2012 Year List - 305

This post is a bit late but I got it up before 2014 so that's something.

Many thanks to all who made my 2012 Big Year possible. There were countless people across Ontario who either alerted me to birds I still needed for the year, encouraged me along the way, inspired me w/ their own Big Years, gave me tips and advice for where I should visit and in what month to reach my goal of 300, or simply listened to me gripe about the birds I was missing without punching me in the face. Thanks to each and every one of you.

I have to especially thank 3 people:

Mark Field, who was my traveling partner, co-conspirator, and confidant throughout the year...well, until I left Toronto and only got to 305 while he made it 311 and moved 1 place ahead of me in the eBird final standings...but who's keeping track? But seriously, the year would have sucked without you, Mark.

Matt Timpf (Mr. Canada Big Year 2013!), who helped me find many of my early year birds and continuously boosted my confidence along the way, which is actually quite a feat considering my confidence is usually somewhere between 0.01 and flatline...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

And Marianne, who always texted or called me to see how my year was going while I was away and eventually helped me get to 305 once I returned to Leamington even though I was ready to call it a day when I hit 300 (so happy you were there to share the experience of me reaching my goal with Red Phalarope).

Here is my final list for 2012 in Ontario, more or less in chronological order (unfortunately I did not keep track of when I saw each individual species on a specific day so the numbers do not always correspond with the exact order in which I saw each species, but rather in taxonomic order on the date I first saw them):

January 1 - family farm, Staples

1. Red-tailed Hawk
2. Ring-billed Gull

January 2 - train from Chatham to Toronto (story here)

3. Tundra Swan
4. Wild Turkey
5. Rock Pigeon
6. American Kestrel
7. American Crow
8. Horned Lark
9. European Starling
10. House Sparrow

January 10 - Concession 1 - Puslinch

11. Canada Goose
12. Mourning Dove
13. Red-bellied Woodpecker
14. Hairy Woodpecker
15. Blue Jay
16. Black-capped Chickadee
17. White-breasted Nuthatch
18. Mountain Bluebird (lifer)
19. Dark-eyed Junco
20. House Finch
21. American Goldfinch
22. American Robin

January 10 - Mounstberg Conservation Area, Hamilton

23. Rough-legged Hawk
24. Downy Woodpecker
25. American Tree Sparrow
26. Northern Cardinal
27. Pine Siskin

January 10 - Marilynn Bell Park, Toronto

28. Mute Swan
29. Gadwall
30. American Wigeon
31. American Black Duck
32. Mallard
33. Redhead
34. Bufflehead
35. Common Merganser
36. Red-breasted Merganser
37. Herring Gull

January 25 - High Park, Toronto

38. Northern Pintail
39. Cooper's Hawk
40. Red-breasted Nuthatch
41. Gray Catbird
42. Common Grackle

January 25 - Sunnyside Beach, Toronto

43. Greater Scaup
44. Long-tailed Duck
45. Common Goldeneye
46. Ruddy Duck
47. American Coot
48. Glaucous Gull
49. Great Black-backed Gull

January 31 - Point Pelee National Park

50. Northern Harrier
51. Sharp-shinned Hawk
52. Bald Eagle
53. Bonaparte's Gull
54. Eastern Screech-Owl
55. Northern Shrike

February 1 - Onion Fields, Leamington (story here)

56. Great Horned Owl
57. Snowy Owl
58. Long-eared Owl
59. Red-winged Blackbird
60. Rusty Blackbird
61. Brown-headed Cowbird

February 2 - family farm, Staples

62. Ring-necked Pheasant

February 7 - Thunder Bay

63. Common Raven
64. Brown Creeper
65. Harris's Sparrow
66. Common Redpoll
67. Pine Grosbeak (lifer)
68. Golden Eagle
69. Pileated Woodpecker
70. Red Crossbill (lifer)

