Every once in a while we must make a sacrifice as a birder. We may sacrifice a day of birding to visit family, a dentist appointment, sometimes even work.
But there are other kinds of sacrifices in birding. For example, sacrificing a species you are aiming to see to help boost a fellow birder's year list. This is exactly the friendly (awkward) discussion Mark Field and I had a few weeks ago while planning a day of birding around some of the birds that were being reported on eBird.
See, I wanted to go to Presqu'ile bright and early to search for the Barrow's Goldeneye that sets up shop there year after year. Then, on the drive back, we could stop at various locations for Cackling Goose.
Mark had other interesting plans. In his scenario, he saw a trip to Niagara, starting with Fish Crow, catching some gulls at Adam Beck (Thayer's, Iceland, California (which I had previously tried for and missed (twice))), waiting for the Black Vultures to fly to the Canadian side of the river at Queenston Heights, and getting King Eider at LaSalle Marina in Hamilton.
We weighed our options, which is to say Mark listed the few species that we could still get for my own year list while at the same time adding many to his. Although I swear on my Sibley guide that I genuinely wanted him to share the enjoyment of all these wonderful species I had already seen in Niagara earlier this year on multiple occasions, California Gull was the clincher.
We agreed on Niagara. Well, leave it to me to accept his offer and then find a way to screw it up for him anyway...but let’s leave that for later.
We started in Burlington at the Lift Bridge. We thought we might get lucky and see all 3 scoter species in one go. We saw one of the resident Peregrine Falcons fairly quickly and started scanning the ducks. White-winged Scoters were EVERYWHERE. This was a good sign. We scanned and we scanned. All White-winged. We tried our luck at Spencer Smith Park and got 4 Surf Scoters (my first of year).
I wanted Black Scoter badly, which is why we didn't see one. We did see an all-black duck in a large flock of White-winged Scoters but it was just too far out to definitively say it was a Black and not a Surf. Thoughts of California Gull started to cloud my brain.
On to Fort Erie. Whereas the first time I got the Fish Crows in Fort Erie, Matt Timpf and I merely had to pull up to the first parking lot we saw and look up, this time we had to work for them since Mark was there. Hands cupped by our ears and heads craned out our windows, we drove back and forth on residential streets for so long that the local police department was starting to get concerned phone calls. Finally Mark saw a suspicious-looking crow in a front lawn but it flew just as I jammed on the gas to get as close as I could to the bird. Backing away from the smashed front porch, we drove after the rascal. Mark begged me to stop taking out lawn gnomes but we just needed to hear this bird and then we could get to the California Gull already. Sure enough, the crow called and Mark was right. Mark looked over. "Awesome, my first Ontario Fi...", but I never heard the rest as he was drowned out by the roar of the engine. We were headed to Adam Beck.
On our way, we flirted with the idea of trying for Tufted Titmouse on Dufferin Islands but with hours already running out in the day, we decided it best to just get the California Gull out of the way so we could get to the Black Vulture spot and then finish with great looks at King Eider.
And that is when things started to go wrong. We arrived at Adam Beck, expecting to look down and immediately see the California Gull on its favourite rock fly up in the air, swoop on over to the Ontario side of the river, then glide back to its favourite rock again for our viewing and ticking pleasure. This would all happen before we even had our tripod legs extended and we could hop back into the car and go for all the rest of the birds Mark needed for his year list.
It started off hopeful. We thought we had a California based on the extent of black on the primaries of a bird we had in flight until we realized that there were 2 or possibly 3 of them. Then we figured out we were looking at second winter Ring-billed Gulls. An hour passed. We continued to search. Another hour passed. We continued to search. I discovered a gray hair. We continued to search. We were now into tomorrow. I continued to search.
Desperation sunk in and I became delusional. Our remaining conversation went something like this:
Me, excited: “Ok, I think I’ve got it.”
Mark, gently, “mmm, that’s a Herring Gull. It does have a black spot on its bill though.”
“Yeah, you’re right…but if I could just turn its legs yellow. Hmmmpphhhhhhhhh.”
“You’re physically trying to change its legs yellow?”
“Yes. Just you watch….hmmmmmpphhhh.”
“………………………”
“Ok, how about this one?”
“That’s just a Ring-billed Gull. It’s the same size as all the other Ring-billed Gulls around it.”
“And this one…?”
Mark placed his hand gently on my shoulder, “That’s a stone.”
“Ah.”
“Perhaps we should go.”
“Ok…..hmmmmmpphhhhhhhhhhhhh.”
I’m sure that the entire time in Mark’s head, he was cursing me for spending so much darn time scanning the same birds over and over again for California Gull. In his head, he was thinking about the Black Vultures, the King Eider, the other great species we could be seeing if I wasn’t such an idiot. Ok, that’s a lie…he more likely just felt pity for me and was considering a therapist referral.
I guess I should write something remotely positive in this post. We did end the day with a fleeting glimpse of Short-eared Owl on the drive home where something like 100 individuals had been reported the day before. To blatantly steal a line from Hugh Currie in Richard Pope’s big year book, ‘it’s a tick!’
Now, hopefully, Mark knows me well enough to know that this post is purely in jest. The reality is I have a great time birding with him, and missing a year bird, no matter what the species, will ever change that.
Unless of course that species is a Smew.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
A few updates
So in the last few weeks I've gone birding a lot and it's been...well, it's been so amazing I can't describe it. A trip to Thunder Bay resulted in 6 lifers, and the decision to try for a bigger year list this year (got Harris's Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Am. Three-toed Woodpecker, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch in one trip so I'm going to have to capitalize on that).
I've also made it to Whitby Harbour a couple times to get Greater White-fronted Goose and to Fort Erie and Niagara Falls for a number of good birds including Thayer's Gull, King Eider (2 different birds!), and Fish Crow (first for Ontario).
