Birding on the other side of the pond (Part 4) - Point Pelee - May 2014

It was my final day at Pelee today (22nd May) and so I headed down to the point early again. This time the overnight weather had been fine, with a clear sky and no rain. These are not usually good fall conditions, but the clear sky would at least have meant that birds were moving. I chose to walk down to the point again, rather than catch the bus, and it was evident that there had been some bird movement straight away. Flycathers were numerous with Eastern Wood-pewee, Least, Great-crested and trails (Willow/Alder) all present in good numbers. Warbler numbers appeared good too, as Black-throated Green, American Redstart and Common Yellowthroat were seen.

I arrived at the Tip and immediately picked up a Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided and two Blue-grey Gnatcatchers. It seemed quieter at the Tip but as I worked my way down a Green Heron flew over, and then a birder informed me of a Black-billed Cuckoo just around the corner. I quickly went round to the spot and there it was. I set about trying to get some photos and it soon became apparent that there were two birds not one, both were giving great views.

Black-billed Cuckoo - Pelee

With the sun on the east side of the point I moved out onto the beach, as this was where most of the insects were. The two Black-billed’s had the same idea and sat on the edge of the trees in full sun, an excellent photo opportunity.

Black-billed Cuckoo - Pelee

Bird activity was buzzing with Red-eyed, Warbling and Philadelphia Vireos present, the warbler species included Magnolia, Blackpoll, Wilson’s, Bay-breasted and the ‘icing on the cake’ a Golden-Winged Warbler.

Blackpoll Warbler - Pelee

Philadelphia Vireo - Pelee 

Golden-winged Warbler - Pelee

Back at the Tip bus station I noticed a small bat roosting on a side wall. I am not that familiar with the bats of Ontario, but think this individual was most likely to be an Eastern Pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavus, but that is just my opinion. This was the second bat I had seen in three days, the other was a large bat probably Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus, at the B&B. This bat was flying around in broad daylight and tried to land in a nearby tree, before flying off.

Probable Eastern Pipistrelle - Pelee

It was time to move on from Pelee so I headed back towards my car, again walking rather than getting the bus. As I approached the main visitors centre I picked up another Black-billed Cuckoo, and then another. It is likely that the second sighting was the same bird, but it did cross my mind that the two birds at the Tip may have started to move north during the day as many birds do.

Birding on the Other side of the pond (Part 3) - Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh - May 2014

The plan for 21st May was another early start at Point Pelee, unfortunately at dawn and for a good two hours after it poured with rain. Undeterred I headed down to the harbour at Leamington as on previous visits this had been a good place to see Forster’s and American Black Terns. I arrived during a torrential downpour and thunderstorm, but managed to find a shelter to view from. There were very few birds but what was there included six Forster’s Terns, two Bonaparte’s Gulls and a Herring Gull.

With the weather appearing to ease I decided to head down to Pelee so I was in place for when the birds started moving around. On the way I stopped at the mariner just north of the Pelee as this can often be a good spot for Belted Kingfisher, alas in the rain there were none, but a drake Scaup was present. 

Drake Scaup - Note shape of head and size and shape of black on tip of the bill

After entering the park my first stop was the North-west Beach, there are shelters at most of the trails so it is possible to bird undercover, that is if you are a fair weather birder like me. I don’t actually mind getting wet, but it is not a great way to start the day! There was very little moving in fact a single Eastern Kingbird was the only thing of note. A quick look off the beach though produced four American Black Terns.

American Black Tern

American Black Tern

American Black Tern

The Point
It was still raining hard at this point, but with the sky appearing brighter behind the weather I made the decision to head for the point. My timing was perfect as no sooner had I got off the bus, the rain eased. The conditions were calmer than the previous day which made birding a more pleasurable experience, and immediately I was into the warblers. Tennessee was first followed by a Northern Parula, another Wilson’s, Common Yellowthroat and American Redstart. 

Male American Redstart

Several Black-throated Blues, alas all females, Magnolia, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian and a Black-throated Green. Flycatchers were more abundant with Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least, and a probable Willow seen, plus many more Eastern Kingbirds. Red-eyed, Warbling and my first Philadelphia Vireo of the trip were also seen.

Red-eyed Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

The weather had now cleared and so I decided to walk the trails back to where my car was at the visitor’s centre. Species wise the mix was much the same as at the tip but I did manage to see Swainson’s Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler and Red-bellied Woodpecker, which were all new for the trip.

DeLaurier Homestead and Trail
With things quietening down at the point I decided to head to Hillman Marsh for some wetland birding, but thought I would make a quick stop at this trail before leaving. The trail passes through patches of scrub, poplar woodland and includes a boardwalk section. A White-throated Sparrow was feeding in the car park as I arrived and on the trail there were more American Redstarts, a pair of Common Yellowthroats, two Tennessee Warblers and a couple of Black and White Warblers.

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Despite being one of the least colourful warblers these birds are real characters and one of my favourites. The black and white striping gives them a striking appearance and their habit of running up and down branches and trunks makes them appear more similar to the nuthatches than New World Warblers.

Hillman Marsh
I had visited Hillman Marsh back on the 19th May, my first day in the area. I had arrived at around 3pm and the wetland was full of waders, but most things were very distance since the water levels were too high. The most common species was Black-bellied Plover, Grey in the UK, with the other wader species including Dunlin (100+), Turnstone (15+), Short-billed Dowitcher (5), Semi-palmated Plover (15), Killdeer (1), Least Sandpiper (1, that I could see) and two Stilt Sandpipers. The Stilt Sands were just coming into summer plumage and looked very smart. Several duck species were also present including Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal and Gadwall.

Today the waders were even more distant, so combined with the the haze caused by the afternoon sun, viewing was not good. Black-bellied Plovers were again the most numerous but there was also a flock of 159 Hudsonian Whimbrel. Other waders included over 100 Dunlin, five Least Sandpipers, three Turnstone and a Spotted Sandpiper. Around 200 gulls and terns were also present, mostly Ring-billed Gulls, but also Herring and Bonaparte’s, three Caspian Terns and 15 Forster’s Terns. As I headed back to the car I picked up a flock of 30 Cedar Waxwing feeding on some berries from a Viburnum species. 

Cedar Waxwing

Birding on the other side of the Pond (Part 2) - Point Pelee - May 2014

I arrived in the Pelee area on 19th May, but decided not to go there until the following morning. The end of the spring bird festival coincided with the end of the holiday weekend, and there was a feeling of having arrived after the party had finished. I was not too perturbed by that as I am quite happy birding on my own, and am also fairly confident with my bird ID this side of the pond. The downside was going to be the lack of eyes and therefore there were probably going to be a lot of birds that didn’t get found, but that’s life. I arrived just after 7am and rather than take the bus to the point decided to walk the 2.5 kilometres. I spent most of the day on the point walking the various trails so for ease of reference I have summarised each area under a heading for each location.

The previous night had started with light cloud, but during the night there had been occasional showers, by first light it was heavily overcast. The overnight rain could have produced a fall but the walk to the point was fairly uneventful and gave the distinct impression that there were not many birds around. Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Orioles were very numerous, to the point where they became annoying, as they kept diverting my attention. There was a steady trickle of species that were new for the trip to keep me occupied including Orchard Orioles and Eastern Kingbirds but the highlights were a Great-crested Flycatcher and three Wild Turkeys.

Orchard Oriole

The Point
The point seemed very quiet, with the only warblers immediately obvious being more Yellows. Several Cedar Waxwings soon appeared and a steady passage ensued, with at least 100 over in 30 minutes. On my way to the tip I saw no warblers another than Yellows, and the only new species for the trip were a couple of Warbling Vireos, a House Wren and a trails flycatcher. The sea was also quiet with the only birds of note being a flock of four Red-breasted Mergansers. On the return from the tip I took the path along the west side, which was more sheltered due to the brisk easterly wind. This immediately paid dividends with a Northern Parula and two Blackburnian Warblers. 

Blackburnian Warbler

It seemed I had hit a purple patch as suddenly there was also a Chestnut Sided and Wilson’s Warbler and a Blue-grey Gnatcatcher. I continued down the western track and then back onto the central track where I picked up an Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart and Magnolia, Nashville, Tennessee and Black-throated Green Warblers. 

Black-throated Green Warbler

A pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and a Short-tailed Weasel added to the tally before heavy rain set it, so it was back to the visitors centre for a coffee.

West Beach
After the rain had stopped I headed to the West Beach, purposely staying close to the centre in case it started again. It was tough going with most of the birds staying low, until the sun broke through. A Scarlet Tanager was the first addition to the list, followed quickly by a cracking male Canada Warbler and a male Indigo Bunting. The sun had now broken through so I headed next to the Tilden Wood Trail.

Tilden Wood Trail
Immediately on joining the trail it was evident that bird activity had picked up, as there were five species of warbler in the first bush, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, Yellow and a very drab Magnolia Warbler.

Drab Magnolia Warbler

The latter bird kept me occupied for a while as from underneath it looked reminiscent of a Kirkland’s Warbler, but eventually it showed enough features for me to clinch it (or at least I hope so). Continuing along the trail soon produced a cracking male American Redstart, two Warbling Vireos, a Common Yellowthroat, a female Black-throated Blue and a Chestnut-sided Warbler. 

Common Yellowthroat

Other non-warbler species included Gray Catbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Scarlet Tanager, Great-crested Flycatcher, White-crowned Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker.

Sleepy Hollow
There was nothing new for the day at Sleepy Hollow but I did get some close views of a male Turkey and an Eastern Kingbird. An Eastern Wood-Pewee was singing from the trees and I picked up another female Black-throated Blue, a Magnolia Warbler and two more Scarlet Tanagers. 

Scarlet Tanager

A very yellowish coloured flycatcher may have been a Yellow-bellied, but I just did not get good enough views to clinch it.

North-west Beach
My final stop of the day was the North-west Beach, which is always a good place to stop as you leave the point since migrants work their way north throughout the day. The usual species were again present, with Yellow Warblers in good numbers, four Warbling Vireos gave great views and several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds whizzed back and forth. Skulking low down in the vegetation was a small yellow warbler that turned out to be another Wilson’s. 

Wilson's Warbler

As I watched it a second appeared, my second and third of the day. Whenever I see this species at Pelee I am always told what a rare bird it is, yet I see them every time I come, so guess I just must be lucky. 

A Typical Magnolia Warbler

Two more Magnolia Warblers were further along the track, with another female Black-throated Blue, guess I must have missed the males and then a Yellow-rumped Warbler appeared.

Birding on the other side of the pond - Ontario, Canada (Part 1) - May 2014

I am very fortunate in having some relatives living in Ontario, Canada which over the years has meant several trips out to visit them at various times of the year. Of course any trip has to involve a spot of birding, and usually includes a few days away to some of the top birding destinations. For this trip our base is their home in Oakville, near Toronto, which is within easy reach of places such as Point Pelee, Rondeau and Carden Plain, which are the sites I hope to visit whilst here. I will hopefully have the time, and internet access, to update things as I go, but that will obviously depend on how much time I spend out in the field.

Oakville Area Tails
We arrived on Friday 16th May, late in the afternoon so there was no time for birding other than bits and pieces in the garden, which included American Goldfinch, Common Grackle, American Robin, House Finch and Mourning Dove.

Male American Robin - this bird was clearly already feeding chicks

Female Americam Robin - Listening for worms

There are numerous trails in the local area that meander through the various housing estates and these provided the ideal location to re-acquaint myself with some of the commoner species and their calls. Early in the morning the network of paths are little used, except by the odd jogger or dog walker that is, but it doesn’t seem to make much difference to the birds at that time of the day. I don’t remember seeing Chipping Sparrows during my first few visits, but they appear to have become a fairly common species now. Although it maybe that I have just become more familiar with their call, which is a continuous and distinctive chipping. 

Chipping Sparrow - a common garden species here

In eastern Canada the winter has been long and hard which is really evident in the vegetation. Most of the trees are still not in leaf and the ground consists mainly of bare mud, that is except for the trout lilies and Trilliums. Trilliums are the Canadian equivalent of the British bluebell in some ways, since they are an early spring flower that illuminates the woodland floor. Their flowers start white but gradually turn pink with age, as in the picture below. 

White Trilliums - the petals turn pink as the flower ages

Birding the trails can be quite slow at times with Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals and American Robins the most vocal, and numerous. However as the sun got up on the morning of 18th May I started to pick out a few more bits including, more Chipping Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and an Indigo Bunting. The latter being a first year male, so not the bright blue plumage of a adult, but with some brown juvenile feathers still present.

Male Indigo Bunting - the grey and brown feathers age
this as a second calendar year bird

My first Warbler of the trip was a male Tennessee, which was feeding and singing in a flowering Maple tree. It was showing very well but its energetic feeding style combined with the leaf cover made it difficult to photograph. Whilst watching the Tennessee Warbler I picked up Hairy Woodpecker, Norther Flicker, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, which highlights the value of just standing in one place periodically.

Male Tennessee Warbler - this species lacks the bright colours of other warbler species

Male Tennessee Warbler 

The next warbler was somewhat brighter than the Tennessee, a Blackburnian, and a nice male at that. I spent a while enjoying this bird before my attention was drawn to a tiny bird at the top of a small tree enjoying the morning sun - a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. There were two birds, which occasionally engaged in aggressive aerial combats, before returning to their favoured perches. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The other species seen included Black-capped Chickadee, Barn Swallow, American Crow, Brown-headed Cowbird and Red-winged Blackbirds.

Balls Falls Conservation Area
Balls Falls Conservation Area is located along the Niagara Escarpment and only about an hours drive from Oakville, that is when the traffic is good. It took considerably longer for us, but then what do you expect on a holiday weekend. There are a few trails and cycle paths and a small waterfall, that is probably about one tenth of the size of Niagara. There wasn’t much time for birding, but in what time I had I picked up Gray Catbirds, Song Sparrows, more American Robins, some Bank Swallows, (Sand Martins in the UK) and a cracking Eastern Phoebe.

Gray Catbird 

Eastern Phoebe

Whilst looking at the falls, several Turkey Vultures appeared overhead. The were using the air currents caused by the waterfall to circle, and seek out somewhere to to roost. There were at least 10 birds that put on an excellent aerial display, before dropping into the trees.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture