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)

Butterflies of 2012

In putting together a mammal and herptile list, I figure I might as well share my butterfly list for last year as well (I'll also eventually get back to birds and post my final 305 bird list from 2012 and a summary at some point!). 2012 was an amazing year for butterflies in Ontario w/ many rarities recorded in high numbers. My personal list is going to be a bit patchy as I'm putting it together from rough notes, emails, and eButterfly entries but I think I can remember most of the species I saw (butterfliers, please let me know if any of my picture ID's are incorrect). One of my new years resolutions this year is to keep better field notes of other wildlife sightings than just birds. Butterflies marked w/ a '*' were lifers.

Skippers

Silver-spotted Skipper
*Northern Cloudywing

Photo by Mark Field - Rainy River District

*Dreamy Duskywing

Photo by Mark Field - Everard Road, Thunder Bay District

*Common Checkered-Skipper

Photo by me - iBinned (record shot...?)

Common Least Skipper

European Skipper

Fiery Skipper

*Indian Skipper

Photo by Mark Field

*Sachem

*Hobomok Skipper

Photo by Mark Field - Everard Road, Thunder Bay District

Swallowtails

Black Swallowtail

Giant Swallotail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

Photo by me - Everard Road, Thunder Bay District

Spicebush Swallowtail

Whites and Sulphurs

Cabbage White

*Mustard White - first seen at Moosonee Sewage Lagoons

Clouded Sulphur

*Little Yellow - multiples seen at Point Pelee
*Sleepy Orange - 1 Point Pelee (NW Beach) w/ Marianne Reid Balkwill, Tom Preney, and Russ Jones
*Dainty Sulphur - multiples at Hillman Marsh

Photo by me -Hillman Marsh, Shorebird Cell

Coppers, Hairstreaks, Blues

Bronze Copper

Photo by me - iBinned at Couture Dyke, Hillman Marsh

Banded Hairstreak
*White-M Hairstreak -first seen at Sparrow Field w/ Matt Timpf. Saw another later in the summer w/ Marianne

Photo by me (I need a real camera)

Gray Hairstreak
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Spring Azure
Summer Azure
*Silvery Blue

Photo by Mark Field - Rainy River District

Brushfoots

American Snout
Variegated Fritillary
Great Spangled Fritillary
*Silver-bordered Fritillary

 Photo by Mark Field - Rainy River District

*Silvery Checkerspot

Photo by Mark Field - Agawa Bay

Pearl Crescent

Photo by me - Hillman Marsh

Northern Crescent

Baltimore Checkerspot

Photo by me -Sunnybrook Park, Toronto

Question Mark

Eastern Comma

Mourning Cloak

Photo by Mark Field - Everard Road, Thunder Bay District

American Lady

Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Common Buckeye

 Photo by me - Comber Sewage Lagoons

White Admiral

Photo by Mark Field - Rainy River Sewage Lagoons

Viceroy

 Photo by me - St. Clair National Wildlife Refuge

Hackberry Emperor

Appalachian Eyed Brown

Little Wood Satyr

 Photo by Mark Field - Rocky Point

Common Ringlet

Common Wood-Nymph

Monarch

Red-spotted Purple

Total Species: 52 

Total Lifers: 14

Photos from Rainy River - Part 1

I rarely post photos on my blog and a big part of this comes from the fact that I don't own a proper camera. I've absolutely given thought to purchasing a good camera as I'm learning how important they are for identification and documenting your experiences in the field. However, the first major purchase on my radar is a new pair of binoculars. Dragging around an old pair of Bushnells has made me a bit self-conscious but they do get the job done. I own a spotting scope I'm happy with now but it's time I upgrade my bins.

Anyway, right now I'm restricted to using my iPhone for wildlife photography, which is surprisingly efficient if you're not looking to get stellar shots but rather are using the photos for identification or submission to the OBRC. iPhone-scoping and iPhone-binoscoping have allowed me to get records photos that were never possible before. Supporting photo evidence always makes writing a report easier.

For all of my iPhone photos, you can visit my Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyhatt/
A warning to be prepared for some silly friends photos on my Flickr page. I have my photos broken into sets.

Some of these photos have been altered with Instagram as well. More to come!

