More Algonquin April Birding

Last Thursday, there was a little bit of rain in the forecast, but with the south winds, I figured I should head out birding at the Old Airfield in Algonquin Park anyways. Lucky for me, the rain subsided early in the day, and I ended up having my best day of birding of the year thus far.

Not a ton of new arrivals per se, but certainly a good number of species on the move. The day started off well with an Eastern Phoebe soon after the rain stopped, the first of the year. 

In late morning, an Eastern Meadowlark dropped in, which was great to see. I believe this is a different bird than the one from a couple of days prior. 

I saw two Sandhill Cranes fly over, which are pretty scarce migrants and breeders in the Park.

A short while later, a lone Double-crested Cormorant flew by, far away and high up. I think this ties the early record.

And just five minutes after that, I spied an immature Golden Eagle migrating in the distance. No (conclusive) photos of that one though! 

A nice male American Kestrel also visited in the early afternoon.

The headliner for the day were Common Redpolls. I counted an incredible 3740 individuals migrating southbound. Why they were headed that way, is beyond me. Here is a portion of a flock of 500+ that I saw.

Here is my eBird checklist.

In some other Algonquin birding odds and ends, Winter Wren was a new one for the year on April 8. April 9 brought two new birds: Northern Flicker and Blue-winged Teal. The teal are of particular excitement, as they are a very uncommon spring migrant and were a new species for my park list.

Yesterday yielded no new year birds, despite spending most of the day birding on good winds. Perhaps driving from London and getting back at 3am was not the best idea after all! That's just how it goes sometimes! This morning I found a little bit of movement had occurred, as I found Hermit Thrush, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, and Wilson's Snipe in the Old Airfield. 

I've been quite happy with what I've been seeing so far (it somewhat offsets my sour feelings about missing a Black-necked Stilt back home), and am quite excited to see what else is to come. The beauty of Algonquin Park birding...it doesn't take much to make us happy! 

April in Algonquin Update

 A title I just may reuse later if I feel so inclined...

Spring migration is well underway here in Algonquin Park. After months of seeing the same species day in and day out, it is nice to see some new arrivals.

With it being spring once again, I have made it my goal to bird the Old Airfield as much as possible. It makes a good place for a walk before work, even if I do have to back track to get back to the Visitor Centre! The Old Airfield has hosted many rarities over the years, and with any luck, I will add some to that list. 

The first Turkey Vultures and Great Blue Heron of the year showed up at the airfield on Sunday, which were lovely to see.

Yesterday, Jeff Skevington found an Eastern Meadowlark in the airfield. This is an almost annual migrant in the park, but very hit and miss, and was a big target of mine this spring. I was really hoping to find my own, so it was with reluctance I decided to twitch it after work. I might not get another chance to see one this spring, after all. It wasn't long before I heard its song, and located it in a tree. 

This is an extra special sighting for me, because it marked my 170th species of bird seen in Algonquin Park. As of writing, this is the threshold species count to get on the "short list" of Algonquin bird listers. I still have quite the long way to go, but it was nice to finally reach that milestone. 

I decided to hang around the rest of the evening and see what else was moving. As it turned out, not much. I had a Killdeer fly over, only my second in the park (and my first since being on contract), which was nice to see. After sunset, the first woodcocks of the year were displaying.

This morning, the weather looked like it might be a good day, so I, of course, headed to the airfield. 

The river mouth was pretty productive in terms of waterfowl, with the first Ring-necked Duck and Wood Ducks of the year. There were also a number of black ducks, a Common Merganser, and Hooded Mergansers. 

Ring-necked Duck

Lots of robins were on the move, by the end of the day I counted nearly 80. Probably more that I missed.

American Crows were moving in small numbers. I only saw a few ravens.

After I walked around for a bit, I picked a spot to sit down and just watched. It wasn't really a hawkwatching day as it would turn out (took 8 hours to spot my first hawk), but it was neat seeing a few birds drop in. Nothing too crazy, and no new park birds, but there were some spring migrants that were on the early side. These included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Bluebird, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrel and a Tree Swallow.

Belted Kingfisher

Eastern Bluebird

The "best" bird of the day was probably an American Pipit, which appears to be record early by about two weeks. I am sure Ron Tozer will confirm or deny this statement before long!

I ended my 10.5 hour day tired, wind burnt, and with 39 species. I just couldn't keep going and find that 40th! Woodcock would have been guaranteed, but as I push "publish" on this post, they would have only just started to display!  Here is my eBird checklist.

Tomorrow is supposed to be wet. Rain means one of two things to the Algonquin birder: good birds or a bad time! Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Homebound Northbound

Migrants have been slow to trickle through, but when they are moving, we don't have to go far to see them!

I have much enjoyed spending time around home looking for birds. On clear mornings, I like to sit in my backyard and count birds as they fly over. The highlight is always Common Loons. In the past week I have counted a total of over 180 loons migrating over my house, 124 in one day!

All the loons have been northbound, except one, which was in basic (non-breeding) plumage. That one was heading south. A bit odd if I do say so myself!

Loon going the wrong way

With the loons, there are occasionally small flocks of Double-crested Cormorants that go by.

I've even mananged to get a couple yard birds out of it! The most surprising was probably Eastern Meadowlark (I live in a subdivsion), which was also a new neighbourhood bird.  I also had a couple American Wigeons this evening.

Broad-winged Hawks are moving through in small numbers. I have had a few over my yard.

As well as in one of the local woodlots.