February 8 - Longlac

71. Spotted Towhee
72. White-winged Crossbill
73. Evening Grosbeak (lifer)
74. Hoary Redpoll (lifer)


February 8 - Beardmore

75. Common Redpoll

February 8 - Everard Road, Thunder Bay

76. Ruffed Grouse

February 9 - Rocky Bay

77. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (lifer)
78. Purple Finch

February 9 - Wishart Conservation Area, Thunder Bay

79. American Three-toed Woodpecker (lifer)

February 14 - Whitby Harbour

80. Trumpeter Swan
81. Hooded Merganser
82. Northern Mockingbird

February 15 - Adam Beck, Niagara

83. Thayer's Gull
84. Iceland Gull

February 15 - Fort Erie

85. Canvasback
86. White-winged Scoter
87. Fish Crow (Ontario lifer)
88. American Pipit

February 15 - Niagara Falls - upper falls

89. Lesser Black-backed Gull

February 15 - Queenston Heights overlook, Niagara

90. Double-crested Cormorant
91. Black Vulture
92. Turkey Vulture
93. Little Gull
94. Tufted Titmouse

February 15 - LaSalle Marina, Burlington

95. Lesser Scaup
96. King Eider

February 16 - Whitby Harbour

97. Greater White-fronted Goose (story here)

February 16 - Oshawa Second Marsh

98. Northern Saw-whet Owl

February 16 - Professor's Lake, Brampton

99. Wood Duck
100. Merlin

February 17 - Toronto

101. Peregrine Falcon

February 23 - Spencer Smith Park, Burlington

102. Surf Scoter

February 23 - 10th Road East, Stoney Creek

103. Short-eared Owl

February 28 - Elgin County

104. Eastern Bluebird

February 28 - Port Burwell

105. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
106. Field Sparrow
107. Song Sparrow

February 28 - Norfolk County

108. Northern Flicker

February 28 - Long Point area

109. Ring-necked Duck
110. Sandhill Crane
111. Swamp Sparrow
112. Great Blue Heron
113. Belted Kingfisher

March 7 - Leamington

114. Eastern Meadowlark
115. Killdeer

March 10 - Point Pelee National Park

116. Northern Shoveler
117. Green-winged Teal
118. Eastern Phoebe
119. Hermit Thrush
120. Yellow-rumped Warbler
121. Eastern Towhee
122. Fox Sparrow

March 10 - Onion Fields, Leamington

123. Ross's Goose (lifer)

March 17 - Long Point area

124. Horned Grebe
125. Golden-crowned Kinglet
126. Tree Swallow
127. Pied-billed Grebe
128. American Woodcock

March 18 - Long Point area

129. Winter Wren
130. White-throated Sparrow

March 18 - Townsend Sewage Lagoons

131. Snow Goose

March 22 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

132. Red-necked Grebe

March 22 - Rattray March, Mississauga

133. Carolina Wren

March 22 - High Park, Toronto

134. Virginia Rail

March 26 - Prince Edward Park

135. Bohemian Waxwing (lifer)
136. Cedar Waxwing

March 26 - Russel Road, Bourget

137. Cackling Goose

March 26 - Ottawa area

138. Wilson's Snipe

March 27 - Algonquin Provincial Park

139. Spruce Grouse (lifer)
140. Black-backed Woodpecker (lifer)
141. Boreal Chickadee

March 27 - Carden Alvar

142. Loggerhead Shrike

March 27 - Townsend Sewage Lagoon

143. Eurasian Wigeon
144. Greater Yellowlegs

March 31 - High Park, Toronto

145. Black-crowned Night-Heron
146. Chipping Sparrow

April 6 - Leslie Street Spit, Toronto

147. Great Egret
148. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
149. Barn Swallow
150. Pine Warbler

April 7 - Norfolk County

151. Common Loon
152. Vesper Sparrow
153. Savannah Sparrow
154. Lesser Yellowlegs

April 7 - Long Point area

155. Purple Martin
156. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
157. Forster's Tern

April 7 - Cootes Paradise, Hamilton

158. Caspian Tern

April 7 - Peterborough

159. Osprey

April 14 - Gairloch Gardens, Oakville

160. Harlequin Duck

April 16 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

161. Blue-winged Teal
162. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

April 17 - Everard Road, Thunder Bay

163. Sharp-tailed Grouse (lifer)

April 17 - Hurkett Cove Conservation Area, Thunder Bay

164. American White Pelican

April 17 - Thunder Bay

165. Lapland Longspur

April 22 - Rondeau Provincial Park

166. Chimney Swift
167. White-eyed Vireo
168. House Wren
169. Brown Thrasher
170. Blackburnian Warbler
171. Yellow-throated Warbler

April 22 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

172. Sora
173. Pectoral Sandpiper
174. Dunlin

April 27 - High Park, Toronto

175. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
176. Nashville Warbler
177. Palm Warbler