Tomorrow I head back to Niagara. It's not a birding-specific trip but I got my friends to agree to at least let me scout the upper falls area for Harlequin Duck and with a little bit of arm-pulling, I will try to get my lifer California Gull as well.
I really want to write more about the Thunder Bay trip and the Niagara Falls trip as well and hopefully I can do so while the memories are fresh.
Trips I plan to take this year: Ottawa, Point Pelee during the month of May, Algonquin (Black-backed Woodpecker and Spruce Grouse), Presque'ile (for Barrow's Goldeneye and then for the OFO Conference in the fall), and if funds are alright and timing is ok, a trip to Rainy River for the first time. I guess I'd have to try for this in June.
However it all turns out, it's going to be one exciting year!
I've also made it to Whitby Harbour a couple times to get Greater White-fronted Goose and to Fort Erie and Niagara Falls for a number of good birds including Thayer's Gull, King Eider (2 different birds!), and Fish Crow (first for Ontario).
Tomorrow I head back to Niagara. It's not a birding-specific trip but I got my friends to agree to at least let me scout the upper falls area for Harlequin Duck and with a little bit of arm-pulling, I will try to get my lifer California Gull as well.
I really want to write more about the Thunder Bay trip and the Niagara Falls trip as well and hopefully I can do so while the memories are fresh.
Trips I plan to take this year: Ottawa, Point Pelee during the month of May, Algonquin (Black-backed Woodpecker and Spruce Grouse), Presque'ile (for Barrow's Goldeneye and then for the OFO Conference in the fall), and if funds are alright and timing is ok, a trip to Rainy River for the first time. I guess I'd have to try for this in June.
However it all turns out, it's going to be one exciting year!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentine's Day Greater White-fronted Goose
It was decided on a whim. On an empty stomach, too. I had downed half a bottle of sake w/ Mark Field after my Toronto Ornithological Club meeting and I was blathering on about something, when I stopped and blurted out that, aw heck, Imma gonna get dat der goose tomorry!
By 1:30am, I had a Zipcar booked for 8am-1pm, checked my savings account balance to remind myself how irresponsible I was being, read directions to Whitby Harbour, and packed my gear (including a celebratory chocolate heart for when I saw the bird).
Alarm blaring, I think, Oh, to be alive! Here I am w/ a day off and I've got ample time to fly out to Whitby Harbour, see the Greater White-fronted Goose and knock off a couple of easy year birds, drive back to Toronto w/ an easy grin on my face listening to easy rock and then easing into a nice afternoon nap. Easy.
8am roles around and I'm stepping into a Zipcar that has dog prints splattered around the backseat and crumbs of pastry strewn across the upholstery in places that seam impossible (how does one eat so ravenously to get a croissant flake stuck to the backside of a rearview mirror...?)
I stop myself from sighing, still too early in the day to let something this minor get me down. Inspired by the car's previous renter, I buy my own croissant from starbucks to add to his/her mess and have my first coffee of the day.
I love the 401. Open road, Adele blasting constantly because she won every Grammy award, counting Red-tailed Hawks. Perhaps overexcited, I spotted the word, "Brock" and immediately swerved off the highway and followed the road straight south just like instructed on the Ontbirds posting. I saw a sign for Pickering. Hmmm. Odd. Pickering is before Whitby. Pickingering is before Ajax and Ajax is before Whitby. What the...? Ohhh this is Brock Road, not Brock street. Jeepers Crow. Brakes slammed before entering a nuclear facility and I'm flying back to the 401. I'm still making ok time but I know the window of opportunity is short before the geese at Whitby Harbour leave for the day to feed.
I'm now picking off croissant flakes from the seat of the car and eating them, hoping that they're my own and not the last renter's dog's. Seeing the Brock Street exit, I calmly head south once again and drive exactly to the spot described on Ontbirds. Except, this can't be right...the only bird I see is a crow walking around the feet of a woman smoking a cigarette staring at me like I'm a morsel of food. I open my mouth to ask about the goose but decide against it and slowly back away, get in the car, and never look back.
When I finally do reach where I want to be, I see a group of birders who are no doubt looking at the thing. Ah good, an easy bird for once. This will be nothing like Western Grebe. Funny thing is, I already have Greater White-fronted Goose on my Ontario list but I'm a greedy lister nowadays. Year lists are becoming ever more important to me. And I haven't seen one in years. So I want this bird.
I walk up to them. "It just flew," comes the response. After 16 years of this hobby, you'd think I'd be used to this phrase but even when I'm 99 years old and hobbling up to a group of young bucks who have a Prairie Warbler and I think to myself, well, this might be the last Prairie Warbler I ever see so I better enjoy it, and someone in the group says, "it just flew," I will still want to crack my skull open w/ my own binoculars.
Well, it actually just flew over to a field right next to the harbour. No big deal. It's still here. It's just in w/ a flock of 5 kajillion Canadas. It's only a matter of patiently scanning. Another man who didn't get to the spot in time (I wonder if he also encountered Crow Lady) walked ahead of me toward the field. I hesitated. I thought of asking him if we should maybe try looking from here. I hesitated too long. I followed him. I stopped. He didn't. I continued. I slowed down. Oh god, I thought, these geese are starting to look wary. I prayed the man would stop walking. An alarm honk. My body's cold but my forehead is sweating anyway. He's still walking. I balk. Are those 2 feet really going to make a difference? The geese nearest to us are walking faster. I think of the birders behind us, glaring at us and cursing our existence. "Well, I never! I guess it only matters that they see the bird," the birders think. I know they think this because I can read their minds. My reputation teeters on a knife edge. My fists clench. A wing is raised. I ever so slowly extend one leg of my spotting scope.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thousands of geese have taken to the air, feathers and excrement dropping every which way and birds flying in scattered V's in every direction! I pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers, head lowered. I walk back to the group of birders in shame and wait for the first admonishment. I expect to be reprimanded but secretly hope to hear, "can you believe that photographer on the other side of the field that stirred all the geese up?!" In my mind, I know I'm not really to blame. But that's not what it looks like. I wanted to walk across the parking lot to a different vantage point but I followed this guy in front of me right into the flock instead. I didn't think he'd walk that close.
