Ontario Hummingbird Project

Well, the TOC meeting last night was a very interesting one. Cindy Cartwright was the speaker and she gave a presentation on the commencement of the Ontario Hummingbird Project. It was interesting to hear some of the plans that the Project will undertake and also some of the arguments that have already come about.

For example, one researcher believes that hummingbirds do not fly over large bodies of water during migration (Great Lakes, etc.). Murmuring from the crowd quickly indicated that Ontario birders have actually seen this occur. I know I've seen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly south off the tip of Pelee and a few members gave accounts of seeing hummers land on boats for a rest-stop in Erie and Ontario Lakes. There is also evidence of hummers using the islands in Lake Erie to get across the lake with reports from Pelee Island. I'm not sure what evidence this particular researcher is using (they believe the hummers circumvent the lakes and fly through the Detroit River area). Cindy Cartwright now thinks that the ability to fly over large bodies of water is age or sex-dependent, but more study is needed.

She also explained the difficulty in getting population counts, as hummers are difficult to band, it's hard to find nests (especially in pine trees), and also the discrepancy in counts at feeders. There are two methods of counting the number of hummers in a yard. It's estimated that a hummingbird will feed for about 15 minutes at a time then fly away from the yard, so the first method is to count in 15-minute intervals (a few problems immediately come to mind for this). The other method is to count all the hummingbirds you see, then multiply that number by 6. Cindy truly dislikes this method and I can imagine why.

The current aim of the Project is to get awareness out there (to gain a larger volunteer base) and continued funding support. There is a potential volunteer base outside of the birding community for those who simply enjoy feeding hummingbirds in their yard. Another idea that came up at the meeting was to have one person at each Hawk Count in Ontario keep track of the number of hummingbirds that fly through during the fall. Lastly, Cindy told the group that there is a lack of interest/awareness regarding rarer species of hummingbirds in Ontario. She believes that more species are probably seen a year than actually reported due to the casual observer simply identifying a hummingbird as a Ruby-throat without really paying attention to the details. Hopefully her Project can shed some more light on the Ontario status of hummingbirds in the years to come.

You can visit the Ontario Hummingbird Project website here. The site includes tips on attracting hummingbirds, volunteer opportunities, range maps, upcoming events, and other important information.

2008 - a new year, many new birds

I'm back!! Yes, after 2 weeks of being home during the holidays, I'm back in Toronto with wireless internet (= more posts...it just doesn't happen with dial-up, which I was forced to use at my parents' house). Thought I should provide a few updates to start off 2008. It's always exciting to begin a new year. You get to finalize your year list for the prior year (a 2007 list is on its way), you get to start a new year list, and yes, spring migration is just around the corner.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Marianne and I were not able to be the first to Point Pelee on January 1, 2008, however, we were some of the last people to be at the tip in 2007 as we went to the park on December 31. Well, there wasn't much activity but we quickly met up with Adam and Rosa Lee Hall and Adam Pinch in Sparrow Field where we saw Red-bellied and Downy Woodpecker and a few flocks of Cedar Waxwings (no Bohemians, which I was really hoping for). I didn't write anything down from that day, though, so I can't remember if we had anything else. At the tip, we had the regulars; a few Bonies, Herring and Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gull as well as Mergansers, Bufflehead, and a single, female Black Scoter. Later, after a short visit with Henrietta O'Niell, who informed us that she had not found any owls across from the Dunes picnic area, we had a single Common Redpoll flyover. On Christmas Day, at my aunt and uncle's house in Sarnia, I saw about 30-40 Redpolls at their backyard feeder.

Also during the break, I had great luck with raptors. In total, I had 6 species including Northern Harrier, Cooper's, Red-tailed, and Rough-legged Hawks, American Kestrel, and Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle was a juvenile bird lacking the white head and tail of the adults (which eagles acquire in their 4rth year). Kestrels are still easy to find along country roads and Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks are easily found along the 401 (I saw both species along the highway while I was riding the Greyhound home). One of the Rough-legged Hawks between Windsor and and Comber on the 401 was a dark morph adult. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that this was a first for me, possibly second. I wish I could have got a better look than the one I got (125 km/hr through a frosted window). The only other sighting of note I can think of right now was on January 2nd, when I had an American Coot at the warm-water outlet pipe at Muddy Creek.