April 28 - Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

178. Piping Plover

April 28 - Bruce Peninsula

179. Western Tanager (lifer)
180. Brewer's Blackbird (lifer)

April 30 - Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto

181. Cerulean Warbler

May 5 - Toronto Islands

182. Spotted Sandpiper
183. Common Tern
184. Great Crested Flycatcher
185. Eastern Kingbird
186. Blue-headed Vireo
187. Warbling Vireo
188. Bank Swallow
189. Cliff Swallow
190. Northern Waterthrush
191. Black-and-white Warbler
192. Cape May Warbler
193. Northern Parula
194. Magnolia Warbler
195. Yellow Warbler
196. Chestnut-sided Warbler
197. Black-throated Blue Warbler
198. Black-throated Green Warbler
199. White-crowned Sparrow
200. Orchard Oriole
201. Baltimore Oriole

May 7 - Rattray March, Mississauga

202. Least Flycatcher

May 7 - Townsed Sewage Lagoon

203. Semipalmated Plover
204. Least Sandpiper

May 7 - Aylmer Sewage Lagoons

205. Bobolink

May 7 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

206. Black-bellied Plover
207. American Avocet
208. Short-billed Dowitcher
209. Common Yellowthroat

May 8 - Point Pelee National Park

210. Eastern Whip-poor-will
211. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
212. Red-headed Woodpecker
213. Eastern Wood-Pewee
214. Yellow-throated Vireo
215. Red-eyed Vireo
216. Sedge Wren
217. Veery
218. Swainson's Thrush
219. Wood Thrush
220. Ovenbird
221. Golden-winged Warbler
222. Tennessee Warbler
223. American Redstart
224. Bay-breasted Warbler
225. Wilson's Warbler
226. Lincoln's Sparrow
227. Scarlet Tanager
228. Indigo Bunting

May 9 - Point Pelee National Park

229. Black Tern
230. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
231. Marsh Wren
232. Prothonotary Warbler
233. Canada Warbler

May 10 - Point Pelee National Park

234. Broad-winged Hawk
235. Black-billed Cuckoo

May  10 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

236. Cattle Egret
237. Marbled Godwit
238. Ruddy Turnstone

May 10 - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

239. Common Gallinule

May 11 - Point Pelee National Park

240. Gray-cheeked Thrush
241. Worm-eating Warbler
242. Blackpoll Warbler

May 11 - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

243. American Bittern
244. Least Bittern
245. Green Heron
246. White-faced Ibis
247. Yellow-headed Blackbird

May 12 - Point Pelee National Park

248. Black Scoter

May 12 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

249. American Golden-Plover
250. Willow Flycatcher

May 13 - Point Pelee National Park

251. Red-throated Loon (lifer)

May 14 - Rondeau Provincial Park

252. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

May 14 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

253. Stilt Sandpiper

May 15 - Point Pelee National Park

254. Hooded Warbler

May 15 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

255. Semipalmated Sanpdiper

May 16 - Point Pelee National Park

256. Mourning Warbler

May 16 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

257. Clay-colored Sparrow

May 16 - Wheatley Provincial Park

258. Solitary Sandpiper

May 17 - Point Pelee National Park

259. Olive-sided Flycatcher
260. Philadelphia Vireo
261. Blue-winged Warbler
262. Orange-crowned Warbler
263. Connecticut Warbler

May 18 - Pelee Island

264. Yellow-breasted Chat

May 19 - Point Pelee National Park

265. California Gull (lifer)

May 19 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

266. Red-necked Phalarope

May 20 - Hillman Marsh, Leamington

267. White-rumped Sandpiper

May 21 - Backus Wood Conservation Area, Long Point area

268. Acadian Flycatcher
269. Louisiana Waterthrush

May 21 - East Quarter Line, Norfolk

270. Grasshopper Sparrow

May 21 - St. Williams Forest, Long Point area

271. Northern Goshawk

May 21 -Haldimand County

272. Snowy Egret
273. Laughing Gull

May 22 - Carden Alvar

274. Upland Sandpiper
275. Common Nighthawk

May 24 - Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto

276. Whimbrel

May 26 - Carden Alvar

277. Alder Flycatcher

May 31 - Presqu'ile Provincial Park

278. Brant
279. Barred Owl

June 4 - Westover Tract, Flamborough

280. Prairie Warbler

June 6 - Parry Sound

281. Red-shoulder Hawk

June 8 - Rainy River District (story here and here)

282. Black-billed Magpie (lifer)
283. Le Conte's Sparrow

June 9 - Rainy River Sewage Lagoon

284. Wilson's Phalarope

June 9 - Rainy River District

285. Western Meadowlark

June 9 - Lake of the Woods - Windy Point, Rainy River District

286. Franklin's Gull (lifer)

June 11 - Rainy River District

287. Dickcissel

June 13 - Wawa Sewage Lagoons

288. Eared Grebe

July 3 - Rondeau Provincial Park area

289. Magnificent Frigatebird (lifer)

July 25 - Rock Point Provincial Park

290. Sanderling
291. Baird's Sandpiper

July 25 - Holiday Beach Conservation Area, Amherstburg

292. Little Blue Heron

July 26 - Walpole Island

293. King Rail

August 12 - Blenheim Sewage Lagoons

294. Long-billed Dowitcher (story here)

August 25 - Onion Fields, Leamington

295. Buff-breasted Sandpiper

August 29 - Presqu'ile Provincial Park

296. Thick-billed Kingbird (lifer)

August 31 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay (story here)

297. Red Knot

September 1 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay

298. Hudsonian Godwit

September 2 - Little Piskwamish Point, James Bay

299. Nelson's Sparrow

September 23 - Point Pelee National Park

300. Red Phalarope (story here)

October 30 - Point Edward Lighthouse, Sarnia (story here)

301. Black-legged Kittiwake
302. Sabine's Gull (lifer)

November 1 - Pelee Days Inn / Sturgeon Creek, Leamington

303. Snow Bunting (story here)

November 24 - Point Pelee National Park

304. Cave Swallow (lifer) (story here)

December 31 - Point Pelee National Park

305. Purple Sandpiper (story here)

Mammal and Herptile Lists of 2012

So I spent a couple hours the other day going through 2012 notes and eBird lists w/ Mark Field, which is always a kind of hilariously disjointed conversation because we always seem to falter something like as follows:

Mark: "Ok, so our Greater White-fronted Goose isn't on eBird. What date was that?"

Jeremy: "That's weird...let me search it. Oh, you're right, it's not on there. I better add it to the list so I'm not missing anything for Cochrane. Do you want me to share that day with you and Anonymous User?"

Mark: "I have some pictures I can send along w/ our report to show it wasn't the Greenland subspecies. Wait...there are a bunch of other subspecies."

Both: *incoherent rambling about scientific names of various subspecies.

Jeremy: "Yeah, when I type it into Explore Data on eBird, it comes up w/ a 'Tule' subspecies. What is that?"

Mark: "Winter Wren...did you see that?"

Jeremy: "Where did my wine go?!?!...........Oh, there it is. I really need to go through my notes to figure out all the mammals I had last year. Oh and the date was September 11."

Mark: "Oh, I spoke with David Beadle and I'm going to send that moth photo to him to identify."

Jeremy: "But so....AAAAACKKKKHHHHH.....HHHH.....CKKKKH..."

Mark: "Are you ok?"

Jeremy: "Sorry, I accidentally deleted something I didn't want to."

And it went on like this...
___

And yet, in our labyrinthine way, we somehow always manage to finish what we set out to do. And while all this discussion was happening, I went through the Ontario Mammal Atlas and the ROM Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario and figured out my mammal and herptile lists for the year.

Obviously since this wasn't my priority on many of my trips, other wildlife sightings were mostly incidental so I could have seen more if I had tried or paid a bit closer attention but birds were always my top concern. Long story short, we need eMammal.

2012 Mammal List

Opossums

Virginia Possum – Saw lots of dead ones at the roadside but had one alive one at Walpole Island w/ Mark Field

Shrews and Moles

Shrew sp. (I didn't catch any to identify them by their teeth unfortunately).

     - I also don't recall seeing any moles. Gotta start paying more attention and keeping better notes. Living on the farm now w/ spring on the way, I should have no trouble finding all sorts of cool things around here.

Bats

Eastern Red Bat – A beautiful individual at Presqu’ile Provincial Park w/ MayaRicker-Wilson and Mark Field while listening for Barred Owl.

Little Brown Bat - Pelee and elsewhere

    - I know I had other bat species but I didn't identify them at the time. Anyone have any idea what bats would be in the James Bay area during early September? 

Rabbits and Hares

Eastern Cottontail

Snowshoe Hare

European Hare - Essex County w/ Marianne Reid Balkwill

Rodents

Eastern Chipmunk

    - One of my big disappointments was not remembering to look for Least Chipmunk during my trip to Rainy River.

Woodchuck - One at James Bay near the Longridge Camp was interesting. I see that there is no record of one in that region for the previous Ontario Mammal Atlas (likely due to lack of effort).

Gray Squirrel

                BlackPhase

                GrayPhase        

Red Squirrel
          - This year, I really want to get over to Pelee Island again to look for Fox Squirrel

American Beaver

Deer Mouse

Meadow Jumping Mouse - outside of Toronto during a survey

Meadow Vole

Common Muskrat

Norway Rat

House Mouse

North American Porcupine - My favourite mammal sighting of the year - w/ Mark Field. It was crossing Highway 17 in southeast of Laird.

Whales

Beluga - 3 at the James Bay coast. Another highlight.

Carnivores

Coyote

Gray Wolf - an individual that approached Mark Peck and I along the shores of James Bay. Unforgettable experience and decent photos taken.

Red Fox - including the CrossMorph at the James Bay Coast and in the Moosonee sewage lagoons. 

Black Bear

Northern Raccoon

Marten - Little Piskwamish along James Bay coast

Mink

Striped Skunk

River Otter - Algonquin Provincial Park and Wawa Sewage Lagoons

        - I'm pretty sure I saw a weasel last year as well but have no notes.

Deer

White-tailed Deer

Moose - 2 along highways in the north

Reptiles and Amphibians 2012

Frogs and Toads

American Toad

Gray Treefrog

Spring Peeper

Western Chorus Frog

Wood Frog

Northern Leopard Frog

Green Frog

American Bullfrog

Turtles

Snapping Turtle

Painted Turtle

                MidlandPainted Turtle

                WesternPainted Turtle

Northern Map Turtle

Blanding’s Turtle

Lizards

Common Five-lined Skink

Snakes

Common Gartersnake

Northern Watersnake

Dekay’s Brownsnake

Eastern Foxsnake

Not much a snake list considering how many species we have in southwestern Ontario. There are many I hope to come across this year. 

James Bay - short summary and photos

Earlier this month, I was given the opportunity to help w/ a Red Knot study on the James Bay Coast: 2 weeks in a remote camp counting shorebirds. So rewarding and a study I would love to take part in again. Many thanks to Mark Peck of the ROM for the opportunity and Christian Friis of Canadian Wildlife Service for arranging my safe arrival and departure to the project. Also many thanks to the Moose Cree First Nation for renting our their camps for the study and their support of the project.

Major highlights:

- Having a Gray Wolf walking unbelievably close to Mark P. and I at the end of our 20k walk from Little Piskwamish Camp to the Longridge Camp. I will never forget that moment.

- A family of Beluga Whales with two adults and one juvenile at Beluga Bay. I spent many days scanning for Belugas so it was such a reward to get relatively close looks of them just off the coast.

- A huge flock of White-rumped Sandpipers flying and separating around me so that I could hear their wingbeats as I was surrounded.

- Successfully reading the tags of Red Knots and seeing 250+ birds in a single day.

- The sense of accomplishment of finishing the 20km walk from Little Piskwamish to Longride with Mark P. even though I had an injured knee and terrible heal sores.

- Seeing my first Sharp-tailed Grouse from the Polar Bear Express as it perched on the hydro wires next to the tracks.

- A spectacular show of Northern Lights. Huge sheets of green waving and shifting across the sky looking like a portal into another universe. I literally gasped.

I wanted to share a few of my pictures on my blog from the trip as well.

 Our helicopter into camp. My first helicopter ride.

 The gorgeous James Bay Coast at low tide. You could get kilometers away from shore and still be in shallow water. The feeling of total isolation is amazing.

 Our study bird, the Red Knot. We were getting counts on adults versus juveniles and also tracking banded birds.

 The Gray Wolf. A truly beautiful moment.

 Another example of the coast. 

 Hudsonian Godwit juvenile - one of 3 new year birds for my 300 year. I came back from James Bay sitting at 299. 

The Team:

 Left to right: Mark Peck, Alex Howard, Aus Taverner, myself, Mark Field, and Greg Stuart.

 When wildlife entered the camp, the cameras came out.

One of my favourite mornings. So quiet and calm and those colours spilling over the horizon.

 View of the coast from the chopper ride back to Moosonee. We flew over flocks of Sandhill Cranes, Canada Geese, and Snow Geese.

Sunset while riding the Polar Bear Express.