After the morning watches are over, I try to go on a walk around the neighbourhood. A few days ago an American Bittern was found at a wetland near me. This is the second bittern I have seen there, the first being one I found in 2018. American Bitterns are surprisingly rare in the county! I saw it again today.

The Virginia Rail I found last weekend now has a friend. The habitat isn't great, but is sufficent, so one has to wonder just how long they'll stick around. Other wetland birds are moving in, such as this Green Heron.

Odds and ends include my first of year Northern Rough-winged, Barn and Bank Swallows, as well as my first Fox Sparrow of the year. Funny enough I has just been thinking about Fox Sparrows when this one popped up!

Word is on the street that tomorrow is looking good for birds...we shall see.

Pits to the Park

Today I did a little bit of birding locally.

This morning I checked out the "Komoka Pits", a series of old quarry ponds. These ponds often attract many types of water birds.

I checked out a little park with a couple small ponds. I was pleased to find a pair of Blue-winged Teals in one of the ponds.

There was also some Lesser Scaup, Canada Geese, and a Cooper's Hawk made a fly by.

Canada Goose

I checked out the main big pond, where I found an assortment of ducks such as Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneye, and Common Mergansers.

I also found my first Common Loons of the year. Loons are one of my favourites.

Later in the afternoon I went to Fanshawe Park, in search of anything I could find.

I scoped out the lake for any waterfowl, but all I was able to find were a few Pied-billed Grebes.

I had more luck in a smaller pond, where I found, much to my delight, all three species of mergansers! Red-breasted Mergansers are uncommon in Middlesex, so I was happy to see them.

It wasn't long after I heard the very distinct call of the Eastern Meadowlark, my first of the year. It didn't take long to find two at the top of a tree. In all, there were four.

It was also a treat to see about eight Tree Swallows, my first "big" group of the year.

I also took a little bit of time to enjoy some of the more common woodland birds, still coming to feed on bird seed left at a trail head (but no Fox Sparrow today!)

Red-bellied Woodpecker

American Tree Spa

Black-capped Chickadee

Down to Rondeau

On Saturday, I headed down to Rondeau for the afternoon.

I will just get it over with now...I didn't see the White-winged Dove. I'm really am starting to dislike that bird.....We've spent hundreds of dollars trying to find it!!!!

Along Talbot Trail I found a Dickcissel, but I didn't get any photos. Number 221 on the Weekend Big Year.

As soon as entering the park, we came across a pair of White-tailed Deer.

There was an Eastern Foxsnake at the Dog Beach. Other snakes seen in the park include Garter and an Eastern Ribbonsnake. This is only the second foxsnake I've ever seen. The first was a small one that bit me in 2015 when I tried to pick it up.

I checked out Tulip Tree Trail (TTT), which is where I found my first Prothonotary Warblers for Chatham-Kent. Two males and a female.

There a few White-breasted Nuthatches hanging out on the first little bit of Harrison. They were doing some mating ritual that I've never seen before. It was kind of cool.

There were many odes hanging around including a few species of darners, saddlebags, bluets, skimmers, and spreadwings.

Emerald Spreadwing

I saw a few butterflies as well, including my first Giant Swallowtail of the year.

Little Wood-Satyr

Red Admiral

Six-spotted Tiger Beetles are more or less common in Rondeau.

This White-tailed Deer didn't appear distressed by our presence on TTT.

There was a pair of Blue-tailed Skinks, Ontario's only lizard, on TTT as well. Quite fast and skittish. Every time I thought I had lost them, they would pop up somewhere else. This went on for awhile, but I was able to get some photos.

Tulip Tree Trail is aptly named.

There were few birds in the park, and most of the ones I did find were by voice only.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

I left the park after about four and a half hours and went to Blenheim Sewage Lagoons.

Birdsfoot Trefoil has really come up in the last few days.

Red-winged Blackbirds were very territorial. I was dive-bombed at one point. While the birds will rarely strike you, it can be a bit of a terrifying experience to have a screeching mass of feathers and claws descend upon you.

This juvenile wasn't trying to attack me

Killdeer was the most common shorebird, with over thirty seen. Spotted Sandpipers were the only other species of shorebird.

Plenty of Painted Turtles, and one Common Snapping Turtle, were seen.

There were hundreds of bluets (Familiar?). Some Eastern Forktails as well.

Black Saddlebags were common, as were Common Green Darners.

CGD

Best dragonfly was a Halloween Pennant, my first for the year.

Not as many butterflies as I expected, but I did find a couple, including lifer Bronze Copper.

Bronze Copper

Black Swallowtail

As for birds, it wasn't overly exciting, but I did have a couple decent finds. Greater Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks were continuing birds.

Ring-necked Duck

Ruddy Duck (L) and Greater Scaup (R)

Other ducks such as Wood Duck, Mallard, and Ruddy Ducks were found.

Mallards and Wood Duck (Bottom R)

There was also an American Coot and a Pied-billed Grebe.

American Coot

Savannah Sparrows were very common and some were nesting.

Another grassland nesting species was Eastern Meadowlark. There were a few adults and one fairly young one, which was still quite orange overall.

Erieau was last. I was hoping to find a rare gull or two, but it was not to be.

There were a few terns, both Common and Forester's.

This Common Grackle managed to get a fish that a Ring-billed Gull dropped.

Eastern Kingbirds are known to be VERY territorial....

Flashback to Last Summer...

This is the first time I witnessed one take on a gull.

It was a pretty good day. I'll be spending the next few days up in Orillia with my class, so hopefully I'll come back with a few stories that are worth sharing!

Also, this is my 100th post on the blog!