In other news, I added 2 more books to my field guides collection: The Peterson Guide to Gulls of the Americas and Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide. I haven't had much time to look through them yet but I do have to study my gulls a bit before my next outing, a trip led by Glenn Coady along the Toronto waterfront to spot gulls.

I'll be updating much more frequently as I start to check out my Toronto haunts again (Humber Bay Parks, High Park, and the Waterfront for gulls). Oh, and I just remembered my last bit o' news: I'll be a Toronto Ornithological Club (TOC) member by March of this year...which is kind of ridiculous considering I might be moving back home to Leamington in April, but I want access to the ROM!

Happy New Year!

Brief update

Yes, it's been a long time since my last post but this season has a way of bogging one down in business. I have been working many hours this past month and most mornings that I have off, I have slept in, catching up for all of the 6-hour sleeps I had during the week.

However, updates will come soon, mainly from the holidays when I'll be able to birdwatch Pelee again. My Greyhound trip home is only 2 days away and after Christmas, I plan to bird, bird, bird. It's become a bit of a tradition for Marianne and I to be the first birders to the tip on New Year's Day so hopefully we'll be out there to find the first birds of the year!

I'm also on my way to becoming a member of the Toronto Ornithological Club. The irony is that by the time I become a member, I'll be moving back to Leamington! That is, unless a good job falls into my lap (unlikely). One of the most exciting aspects of being a member is that I will get a tour of the ROM's bird collection and I can look through the files for all of Ontario's rare bird reports. I could spend a week reading those and not get bored! I also finally checked out the Toronto Reference Library and they have a wonderfully large section of texts and guides on birds. I sat for about an hour perusing field guides I plan to purchase, some rare texts, and a few guides that I didn't even know existed. A day spent looking through all of this material is something I definitely plan to do once I get back to Toronto.

So stay tuned for upcoming updates and hopefully things will settle down in 2008 so I can start posting again...and of course, go birding as often as possible.

Humber Bay East/West and High Park OFO Trip

On Sunday, December 9, David Milsom lead an OFO trip to Humber Bay, Colonel Sam Smith Park (southwest of Humber Bay), and High Park. All in all, it was a great trip lasting from 9:00am to 4:30pm with a total of 56 species, good for a day of birding in December.

I personally knew I was in for a good day within minutes as the first birds we saw walking away from the parking lot in Humber Bay East were a group of Trumpeter Swans in the small ponds adjacent to the bay. There were 2 adults and 2 juvenile birds, all trumpeting a few meters away from the group (32 people total to start). This was a lifer for me, as the species is now considered countable after enough years post-reintroduction. This is one of many lifers I've gotten this fall, probably due to being on Lake Ontario versus Lake Erie where some of the species that are difficult to find in my hometown are quite easily found here. Other waterfowl (and waterbirds) present in the ponds and also at Humber Bay East/West included Common Loon (3), Horned Grebe (1), American Coot, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, American Black Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Redhead (good numbers mixed in with large rafts of Scaup), Greater and Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck (numerous), singles of Black and White-winged Scoter (each only seen by a few members of the group), Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Hooded, Red-breasted, and Common Merganser, and a single, nonbreeding male Ruddy Duck.

Landbirds were few and far between but in Humber Bay East/West we saw Northern Shrike, American Tree Sparrow, Chickadees, 2 Northern Mockingbirds, and a Killdeer at the warm-water outlet near the white archway connecting Humber Bay East and West.

We then headed to Colonel Sam Smith Park (at the foot of Kipling Avenue), which was a new area to bird for me and it produced some good birds. There we had 8 Snow Buntings, an American Kestrel, an American Pipit, American Tree Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, a single Winter Wren, and 4 Red-necked Grebes. At this point, it began to snow a bit more intensely so visibility was low. There was also the trouble with ice; two members slipped and fell leaving us with a knee and ankle injury.

Those brave enough to stay out in the snowfall then drove to High Park to visit the north end of Grenadier Pond where open water is still available. Here there were Mallards, a Great Blue Heron, 3 Swamp Sparrows, and the highlight for the day, a secretive Virginia Rail found by Chris Escott. In this area, we also picked up American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, and a few other passerine species.

The trip proved that winter birding can be a great time, especially when some of our common species produce the most excitement. Unfortunately, no white-winged gulls were present.