  

This Cattle Egret was our first stop in Keswick. My second of the year. First was at the Hillman Marsh Shorebird Cell in May. 

  We saw this gorgeous double rainbow over the Trans-Canada Highway. I loved how the highway actually went to the end of the rainbow. 

Sunset over Pumpkin Point Marsh, Sault Ste. Marie. This is where we photographed the region's first-recorded Common Gallinule, a sighting we were quite proud of.

 

In the north, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is replaced with the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, abundant along the Trans-Canada and along Everard Road, Thunder Bay County, pictured here. These butterflies were getting nutrients from dung on the road.

 We rescued this Painted Turtle off the highway. There are 4 subspecies of Painted Turtle in North America: Western, Eastern, Midland, and Southern. In Ontario, any Painted Turtle seen south of Lake Superior is the Midland subspecies. In Northwestern Ontario, we get the Western subspecies, pictured here. The darkly-marked plastron and range identify this subspecies.

Emo Sewage Lagoons. One of many locations we checked multiple times for Eared Grebe. 

My Big Ontario Year

Yes, it took me a while to come around this year and decide to do an official big year but somewhere just before spring migration I came out and admitted I was trying to see 300 species in Ontario in the 2012 calendar year. This is, of course, unless I only reach 299 and if by including December of 2011 instead of December of 2012 I can get to 300...then I will cheat. That Essex County Great Gray Owl is my fail-safe. I kid.

It hit me after my first trip to Thunder Bay in February that maybe I could try this. Andrew Keaveney, Mark Field, and I headed up north to go for a number of northern species, including some reliable rarities in the area. On the trip, we ended up getting Harris's Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, as well as the expected guys: Pine and Evening Grosbeak, Hoary and Common Redpoll, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and American White Pelican. Andrew, bless him, had me convinced that 300 would now be easy since I've already got rarities in the bag.

Maybe it was the extensive driving on these trips, or something about the clean northern air, that I hummed and I hawed a lot until something clicked and I was like, "oh what the heck, let's go for 300 this year!!"

That's when my year changed completely.

I've had an amazing time of it. So far, I've birded more than I ever had during any year as a birdwatcher, I've learned a TON in the process, especially in regards to Ontario species' ranges and abundance, I've looked at eBird 10-100 times a day to keep myself posted on sightings around the province, and I've witnessed the craziness that surrounds being a big year-er. Now, I'm no competitor, so don't mistake my big year as an aim for first place. There are other young bucks who will get some obscene number by year end. I'm happy w/ getting to 300 and commend them for taking on such a bigger challenge than I! It's been a pleasure to watch their progress.

I feel pretty good about my standings right now. It's nearing the end of June and I currently sit at 288 species, my latest being Eared Grebe. I have only a few common guys left to see like Sanderling and Snow Bunting. I'm behind on shorebirds: Curlew Sandpiper (uh oh), Purple Sandpiper, Red Knot, Western Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. I have owls to see or hear: Great-Gray, Boreal, Northern Hawk-...but I'm not sure how many more times I can go north! Then there are the gulls: Black-legged Kittiwake, Black-headed, Sabine's, Ross's, Ivory...ok those last two are just dreaming but why not? There are the 3 jaegers. I've got two birds of prey that are remotely possible: Swainson's Hawk and Mississippi Kite. I'm behind a couple sparrows: Nelson's and Lark. So I've got some birds to work w/. And rarities will show up. Glossy Ibis, Northern Wheatear, Black-throated Sparrow...sure, Jeremy. With a bit of help from Marianne in the Pelee area in the fall, I should be on my way to glory.

Although fortune has been on my side many times this year (Western Tanager, Laughing Gull, California Gull, Ross's Goose to name a few), I've also had some savage misses. The aforementioned Great Gray, which I would have seen January 1st had I decided on a big year from the start, White-winged Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon, Varied Thrush, Smew, Western Grebe (my nemesis again!), Bell's Vireo, Kirtland's Warbler, Little Blue Heron, Curlew Sandpiper.

The list goes on and on, but that's birding for you. If we got every single bird we ever chased, we'd be too blessed. It's the dip, the crushing disappointment, that puts us in our place, that makes us charge into the field even harder the next trip. But boy those dips do sting...