Amherst Island the day before and this one near Kingston Airport, that's 17 Snowies in the last couple of days!

Snowy Owl - Landings Golf Course, Kingston, ON

Snowy Owl - Landings Golf Course, Kingston, ON

And to round off today's blog, here are a couple of 'record shots' of the Glaucous Gull (actually there were 4) that helped me achieve my 200. Yet another seasonally appropriate bird.

Glaucous Gulls, Herring Gulls & Great Black-backed Gull - Heritage Point, Bath, ON

Glaucous Gull - Heritage Point, Bath, ON

'Till next year,

Mark.

Lemoine Point Conservation Area

Saturday 12th and Monday 14th October 2013

Well, Autumn is in full swing and here in Kingston, the leaves have already turned. In fact, many of the trees are actually now looking fairly bare. The weather though has been great with lots of bright sunny days and above average temperatures. Many of the summer residents have now left, replaced by numerous winter wildfowl. Migration is also coming to an end, though a few species are still coming through and taking advantage of the good weather before continuing further south.

Lemoine Point Conservation Area is located just west of Kingston's airport and is a great spot for seeing the wildlife within just minutes of the city centre. Bordering Lake Ontario, it includes 136 hectares of mixed forest and grassland and can be quite a migrant trap in the Spring and Autumn as well as hosting a wide range of breeding species during the summer. Personally, I tend to visit Marshlands Conservation Area more than Lemoine Point because it is closer to home, is far-less visited and is definitively my 'home patch', but over the last couple of days, Lemoine Point has held a variety of interesting species and colours.


Autumn Woods - Lemoine Point CA, Kingston, ON

To get the ball rolling, I saw yet another addition to my life list on Saturday. To make it even better, it was an owl - namely an Eastern Screech-Owl. Some species, owls included, are always just that bit more exciting to see so I was very pleased with this one. Its presence was given away by a host of chickadees, juncos, cardinals and sparrows mobbing the poor thing as it was trying to rest. It was certainly well-hidden and this photo is as good as it gets.



Eastern Screech-Owl - Lemoine Point CA, Kingston, ON

Lemoine Point is visited by many people, all there to enjoy the nature. However, they all seem to do it in different ways - cycling, jogging, dog-walking, and so-on. This means the wildlife is quite habituated, with birds like chickadees accustomed to feeding from the hand. Nuthatches and even woodpeckers will do so too and I know of at least one Northern Cardinal that does likewise. White-tailed Deer are the largest mammal present at the site and, they too, will actually approach people to see what's on offer. Add to this the squirrels and chipmunks and it is pretty hard to leave Lemoine Point without having an encounter with nature.



Eastern Chipmunk - Lemoine Point CA, Kingston, ON

Other birds that often have birders excited are the thrushes. Here in Canada, the commonest thrush is the American Robin, though it doesn't tend to hang around for long during the winter months. The American Robin is in the same genus as many of the 'typical' European species and is about the same size as the European Blackbird. However, it is the much smaller Catharus species that have had me excited over the last month or so. The first to come through is the Grey-cheeked Thrush, followed by Swainson's Thrush and then Hermit Thrush. Of course there is overlap (for example I saw two late Swainson's today) but it generally holds true. I've been fortunate enough to see good numbers of all three of these shy species this year but have only managed to get photos of Hermit Thrush and, bizarrely, a single leucistic Swainson's Thrush (see my Flickr account). The following shot, as all pictures on today's blog, was taken this weekend at Lemoine Point.



Hermit Thrush - Lemoine Point CA, Kingston, CA

Red-winged Blackbirds and lesser numbers of Common Grackle are flocking at the moment (often with the resident European Starling) in preparation for their onward southerly journey. It is also possible to see the much less common Rusty Blackbird at this time of year and this morning I had a single female high in a tree looking for its buddies. Most striking is its white eye, a classic indicator of this species.



Rusty Blackbird (female) - Lemoine Point CA, Kingston, CA

Finally, here is a Yellow-rumped Warbler of the eastern 'Myrtle' form. This is really the only warbler still to be seen in any numbers yet, for some reason, I just can't seem to get a decent shot...



Yellow-rumped Warbler - Lemoine Point CA, Kingston, CA

Till next time...

Mark.