Humber River birding

Well, I don't have much to report from today's trip as the cold brought me back inside and next to my radiators with a blanket and the remote control fairly quickly. Note to self: buy warmer gloves.

I decided to try somewhere different than High Park or Humber Bay East today so I hopped on the streetcar and transferred onto the subway to get to Old Mill Station where the trails run along the Humber River (including Etienne Bule Park, King's Mill Park, and Home Smith Park). My hope was to get Pine Grosbeak but I unfortunately wasn't that lucky. Note to self: don't get hopes up for Pine Grosbeak.

The area is decent for birding with open water that had Mallards, Canada Geese, and Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. In the wooded areas, I found Chickadees, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch, Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, Cardinals, a flock of Blue Jays, 3 Purple Finches, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, a single Brown Creeper, and two perched Red-tailed Hawks overlooking the river.

I did get some neat mammal sightings though. I saw my second Red Fox for Toronto skulking through the trees near the river. The last time I saw one was at High Park. There was also a Muskrat in the river and once I got home, Jess and I saw a Raccoon in the trees outside our apartment window.

The next time I go out, I think I'll try Humber Bay East again since there are a lot of waterfowl on the lake right now. Note to self: buy warmer gloves.

Lifer! Brant (status pending?)

Photo courtesy of "Michael" on the Toronto and Southern Ontario Birding Forum.

On Saturday, a single Brant (pale-bellied) was reported from Harbour Square, Toronto, just west of Queens Quay where the ferries dock to cross to Center Island. The initial reporter mentioned that the bird was probably an escape as it was mingling with some resident Canada Geese in the small park next to the lake and was very easily approached. However, another person posted a reply on Sunday saying the bird actually had an injured leg (extreme swelling of the tarsus) and said that was the reason for the approachability. I decided to investigate (especially seeing as the bird is a lifer for me).

Here is where I attempt to rationalize why I am counting this species:

1) Time of year indicated that it could in fact be a wild-type bird as the report falls within fall migration dates.

2) The injury to the tarsus tells me that the bird stopped in a sheltered place in the small park among Canada geese in a metropolitan area where there is constant food availability and it is safer. Sadly, it could also mean it was injured by a pedestrian (I've seen Canada Geese along the Waterfront trail with injured wings). I believe it's due to the injury that the bird is so approachable (versus escapee). The leg is swollen enough that the bird will take a few steps then rest down on its belly and feed from a sitting position.

3) The bird didn't have any bands, nor did it have a deep belly, often demonstrated by domesticated waterfowl.

4) The bird was flying without any trouble, moving back and forth between the lake and the water (there is no beach here, so the geese have to fly over a railing to get to the lake).

5) I do not know Brant as a common domestic goose, nor do I often hear of escapes. However, when it comes down to it, someone could argue the exact opposite and probably convince me that the bird is uncountable. Perhaps a 6th point in my list could read "I need Brant for my lifelist." I guess I can rest easy on the fact that I'll no doubt get Brant in Ontario in the future.

Any thoughts?

High Park - Saturday

Just a quick update on my trip to High Park last Saturday. The weather was really great, cold but not bone-chilling and bird activity was decent. Immediately upon entering the park, I heard Robins and Chickadees singing as well as an abundance of Starlings (always present in large numbers). Just north of Colborne Lodge, I had Downy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and White-breasted Nuthatch. There is an area just around the bend from the first parking lot in the park where someone puts out seed for the local birds and this keeps a number of the species just mentioned close-by (White-breasted Nuthatches always look like they're about to land on me and then turn in flight at the last second). In this spot, there were a lot of White-throated Sparrows feeding, a few Juncos, and a lot of House Sparrows. Overhead I heard a few flocks of Goldfinches. As I walked past this location, I saw an owl fly off in the distance (being harassed by songbirds). By its size, I would say Great Horned or Barred but I couldn't be sure. Still a nice sighting.

Later, I decided to check Grenadier Pond. There are still good numbers of Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, and Mallard. This time, I counted 5 Domestic Mallard types versus the three I've had consistently in the past. Only 1 pair of Mute Swan is present right now. Lastly, I had a single female Ruddy Duck on the pond. She actually swam right up to the shore into the shallows and preened for a while right in front of me. Sometimes I hate not having a camera.

