Birding in Ontario

We're off on holiday again and have spent a few days with friends in Eastern Ontario cottage country.  It's interesting to notice how birds that may be unusual in one area of the country have entirely different distributions elsewhere - one person's rarity is another person's "trash" bird (although I'm really not a big fan of that term).  Turkey Vultures are an obvious Alberta vs. Ontario example.  Another example is the Common Loon, which you get to see up close all the time here.  Our hosts were reminding me of this as they had been very excited about Bald Eagles on the west coast when we were kayaking with them a few years ago.  We had a laugh when they slowly realized that there is seemingly one on every island and here in Ontario the tables are turned!

Common Loon, Gavia immer

The islands on Big Rideau Lake are filled with songbirds, which merit their own post at a later date.  However, there was plenty to see out on the water as well, including this lifer Caspian Tern which wheeled and dove over the lake affording great view of its hunting prowess.

Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia

Weed Lake Shorebirds

This afternoon I headed out to Weed Lake, a short drive east of the city near the town of Langdon.  There had been reports of Black-crowned Night Heron, which would be a new bird for me.  This lake is also a decent spot for shorebirds.  As it turns out, with relatively high water levels in so many places in the province, there was much to be seen.  Here a few digiscoped images.

See how many species you can see in this photo (click to enlarge).  I put my answers at the bottom of this post, if you have any additions or subtractions to my list PLEASE let me know in the comments.

I was excited to see some Sanderling, a new bird for me.  I based my identification on size (compare to the Willet and ducks), the reddish breast with abrupt transition to a white belly, and the behaviour (remaining relatively far from the water and moving around very rapidly).  There are six of them lined up in the centre of this image, the Willet is the pale bird to the right.  These little sandpipers can be tough so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

There were, of course, many waterfowl on the lake with rapidly growing young.  They included many species of duckling, huddling together in huge rafts far out on the lake...

... and some grebelings (a new term that I have just made up, although I'm probably not the first person to do so!).  In this case, they were Eared Grebes hanging out with a Ruddy Duck mom and three young - she is at the centre of the image.

After leaving the main body of the lake, I drove through some wetland to the south on the charmingly named Dead Horse Road.  A Great Blue Heron flushed from the side of the road, either startled by my van or by the three Red-winged Blackbirds that were in hot pursuit.  Fortunately the target species Black-crowned Night Herons were further from the road and apparently less threatening to the blackbirds.  I found a total of three birds hanging out in the reeds, two very close together, perhaps a breeding pair?

On my way home I saw this Solitary Sandpiper - it was far away from all the other sandpipers ;)

Answers to photo number one: I was able to ID Willet, Black-necked Stilt, Long-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson's Phalarope, and Forster's Tern.  Your feedback is welcome. 

Lastly, I was able to get some video of some dowitchers doing their trademark sewing maching impersonation and will post it as soon as I have it uploaded.  Stay tuned!

Juveniles at Frank Lake

I returned from Vancouver Island to find my backordered digiscoping bracket waiting for me.  The bracket attaches a point-and-shoot camera to the eyepiece of my scope and has a cable release for vibration free pictures.  I headed to Frank Lake, just east of High River to try it out.

Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis 

As would be expected there were many Savannah Sparrows in the grassland around the lake, as well as two Common Ravens being mobbed by a mixed flock of blackbirds (both Red-winged and Yellow-headed were present in large numbers around the lake).

By the time I reached the hide I realized that digiscoping was going to be somewhat unnecessary - close encounters were to be the order of the day.  Franklin's Gulls were standing on the pathway to the hide, and several Yellow-headed Blackbirds fed juveniles in the reeds beside the boardwalk.  A pair of Forster's Terns were also nesting nearby as one repeatedly flew at my head.  A family of Coots had their nest six feet from the path and swam about happily a little further away while I set up the scope.

American Coot (and 2 very funky looking chicks!), Fulica americana

I spent a little over an hour in the hide while several adult and juvenile Eared Grebes swam about in the reeds.  Further out on the lake, Western Grebes could be seen, including some young.  The distinctive silhouettes of White-face Ibis flew past three times, and a pair of Barn Swallows repeatedly flew up to the window to see who was intruding on their territory.  A pair of Lesser Scaup also landed in front of the hide and the male chased the female around in circles, repeatedly biting her neck until he finally mounted her, pushing her almost completely under the water.  It was easy to see how competitive breeding can, in some cases, kill female dabbling ducks.

juvenile Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis

All in all a pleasant afternoon with 19 species seen at the lake.  I'm looking forward to playing around with the digiscoping some more over the summer.

Warbling in the Rain - Father's Day Outing Part 2

After returning from the Drumheller outing I took some time in the evening to wander around the local bird sanctuary, which led me to the following random observations:

- Mosquitos are okay, even when they're flying right at your face, because they're the reason that Yellow Warbler is foraging six feet in front of you.

- Rain is okay, because it keeps the mosquitos away, when you're done looking at the warbler.

- Sometimes a scope is really handy...

Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia

- ...and sometimes it's just overkill!

Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus

- Maintaining a network of blogs is useful, especially when they help you with ID's.  This post, on "Birding Is Fun", finally helped all the pieces fall into place in identifying a loud but well hidden Warbling Vireo (third photo down on the linked page).  They sound like this and I'm sure I won't forget that call again.

- And finally, urban parks are wonderful places where you can be surprised by nature...

- ...and nature can be surprised by you!