Ohhh cruel world! The very first words I hear are that the entire flock flew because of the quick movement I made extending my scope leg. Eyes follow me w/ hatred as I slowly walk down the boat ramp into the icy water to perish. A hand lands on my shoulder. They've forgiven me! Oh, wonderful saints! I turn to see the angel who is pulling me back. But the group stands meters away, all of them waiting for me to enter the water. One of the birders crosses his arms and taps his foot. Another looks at her watch. Another lines up my forehead in the crosshairs of his gun. The forgiving hand was only my scope handle.
Perhaps a Boston Cream will bring me out of this funk. I'm told the flock comes back between noon and 2pm and there is a field of baseball diamonds just north of the harbour where large groups of geese fly to to feed in the late morning. I grab lunch and a coffee and take a drive to the ball diamonds. There are hundreds of geese. This is it.
An hour later, it dawns on me. This is not it. Not even a Cackling Goose.
My mood darkens. I meet Jean Iron who arrived in the late morning to check the area. We look together and are joined by Pat Hodsgon. We scan the same geese a hundred times but have to submit to the fact that if the bird was here we'd see it. I mean, those bright orange legs would be a giveaway. On a side note, I love listening to Jean. She's so passionate and always sincerely wants people to see the bird they've come to see. And I don't think I've ever not learned an identification tip in her presence. The last time I saw her, all we said to each other was, "hello" and yet I still took away something about gulls in juvenile plumage.
I look everywhere. I give up. I look everywhere again. I go over to Tim Horton's and buy my third coffee. An employee smiles at me and says, "Hi Jeremy, how can I help you this time?" I extend my Zipcar rental. I look for the goose again. I give up. When the thought of checking the ball diamonds again enters my mind I throw up my hands and yell to myself, "GIVE UP, YOU CLOD!!" I finally take my own advice.
Well, the day wasn't a complete waste, mind you. This Greater White-fronted Goose chase marks a historical moment in my birding career. It is officially the most money I have ever spent on a missed bird. So take THAT, goose.
Upon arriving at my apartment, I reach into my pocket to get my keys. I pull out a chocolate heart. Happy Valentine's Day indeed.
By 1:30am, I had a Zipcar booked for 8am-1pm, checked my savings account balance to remind myself how irresponsible I was being, read directions to Whitby Harbour, and packed my gear (including a celebratory chocolate heart for when I saw the bird).
Alarm blaring, I think, Oh, to be alive! Here I am w/ a day off and I've got ample time to fly out to Whitby Harbour, see the Greater White-fronted Goose and knock off a couple of easy year birds, drive back to Toronto w/ an easy grin on my face listening to easy rock and then easing into a nice afternoon nap. Easy.
8am roles around and I'm stepping into a Zipcar that has dog prints splattered around the backseat and crumbs of pastry strewn across the upholstery in places that seam impossible (how does one eat so ravenously to get a croissant flake stuck to the backside of a rearview mirror...?)
I stop myself from sighing, still too early in the day to let something this minor get me down. Inspired by the car's previous renter, I buy my own croissant from starbucks to add to his/her mess and have my first coffee of the day.
I love the 401. Open road, Adele blasting constantly because she won every Grammy award, counting Red-tailed Hawks. Perhaps overexcited, I spotted the word, "Brock" and immediately swerved off the highway and followed the road straight south just like instructed on the Ontbirds posting. I saw a sign for Pickering. Hmmm. Odd. Pickering is before Whitby. Pickingering is before Ajax and Ajax is before Whitby. What the...? Ohhh this is Brock Road, not Brock street. Jeepers Crow. Brakes slammed before entering a nuclear facility and I'm flying back to the 401. I'm still making ok time but I know the window of opportunity is short before the geese at Whitby Harbour leave for the day to feed.
I'm now picking off croissant flakes from the seat of the car and eating them, hoping that they're my own and not the last renter's dog's. Seeing the Brock Street exit, I calmly head south once again and drive exactly to the spot described on Ontbirds. Except, this can't be right...the only bird I see is a crow walking around the feet of a woman smoking a cigarette staring at me like I'm a morsel of food. I open my mouth to ask about the goose but decide against it and slowly back away, get in the car, and never look back.
When I finally do reach where I want to be, I see a group of birders who are no doubt looking at the thing. Ah good, an easy bird for once. This will be nothing like Western Grebe. Funny thing is, I already have Greater White-fronted Goose on my Ontario list but I'm a greedy lister nowadays. Year lists are becoming ever more important to me. And I haven't seen one in years. So I want this bird.
I walk up to them. "It just flew," comes the response. After 16 years of this hobby, you'd think I'd be used to this phrase but even when I'm 99 years old and hobbling up to a group of young bucks who have a Prairie Warbler and I think to myself, well, this might be the last Prairie Warbler I ever see so I better enjoy it, and someone in the group says, "it just flew," I will still want to crack my skull open w/ my own binoculars.
Well, it actually just flew over to a field right next to the harbour. No big deal. It's still here. It's just in w/ a flock of 5 kajillion Canadas. It's only a matter of patiently scanning. Another man who didn't get to the spot in time (I wonder if he also encountered Crow Lady) walked ahead of me toward the field. I hesitated. I thought of asking him if we should maybe try looking from here. I hesitated too long. I followed him. I stopped. He didn't. I continued. I slowed down. Oh god, I thought, these geese are starting to look wary. I prayed the man would stop walking. An alarm honk. My body's cold but my forehead is sweating anyway. He's still walking. I balk. Are those 2 feet really going to make a difference? The geese nearest to us are walking faster. I think of the birders behind us, glaring at us and cursing our existence. "Well, I never! I guess it only matters that they see the bird," the birders think. I know they think this because I can read their minds. My reputation teeters on a knife edge. My fists clench. A wing is raised. I ever so slowly extend one leg of my spotting scope.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thousands of geese have taken to the air, feathers and excrement dropping every which way and birds flying in scattered V's in every direction! I pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers, head lowered. I walk back to the group of birders in shame and wait for the first admonishment. I expect to be reprimanded but secretly hope to hear, "can you believe that photographer on the other side of the field that stirred all the geese up?!" In my mind, I know I'm not really to blame. But that's not what it looks like. I wanted to walk across the parking lot to a different vantage point but I followed this guy in front of me right into the flock instead. I didn't think he'd walk that close.
Ohhh cruel world! The very first words I hear are that the entire flock flew because of the quick movement I made extending my scope leg. Eyes follow me w/ hatred as I slowly walk down the boat ramp into the icy water to perish. A hand lands on my shoulder. They've forgiven me! Oh, wonderful saints! I turn to see the angel who is pulling me back. But the group stands meters away, all of them waiting for me to enter the water. One of the birders crosses his arms and taps his foot. Another looks at her watch. Another lines up my forehead in the crosshairs of his gun. The forgiving hand was only my scope handle.
Perhaps a Boston Cream will bring me out of this funk. I'm told the flock comes back between noon and 2pm and there is a field of baseball diamonds just north of the harbour where large groups of geese fly to to feed in the late morning. I grab lunch and a coffee and take a drive to the ball diamonds. There are hundreds of geese. This is it.
An hour later, it dawns on me. This is not it. Not even a Cackling Goose.
My mood darkens. I meet Jean Iron who arrived in the late morning to check the area. We look together and are joined by Pat Hodsgon. We scan the same geese a hundred times but have to submit to the fact that if the bird was here we'd see it. I mean, those bright orange legs would be a giveaway. On a side note, I love listening to Jean. She's so passionate and always sincerely wants people to see the bird they've come to see. And I don't think I've ever not learned an identification tip in her presence. The last time I saw her, all we said to each other was, "hello" and yet I still took away something about gulls in juvenile plumage.
I look everywhere. I give up. I look everywhere again. I go over to Tim Horton's and buy my third coffee. An employee smiles at me and says, "Hi Jeremy, how can I help you this time?" I extend my Zipcar rental. I look for the goose again. I give up. When the thought of checking the ball diamonds again enters my mind I throw up my hands and yell to myself, "GIVE UP, YOU CLOD!!" I finally take my own advice.
Well, the day wasn't a complete waste, mind you. This Greater White-fronted Goose chase marks a historical moment in my birding career. It is officially the most money I have ever spent on a missed bird. So take THAT, goose.
Upon arriving at my apartment, I reach into my pocket to get my keys. I pull out a chocolate heart. Happy Valentine's Day indeed.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
3 (should have been 4) owl day
Decided to head out into the Onion Fields once again this afternoon after a text from Marianne that Bob Cermak had a reliable spot for a Long-eared Owl. Although I was in the middle of watching a small claims court show while eating pretzels (I can do what I want on my days off, thank you bery buch!), I thought...ah heck, I better not miss this one now when I've got the chance. So I hopped into the ol' Ford Windstar (Silver Bullet by nickname after speeding 130km/hr in it to get a Ruff once) and headed out (but was able to pick up a DVD copy of The Big Year along the way...multi-tasking).
Sure enough, after running into Bob and having him show me the tree the bird was in, as well as showing me the bird itself, I saw the bird! Long-eared 2012 - tick. They are such neat birds, described by me as having a permanent shocked expression. They're really just a miniature version of a Great Horned Owl if you had to simplify. We tried around for redpolls (possible Hoary redpoll had been reported the week before) but w/ no luck. However, I did get an interesting mixed flock of blackbirds and starlings. There were hundreds of Brown-headed Cowbirds, hundreds of European Starlings, a handful of Rusty Blackbirds and Common Grackles, and only a few Red-winged Blackbirds.
Later I met up w/ Sarah Rupert to go owling again in the fields for Snowy Owl. I had got a couple in 2011 when I was down for the holidays but I hadn't got one for my 2012 year list and I knew this was my best chance. So after a short drive, we ended up seeing a solitary bird next to Killdeer Rd. To finish off the night, we headed into Pelee with the sun falling fast and looked for Great Horned Owl. Sure enough, near the stump where the species nests each spring, we had a single bird (pretty much just its silhouette by that point). Didn't catch up to any Eastern Screech Owls today but seeing as I got two yesterday, I can't complain.
A decent afternoon. Wish I could stay in Pelee for longer but I return to Toronto tomorrow, where I'm sure some good birds will be showing up soon.
Once I get out a few more times and get enough species as to not be embarrassed by my current list, I'll put an update on here on my 2012 year list progress.
Sure enough, after running into Bob and having him show me the tree the bird was in, as well as showing me the bird itself, I saw the bird! Long-eared 2012 - tick. They are such neat birds, described by me as having a permanent shocked expression. They're really just a miniature version of a Great Horned Owl if you had to simplify. We tried around for redpolls (possible Hoary redpoll had been reported the week before) but w/ no luck. However, I did get an interesting mixed flock of blackbirds and starlings. There were hundreds of Brown-headed Cowbirds, hundreds of European Starlings, a handful of Rusty Blackbirds and Common Grackles, and only a few Red-winged Blackbirds.
Later I met up w/ Sarah Rupert to go owling again in the fields for Snowy Owl. I had got a couple in 2011 when I was down for the holidays but I hadn't got one for my 2012 year list and I knew this was my best chance. So after a short drive, we ended up seeing a solitary bird next to Killdeer Rd. To finish off the night, we headed into Pelee with the sun falling fast and looked for Great Horned Owl. Sure enough, near the stump where the species nests each spring, we had a single bird (pretty much just its silhouette by that point). Didn't catch up to any Eastern Screech Owls today but seeing as I got two yesterday, I can't complain.
A decent afternoon. Wish I could stay in Pelee for longer but I return to Toronto tomorrow, where I'm sure some good birds will be showing up soon.
Once I get out a few more times and get enough species as to not be embarrassed by my current list, I'll put an update on here on my 2012 year list progress.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
2012 Year List
Although I'm sure at some point something will get in the way of this, I do really want to have a better year list this year. I ain't going for any records or even 300 for that matter...just a better list. A focused list. Like, a making-a-point-to-go-out-and-get-some-more-species-so-I-have-a-year-list-to-be-proud-of list.
Anywho, I'm not at an impressive # so far (I will hopefully add Snowy Owl tomorrow) but it will grow as spring approaches. Had a great today w/ Marianne Balkwill, Richard Carr, and Bob Cermak around Point Pelee. Not surprisingly, I added a few new year birds but the year is young.
Anywho, I'm not at an impressive # so far (I will hopefully add Snowy Owl tomorrow) but it will grow as spring approaches. Had a great today w/ Marianne Balkwill, Richard Carr, and Bob Cermak around Point Pelee. Not surprisingly, I added a few new year birds but the year is young.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
2011 Year List
I really want to start making more consistent year lists and I'm finally tallying an official list even if it's not that great (considering I should be able to get 200 species in May fairly easily but only get 2 weeks off during the month!). eBird is making things easier by keeping track of all my lists I submit automatically and keeping a May List in Pelee helped but I hope I remembered every bird from the year. I'm low on shorebirds last year.
Here's my 2011 List, 185 of which were seen in Pelee in a 2-week period. Birds w/ a * beside them were lifers.
Total: 231
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
King Eider*
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Wilson's Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Claucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Tern
Razorbill
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Barred Owl
Great Gray Owl
Short-eared Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo*
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray Jay*
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee*
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northen Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Kirtland's Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
White-winged Crossbill*
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Here's my 2011 List, 185 of which were seen in Pelee in a 2-week period. Birds w/ a * beside them were lifers.
Total: 231
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
King Eider*
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Wilson's Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Claucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Tern
Razorbill
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Barred Owl
Great Gray Owl
Short-eared Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo*
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray Jay*
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee*
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northen Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Kirtland's Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
White-winged Crossbill*
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Monday, January 02, 2012
First 10 Birds of 2012
It's always fun to get a list of the first 10 birds you see in a new year. Usually I can get to 10 in one day but due to inclement weather on the 1rst, I only got 2 species! Ring-billed Gull and Red-tailed Hawk. On my train ride back to Toronto, however, I had much more success (other than knowing I was speeding right on by a Mountain Bluebird). Here's my first 10 species of 2012:
1) Ring-billed Gull
2) Red-tailed Hawk
3) House Sparrow
4) Rock Pigeon
5) European Starling
6) Horned Lark
7) American Kestrel
8) American Crow
9) Tundra Swan
10) Wild Turkey
1) Ring-billed Gull
2) Red-tailed Hawk
3) House Sparrow
4) Rock Pigeon
5) European Starling
6) Horned Lark
7) American Kestrel
8) American Crow
9) Tundra Swan
10) Wild Turkey
Point Pelee’s Tenth Record of the Bell’s Vireo
For those of you in Pelee during the Festival of Birds,
On Friday the 13th of May,
Something occurred in which no words
Describe the events what took place that day
That gave way to the act of twitching,
Sending folks to the Tip in herds,
And demonstrated how this “peaceful hobby” might be betrayed,
By the, shall we say,
The less than calm side of the birding world…?
The obsession with rare birds.
Herein lies the account of me, Jeremy Hatt,
As a witness to the insidious incidences that
Have changed the face of birding as I once knew it,
Join me, brace yourselves, and I’ll walk you through it.
To twitch is an addiction,
One I wish I never knew.
You’d think it only fiction,
But unfortunately it’s true.
See, there’re curious occurrences in a birder’s state of mind
When a rarity worth chasing is within reach,
And we do whatever it takes to find
The twitch; whether it be a trip to the beach,
Or perhaps crowding into a stranger’s backyard,
Or riding a bus into a nuclear plant,
Speeding to a farm for a black-bellied canard
‘Cause to not get there in time is enough to disenchant.
Still we journey to the north, to the south, to the moon,
And we’ll slog our way through a sewage lagoon.
We’ll stand in a blizzard till our fingertips are numb,
When hypothermia sets in we finally succumb.
But it’s all worthwhile once you get a good look
At the bird that was once just a plate in a book.
There’s really no feeling like it.
Purple Gallinule, Ivory Gull, Black-throated Sparrow,
Black-tailed Gull, Hermit Warbler, Anhinga, Willow Ptarmigan
Yes…I’ve missed them all.
But disappointments are quickly replaced,
When a new rarity is being chased,
Until you arrive to find no trace
Of the species of which you were braced
To see, but you’re told it just flew
And you stomp like a child who’s through
With trying. You leave, debased,
Your hopes, for now, erased.
But anyway, I have my own way of easing the pain.
You see,
When I miss a rare bird I begin again,
To imagine making clothing of them.
For like Emperor Claudius,
I’m no fan of the misses,
But would adore a ptarmigan cardigan.
‘O tell me Audubon, will birding ever be the same?
Now that its dark soul hath been revealed?
By chasing, Audubon; how do birders play this game?
Please exorcise these demons once concealed.
I once drew such pleasure
In Yellow Warblers and House Wrens,
Their beauty unsurpassed in sight and sound.
But lists now consume me!
No longer care of common birds, unless they bring me closer - to the crown.
The best list, the rarest, the birds we all must see to be
Allowed into the TOC,
To hold on to our dignity,
Worthy of repute, respect, renown.
Let’s get back to our subject, without further ado,
Bell’s Vireo described in a simple haiku.
faint chalk spectacles / one white wing-bar, yellow flanks / robin egg blue legs
It’s late morning when news of the Bell’s Vireo arrives.
Let me tell you, news travels fast in these hi-tech times
And the network in Pelee is truly sublime.
Some are notified by a munificent twitcher,
Who are anti-suppression, making others’ lists richer.
One learns of the bird from the big Book-O-Lies,
While another from the VC parking lot cries.
But o’er radios, iPhones, and similar toys,
Bell’s Vireo can be heard amidst the white noise,
And in whatever way one hears of the bird,
Reactions range from frantic to absurd.
Men drop their tillies,
Women willy nilly,
Their Philadelphia Vireo’s forgot!
All havoc breaks loose!
Chase the wild goose!
For now Bell’s Vireo ought to be sought.
I praise God I’m not leading any afternoon hikes,
‘Cause like the Jeans and the Bobs, and the Barbs, and the Mikes,
I’m stretching my legs and tightening my Nikes
For an event that beginners and experts alike
Will jog for or run for or sprint for or bike,
The chase for the species that’ll no doubt like-
Ly be the best bird of the spring,
A beautiful gem of a thing
That cannot be missed
Or else I’ll be miffed,
And nothing will lift
Me out of that rift,
Since this,
This is a gift,
And I’m NOT
Gettin’ stiffed!
This is MY park, and I’m gettin’ Bell’s Vireo on my list!
So like, I’m running along Tilden, refusing to fail,
But ahead stand a family group blocking the trail.
T’would be on another day quite ordinary
To inquire whether they’ve the Prothonotary,
But at present the Bell’s Vireo’s the dignitary,
A bird to make May’s list honorary.
I ponder polite words to shriek at these folks,
To get them off-trail and into the oaks,
A clear path made for us brutal blokes:
Chasers! Targets (sometimes rightful) of scorn and jokes.
For those who’ve not met one,
Conceivably a hoax.
But exist twitchers do, exist in the tens,
Poring over field notes in dim dusty dens,
Ticking their lists with hurried pens,
Bragging of records to imaginary friends.
They scroll through listservs as if it a race,
Edgy with impatience for the next rousing chase,
Extra bins in the glove box - just in case.
They’ll take off from their spouses without any trace.
Back to Tilden where a fellow chaser beside me with less of a heart
Unfastens his lunch bag and thinking he’s smart,
Withdraws the provisions not required to cart,
Sustentative weapons to make the crowd part.
“Get out of my way, you half-witted oafs!”
He booms as he hurls a half-eaten loaf.
The state of affairs now quite the pickle,
An all out war over pumpernickel…
I wedge my way through the writhing mass,
Onto the side with the greener grass,
Tilden’s exit close at last!
Forward freedom, ho! Fast!
I sprint through the parking lot and witness the crowd,
The birders are massing, ruthless and loud!
They jump over vehicles, trailers and curbs,
The lack of order downright disturbs.
Within the stampede I see a wild-eyed pair,
Eyebrows so high they’ve entered the hair.
They run with the crowd toward the tram loop,
Mouths frothing as they push to advance in the group.
Park staff adorns Kevlar so as to be bullet-proof.
They endeavor to bring order as the next tram arrives,
Doubtless they thought they could save a few lives.
Recalling the Painted Bunting twitch it’s no surprise,
That in this case they were forced to surmise,
That a Bell’s Vireo sighting could result in demise
As rules of conduct no longer apply.
O’ a licentious ride on the South-bound coach.
Survival of the fittest as we all encroach
On one another’s space, now everyone’s a-cram.
God gave the Devil surfeit strength o’er man.
In with the lion and out with the lamb.
Standing room only, in a sardine can.
O’ a licentious ride on the Tip-bound tram.
Clutching our scopes and our cameras and bins,
Our guides and our radios and provincial park pins,
The tram speeding faster than its wheels can spin,
The locomotive of human freight begins
To careen ’round corners as we pray for our sins.
Then the Driver SLAMMED on the brakes for there on the road,
Stood not a turtle, not a skink, not a frog, nor a toad,
But a trio of birders whose pointed fingers showed
The last known location of the Bell’s Vireo.
The Pelee trams lack doors so the heck with rules,
Each birder grabbed hold of their spotting tools,
And dashed out like they would from a shark in a pool.
One innocent beginner on that busload o’ fools,
Stared in horror as if his hobby was one for ghouls,
And he gaped as folks floundered and flew from the train,
And trampled strangers without any shame.
“Where is it?!” one cried, raising her white-knuckled fist,
“I need this bird for my Ontario list!”
Yes, folks. This is the story of a rather tragic show,
Point Pelee’s 10th record of the Bell’s Vireo.
And just when things could not have got worse,
The following words were spoken, putting an end to this verse.
“I’ve got it.”
On Friday the 13th of May,
Something occurred in which no words
Describe the events what took place that day
That gave way to the act of twitching,
Sending folks to the Tip in herds,
And demonstrated how this “peaceful hobby” might be betrayed,
By the, shall we say,
The less than calm side of the birding world…?
The obsession with rare birds.
Herein lies the account of me, Jeremy Hatt,
As a witness to the insidious incidences that
Have changed the face of birding as I once knew it,
Join me, brace yourselves, and I’ll walk you through it.
To twitch is an addiction,
One I wish I never knew.
You’d think it only fiction,
But unfortunately it’s true.
See, there’re curious occurrences in a birder’s state of mind
When a rarity worth chasing is within reach,
And we do whatever it takes to find
The twitch; whether it be a trip to the beach,
Or perhaps crowding into a stranger’s backyard,
Or riding a bus into a nuclear plant,
Speeding to a farm for a black-bellied canard
‘Cause to not get there in time is enough to disenchant.
Still we journey to the north, to the south, to the moon,
And we’ll slog our way through a sewage lagoon.
We’ll stand in a blizzard till our fingertips are numb,
When hypothermia sets in we finally succumb.
But it’s all worthwhile once you get a good look
At the bird that was once just a plate in a book.
There’s really no feeling like it.
Purple Gallinule, Ivory Gull, Black-throated Sparrow,
Black-tailed Gull, Hermit Warbler, Anhinga, Willow Ptarmigan
Yes…I’ve missed them all.
But disappointments are quickly replaced,
When a new rarity is being chased,
Until you arrive to find no trace
Of the species of which you were braced
To see, but you’re told it just flew
And you stomp like a child who’s through
With trying. You leave, debased,
Your hopes, for now, erased.
But anyway, I have my own way of easing the pain.
You see,
When I miss a rare bird I begin again,
To imagine making clothing of them.
For like Emperor Claudius,
I’m no fan of the misses,
But would adore a ptarmigan cardigan.
‘O tell me Audubon, will birding ever be the same?
Now that its dark soul hath been revealed?
By chasing, Audubon; how do birders play this game?
Please exorcise these demons once concealed.
I once drew such pleasure
In Yellow Warblers and House Wrens,
Their beauty unsurpassed in sight and sound.
But lists now consume me!
No longer care of common birds, unless they bring me closer - to the crown.
The best list, the rarest, the birds we all must see to be
Allowed into the TOC,
To hold on to our dignity,
Worthy of repute, respect, renown.
Let’s get back to our subject, without further ado,
Bell’s Vireo described in a simple haiku.
faint chalk spectacles / one white wing-bar, yellow flanks / robin egg blue legs
It’s late morning when news of the Bell’s Vireo arrives.
Let me tell you, news travels fast in these hi-tech times
And the network in Pelee is truly sublime.
Some are notified by a munificent twitcher,
Who are anti-suppression, making others’ lists richer.
One learns of the bird from the big Book-O-Lies,
While another from the VC parking lot cries.
But o’er radios, iPhones, and similar toys,
Bell’s Vireo can be heard amidst the white noise,
And in whatever way one hears of the bird,
Reactions range from frantic to absurd.
Men drop their tillies,
Women willy nilly,
Their Philadelphia Vireo’s forgot!
All havoc breaks loose!
Chase the wild goose!
For now Bell’s Vireo ought to be sought.
I praise God I’m not leading any afternoon hikes,
‘Cause like the Jeans and the Bobs, and the Barbs, and the Mikes,
I’m stretching my legs and tightening my Nikes
For an event that beginners and experts alike
Will jog for or run for or sprint for or bike,
The chase for the species that’ll no doubt like-
Ly be the best bird of the spring,
A beautiful gem of a thing
That cannot be missed
Or else I’ll be miffed,
And nothing will lift
Me out of that rift,
Since this,
This is a gift,
And I’m NOT
Gettin’ stiffed!
This is MY park, and I’m gettin’ Bell’s Vireo on my list!
So like, I’m running along Tilden, refusing to fail,
But ahead stand a family group blocking the trail.
T’would be on another day quite ordinary
To inquire whether they’ve the Prothonotary,
But at present the Bell’s Vireo’s the dignitary,
A bird to make May’s list honorary.
I ponder polite words to shriek at these folks,
To get them off-trail and into the oaks,
A clear path made for us brutal blokes:
Chasers! Targets (sometimes rightful) of scorn and jokes.
For those who’ve not met one,
Conceivably a hoax.
But exist twitchers do, exist in the tens,
Poring over field notes in dim dusty dens,
Ticking their lists with hurried pens,
Bragging of records to imaginary friends.
They scroll through listservs as if it a race,
Edgy with impatience for the next rousing chase,
Extra bins in the glove box - just in case.
They’ll take off from their spouses without any trace.
Back to Tilden where a fellow chaser beside me with less of a heart
Unfastens his lunch bag and thinking he’s smart,
Withdraws the provisions not required to cart,
Sustentative weapons to make the crowd part.
“Get out of my way, you half-witted oafs!”
He booms as he hurls a half-eaten loaf.
The state of affairs now quite the pickle,
An all out war over pumpernickel…
I wedge my way through the writhing mass,
Onto the side with the greener grass,
Tilden’s exit close at last!
Forward freedom, ho! Fast!
I sprint through the parking lot and witness the crowd,
The birders are massing, ruthless and loud!
They jump over vehicles, trailers and curbs,
The lack of order downright disturbs.
Within the stampede I see a wild-eyed pair,
Eyebrows so high they’ve entered the hair.
They run with the crowd toward the tram loop,
Mouths frothing as they push to advance in the group.
Park staff adorns Kevlar so as to be bullet-proof.
They endeavor to bring order as the next tram arrives,
Doubtless they thought they could save a few lives.
Recalling the Painted Bunting twitch it’s no surprise,
That in this case they were forced to surmise,
That a Bell’s Vireo sighting could result in demise
As rules of conduct no longer apply.
O’ a licentious ride on the South-bound coach.
Survival of the fittest as we all encroach
On one another’s space, now everyone’s a-cram.
God gave the Devil surfeit strength o’er man.
In with the lion and out with the lamb.
Standing room only, in a sardine can.
O’ a licentious ride on the Tip-bound tram.
Clutching our scopes and our cameras and bins,
Our guides and our radios and provincial park pins,
The tram speeding faster than its wheels can spin,
The locomotive of human freight begins
To careen ’round corners as we pray for our sins.
Then the Driver SLAMMED on the brakes for there on the road,
Stood not a turtle, not a skink, not a frog, nor a toad,
But a trio of birders whose pointed fingers showed
The last known location of the Bell’s Vireo.
The Pelee trams lack doors so the heck with rules,
Each birder grabbed hold of their spotting tools,
And dashed out like they would from a shark in a pool.
One innocent beginner on that busload o’ fools,
Stared in horror as if his hobby was one for ghouls,
And he gaped as folks floundered and flew from the train,
And trampled strangers without any shame.
“Where is it?!” one cried, raising her white-knuckled fist,
“I need this bird for my Ontario list!”
Yes, folks. This is the story of a rather tragic show,
Point Pelee’s 10th record of the Bell’s Vireo.
And just when things could not have got worse,
The following words were spoken, putting an end to this verse.
“I’ve got it.”
Sunday, January 01, 2012
It's 2012...and I'm blogging again...?
With my head hanging in shame, I am pointlessly dredging up Cerulean Sky once again from the depths. I can't promise many posts but since my last post appears to be May of 2011, surely I can do better than that...?
Anyway, the reason I'm putting up a post is because I really want to add 10 species to my Ontario List in the upcoming year. It's a resolution in fact. My only fun one. The others involve saving money and running more. Yeah right.
I'm not going to air all my dirty birdy laundry here (there are some birds I'm missing that nobody has to know about...) but I do want to list some of the species I either a) predict I will see, or b) I really want to see.
I was fortunate in 2011 to add a number of species to my Ontario list including Great Gray Owl in the last few days of the year in Essex County, Black-legged Kittiwake, Bell's Vireo, and a # of species at Algonquin (thank you, Matt!) including White-winged Crossbill, Boreal Chickadee, and Gray Jay.
One of these years it would be fun to try a big Ontario year but I can get pretty obsessed w/ listing for those that know me so I would have to be careful that it wouldn't take up too much time. One of these years it will happen...?
So here are some Ontario birds I predict I'll add:
- Red-throated Loon (I know what you're thinking, and yes, I am shocked, appalled, and ashamed as well)
- The northern species I suck at: Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak
- Long-tailed Jaegar
- Ross's Goose
- Barrow's Goldeneye
- California Gull
- CAVE SWALLOW
And some I'd like to add, but probably won't:
Sabine's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Common Eider
Gyrfalcon
Swainson's Hawk
Curlew Sandpiper
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Northern Hawk-Owl
Western Tanager
Blue Grosbeak
Hoary Redpoll
And don't like, hold me accountable to any of these 'cause who knows what a year might bring, right?
Anyway, the reason I'm putting up a post is because I really want to add 10 species to my Ontario List in the upcoming year. It's a resolution in fact. My only fun one. The others involve saving money and running more. Yeah right.
I'm not going to air all my dirty birdy laundry here (there are some birds I'm missing that nobody has to know about...) but I do want to list some of the species I either a) predict I will see, or b) I really want to see.
I was fortunate in 2011 to add a number of species to my Ontario list including Great Gray Owl in the last few days of the year in Essex County, Black-legged Kittiwake, Bell's Vireo, and a # of species at Algonquin (thank you, Matt!) including White-winged Crossbill, Boreal Chickadee, and Gray Jay.
One of these years it would be fun to try a big Ontario year but I can get pretty obsessed w/ listing for those that know me so I would have to be careful that it wouldn't take up too much time. One of these years it will happen...?
So here are some Ontario birds I predict I'll add:
- Red-throated Loon (I know what you're thinking, and yes, I am shocked, appalled, and ashamed as well)
- The northern species I suck at: Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak
- Long-tailed Jaegar
- Ross's Goose
- Barrow's Goldeneye
- California Gull
- CAVE SWALLOW
And some I'd like to add, but probably won't:
Sabine's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Common Eider
Gyrfalcon
Swainson's Hawk
Curlew Sandpiper
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Northern Hawk-Owl
Western Tanager
Blue Grosbeak
Hoary Redpoll
And don't like, hold me accountable to any of these 'cause who knows what a year might bring, right?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
May misses cont.
You didn't think my May misses would end the day I returned to Toronto did ya? Certainly I have missed quite a few additional birds since leaving the area...and here they are!
Mystery Gull: A gull with yellow legs showed up at the Tip shortly after my return to the city. Although possibly a Herring Gull, the identification of the bird is still under dispute as people try to figure out the species. Possibilities include Yellow-legged Gull or Caspian Gull.
Laughing Gull - another Tip bird that didn't show up the week I was home or I would have made an effort for it.
Little Gull / Black-headed Gull - two more species that have both showed up at the Hillman Marsh Shorebird Cell after I have got back to the city. I love reading the Friends of Point Pelee birding reports but they are painful at the same time, seeing as they list a number of birds I have no chance to see!
Red-necked Phalarope - seems the Shorebird Cell is the place for misses for me...another phalarope species I'll struggle to get on my 2011 year list. Tomorrow I hope to get Whimbrel in Toronto however!
Western Tanager - the park experienced a 3-species Tanager day! I was not there...of course. The Western Tanager flyby off the tip would have been a lifer for me.
Mystery Gull: A gull with yellow legs showed up at the Tip shortly after my return to the city. Although possibly a Herring Gull, the identification of the bird is still under dispute as people try to figure out the species. Possibilities include Yellow-legged Gull or Caspian Gull.
Laughing Gull - another Tip bird that didn't show up the week I was home or I would have made an effort for it.
Little Gull / Black-headed Gull - two more species that have both showed up at the Hillman Marsh Shorebird Cell after I have got back to the city. I love reading the Friends of Point Pelee birding reports but they are painful at the same time, seeing as they list a number of birds I have no chance to see!
Red-necked Phalarope - seems the Shorebird Cell is the place for misses for me...another phalarope species I'll struggle to get on my 2011 year list. Tomorrow I hope to get Whimbrel in Toronto however!
Western Tanager - the park experienced a 3-species Tanager day! I was not there...of course. The Western Tanager flyby off the tip would have been a lifer for me.
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