Later on, on some trails, I had a flock of Common Redpoll fly over me while I was looking at a large group of Robins and Juncos (in another area where birds are often fed seed). In this location, I also had an interesting Junco that showed slight white wing-bars; not to the extent shown in Sibley's but not far off. I don't recall ever seeing this before.

Lastly, I have to report a Rufous Hummingbird right in Kingsville that has been hanging out at a feeder there for about a week now. Once again, a significantly rare bird is within short driving distance of my Leamington home and I can't go to see it! Although I was successful with my last chases, Northern Wheatear and White-faced Ibis, this bird is definitely going to go unseen by me. Oh well, there will be others!

Butterflies of Panama City Beach and other Wildlife

Although I thought the Red-cockaded Woodpecker post would be my last Panama City Beach Trip discussion, here comes another aspect of my trip that I forgot to mention before: other wildlife! Although birds always come first when I'm in the field, I also study butterflies and dragonflies, and pay attention to any other wildlife like mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Unfortunately, I do not have a comprehensive dragonfly guide so I skipped trying to identify new species. However, I did get 4 new butterfly species.

My list of butterflies is short and this is no doubt due to the time of year as well as me mostly paying attention to birds. However, here are the species I recorded (those with stars were new species):

Monarch - I saw Monarchs everywhere but always in small numbers.

*Gulf Fritillary - by far the most common species, this butterfly was most abundant right in Panama City Beach. There were hundreds along the beach, along the road, in marshes, and next to woodlots.

Buckeye - quite common

*Cloudless Sulphur - common and found in all of the same locations as Gulf Fritillary but in far fewer numbers (usually 1 or 2 per location)

*Long-tailed Skipper - this attractive skipper was fairly common in open areas and along roadsides

Least Skipper - found in similar locations as Long-tailed Skipper but more abundant in marshy locations

*Little Yellow - a single individual at Apalachicola National Forest

In the mammal category, I saw White-tailed Deer, a Coyote at roadside, Raccoon (roadkill), and numerous wild Dogs and Domestic Cats. I wasn't lucky enough to see any dolphins on this trip.

Reptiles: Five-lined Skink, which was numerous in St. Andrew's State Park and a single, large Alligator at St. Andrew's as well (basking in the sun).

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

As promised, I'm finally getting around to making a post on my Red-cockaded Woodpecker sightings. I'll start right from the beginning.

Early on in the planning of our trip, I mentioned to my parents that we were about an hour and a half hour drive from one of the best spots to see an endangered species that is on the decline. With enough persistence, I was able to get them intrigued and they agreed to drive me there on one of the days of our trip to Panama City Beach. We decided on Friday, the day before my brother's race but there was a catch. Although we left early in the morning to head for Apalachicola National Forest (Florida's largest national forest), we had to be back to the hotel by 2:00 to take my brother's (Jamie) bike to the race transition area. We left and arrived at the park by 8:00 giving us 4 hours to find the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (listed as common year-round in the ABA Birder's Guide to Florida). I was in charge of directions and although I had looked at both the atlas and the birder's guide before leaving, I still managed to take us down the wrong road into the park (which was also a longer route than was necessary). So, the entire time we were looking for the birds (and trees marked with a white ring around their base indicating cavity locations), we were in the wrong location. Mind you, the birding was great here so it wasn't all bad. As mentioned in an earlier post, we found Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, and Pileated Woodpecker...but no Red-cockaded. Warblers were abundant and Eastern Bluebirds were constantly flying past.

Around 10:30 I started to feel the urgency and it was around that time that I also realized we were on the wrong road! Change of plans, we quickly drove south on the road to a "town" called Sumatra, which was actually just a small gas station. I decided to go in and ask if there were any reports of Red-cockaded Woodpecker nearby recently (even though I now knew we were on the right track). The woman in the gas station snickered at me and complained that "those woodpeckers stopped us from logging this land." I got a really bad Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe from the place so I quickly just told my parents to drive down the new road, called the Apalachee Savannahs Scenic Byway. The habitat here was made up of pristine, mature Longleaf/Wiregrass woods, shrub-swamp, and cypress stands providing a beautiful drive through pinewoods and savannah where controlled burning takes place. This is prime habitat for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which builds cavities in mature (60 years or older) Longleaf Pines that have been infected with Red-heart, a fungal disease that softens the heartwood. With such specific habitat requirements, it's no wonder the species is endangered in an area that is constantly undergoing development. I was also shocked to read that it might take up to three years to build a cavity, often undertaken by a trio of birds, an adult male and female with a young male from a previous brood. However, there are also human-made cavities in the area to further protect the species. Also interesting is that the birds drill 'resin wells' around the cavity entrance, which is thought to detract predators as well as identify the tree.

Finally, around 11:15, we found our first pines marked with the telltale white rings around their trunks. I knew I was running out of time and frantically searched for woodpeckers and listened for drumming but to no avail. Around noon, after we had driven most of the scenic byway and stopped at various white-marked trees, we had to give up and call it a day (I later learned that one of the calls I heard was indeed a Red-cockaded Woodpecker and I cursed myself for not listening to their calls on my tapes before leaving). My parents must have sensed my disappointment (and I daresay they were really getting into the hunt at that point) and so they agreed that we would come back the day we were leaving Panama City Beach, but this time we would start in the right location at dawn. The birds leave their cavities just before sunrise and it is the best time to see them as they often hang around their cavities for a while before spreading throughout the national forest.

Now, here's where the real fun begins. Sunday night, after the race on Saturday, there was a party going on at a nightclub that is adjacent to the United States' largest bar (so both are very popular). Jamie and I decided to go but didn't realize how late we'd be. I admit, I probably had a bit too much to drink (O.K., way too much to drink...especially since it took us an hour to walk home - and I was wearing flip-flops). The moment I stumbled into the hotel room (around 3:00am), my parents were already up packing for us to leave to go to Apalachicola National Forest and then home. At this point, I started drinking lots of water to try to sober up and slept maybe 20 minutes on the drive the park. When we got there, the brisk morning air woke me up and I no longer felt the alcohol. It was time to find this bird! About ten minutes after we stopped along the road at the first white-marked trees, my mom motioned me back to the van when she heard drumming on a nearby tree. I looked up and saw my first Red-cockaded Woodpecker. My relief, excitement, and the realization of just how rare this species is sunk in and I couldn't take my binoculars off the bird.

All of us got great looks after that. We ended up seeing about 5-6 birds in total, all of them noisy and active. At one point, I had three individuals on the same tree. Just before dawn is definitely the time to look for these birds and the experience is spectacular. I was actually able to witness one bird poke its head out of a cavity and then emerge and fly across to join two other birds. As I studied their field marks and behaviour, I noted the large white cheek patch, the white-barred black back, the dense spotting and barring on their underside, and their black tail. The red 'cockade' at the back of the head, which the species is named after, was not visible on any birds. Nor did any of the individuals I saw have any coloured bands. I also noted the social aspect of this species, forming small groups that actively nest and forage together. I couldn't get over how noisy they were with a strange nasal call that was made frequently. After about half an hour, the birds started to disperse as quickly as they had emerged. Definitely my best birding experience of the year.

Lifer! Red-necked Grebe

My second trip to Humber Bay East (November 20) was just as exciting as the first. This time around, I had all the same duck species and more. Long-tailed Duck still outnumbers all others (it's amazing how common they are on Lake Ontario compared to the western basin of Lake Erie where I'm used to). There are also good numbers of Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers and Bufflehead. However, Scaup numbers in the vicinity are low (I only saw 3 Lesser), and Scoters are virtually absent (the single White-winged Scoter female is still present in one of the marshes). Only 1 Common Loon was present again today.

In terms of marsh ducks, Mallards are very common while Gadwall, American Black Duck, American Wigeon, and Green-winged Teal are also present but in fewer numbers.

Somewhat surprisingly, I still had not seen a Red-necked Grebe until today so I was very excited to see a nonbreeding individual at close range, its yellow bill and buffy crescent quite distinctive. I believe this species is much more common on Lake Ontario but I'm not sure of its status in the eastern basin of Lake Erie (any comments here on its abundance on Lake Ontario versus Erie would be greatly appreciated). The Toronto Ornithological Club's status forms has peak numbers in the triple digits.

Inland, I had a single Mockingbird, both Kinglet species, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a lot of Dark-eyed Juncos and Chickadees, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Tree Sparrow, and a few migrating Goldfinches. Also present in the estuary were Killdeer, a Great Black-backed Gull, and a large group of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls.