WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, March 31, 2002
A heavy snowfall on Tuesday put a damper on the bird migration for the day in the Quinte area, but things were back to normal by the following day. Today, there were few reminders of that day as small numbers of SONG SPARROWS, TREE SWALLOWS, EASTERN PHOEBES and GREAT BLUE HERONS resumed their spring schedules. Yesterday, there were AMERICAN WOODCOCKS, EASTERN PHOEBES, and a FOX SPARROW at the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area. Another FOX SPARROW turned up on Tuesday in the Shannonville area. The OSPREY was seen at its traditional nesting area at the corner of County Road 28 and Massassauga Road, south of Rossmore, by several people yesterday.
A night of owling by the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists produced an EASTERN SCREECH OWL near Lake-on-the-Mountain, and another at Waupoos, along with 3 AMERICAN WOODCOCKS. Also putting in appearances in several locations during the week were EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, COMMON SNIPE, COMMON LOONS, and several RUFFED GROUSE. A WINTER WREN turned up at Beaver Meadow on Saturday, located by a Toronto birder. A PEREGRINE FALCON showed up along Cold Creek Road on Friday.
Still a few signs of winter though. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Babylon Road and County Road 13 numbered 34 on Monday, and a Bloomfield observer came across a flock of 20 SNOW BUNTINGS in a field north of the village on Wednesday. And on Keene Road, a flock of 60 COMMON REDPOLLS turned up in the middle of the week.
Waterfowl during the week showed up in some spectacular numbers. Skeins of CANADA GEESE were observed throughout the week with large gaggles turning up at Pleasant Bay (200), and similar numbers reported from South Bay. One home owner at West Lake had close to 500 on his lawn and on his grassed air strip this weekend. There were over 100 TUNDRA SWANS on Pleasant Bay during the week along with 4 MUTE SWANS. Large numbers and a good assortment can be seen right now on all lakes and bays in the area and some of the more interesting reports to come in during the week included HOODED MERGANSERS at Prince Edward Point, WOOD DUCKS at Beaver Meadow and Prince Edward Point, REDHEADS and CANVASBACKS at Smith's Bay, BUFFLEHEADS at Salmon Point, and RING-NECKED DUCKS and AMERICAN WIGEONS at East Lake.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Wight, Shirley Preston, Lloyd Paul, David and Yvette Bree, Shirley and Ken Joyce, Don Craighead, Dan Kozlovic, Fran Donaldson, Bill Hogg, Molly Mulloy, and Henry and Joan Pasila for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 7th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good spring birding everyone!
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
tsprague@kos.net
http://www.naturestuff.net
In Reply to: Port Perry Lagoons posted by Andy on March 25, 2002 at 14:58:49:
Yes, we would be interested and will pay the fee necessary, please inform us of outcome thanks.
In Reply to: Tree Swallows in Whitchurch-Stouffville posted by Al Johnston on March 31, 2002 at 11:08:55:
Yesterday I had my first swallows of the year with about five Tree Swallows at Humber Bay East. Other birds there included: 3 Ring-necked Ducks (2 male, 1 female), 1 male Hooded Merganser, 1 male Northern Shoveller. All of the usual wintering ducks were present, including both scaup with Lesser outnumbering Greater. There was also an adult Iceland Gull on the sandbar below the sewage treatment plant at Ashbridge's Bay (viewed from the SW tip of the park).
Good Birding Joel Kits
It seems a long time since Norm Murr reported a tree swallow east of Richmond Hill on March 12th but they're back in full force this morning. There must be several dozen of them swooping over the pond and some are already starting to lay claim to one of the 29 nest boxes scattered around the property. Good birding everone.... Al
The Peel Birding Class had its first spring outing today with a trip east to birding spots in the Durham region. We had Mute and Trumpeter Swans at Cranberry Marsh and several other waterfowl species as well including Shovellers, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Pintail, and Green and Blue-winged Teal. We also had good views of Tree, Song and Swamp Sparrows along the north platform boardwalk. Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds and Cardinals were quite vocal and a Carolina Wren was briefly heard from the woodlot bordering the NW corner of the marsh. Many people later enjoyed handfeeding the Chickadees along the bird feeder trail before we headed on to Thickson’s Woods.
We heard a group of crows making a loud fuss as we entered the woods so we headed directly for their location and managed a glimpse of a Great Horned Owl as it flew off to avoid its antagonists. A Carolina Wren was also briefly heard here as well and some Grackles but otherwise the woods were pretty quiet.We walked down the road to the marsh and had a look at a distant male Wood Duck, a courting pair of Hooded Mergansers, and a pair of Belted Kingfishers near the beaver dam. Two Great Blue Herons were seen flying north over the marsh and a solitary GBH was also seen standing at the pond at what used to be Picov”s.
From here we continued east to Second Marsh in Oshawa where we found more waterfowl including Black Ducks, Gadwall, and Common Mergansers. We also recorded Greater Black-backed Gull and Bufflehead and Com. Goldeneye in the lake proper. Perhaps the most interesting discovery here was not a bird but a weasel(I believe it was a Longtail Weasel, I’m not 100% sure, they are lightning fast!). He was "running in a bouncing fashion" through the grass and under the shrubs in broad daylight(which is apparently not uncommon foraging behavior). It was a real treat! We then headed to the east side of the marsh and walked into Darlington Park for our last birding stop of the day and Gary Sturge discovered a roosting Saw-whet Owl in a spruce tree near the road. It had a rodent with it on the branch beside it(leftovers I guess!). We had been looking for a good bird to end the morning with and it worked out well. It was a nice start to the spring session. Peel Birding Class
In Reply to: Quinte Area Bird Report - Mar. 24/02 posted by Terry Sprague on March 24, 2002 at 19:49:10:
This is the best site I have found for birding info, but the constant anti hunting cracks are getting old.
In Reply to: Birder's Bible? posted by Kirk Vetor on March 29, 2002 at 10:43:30:
This is going to be a long thread ... There seems to be a new field guide coming out every 15 minutes, so you're wise to ask around.
The Sibley guide is very impressive, but it's more practical on the bookshelf, like the three-volume Audubon Master Guides (remember them, all you geezers?). Peterson is still terrific, and is essential, but for portable information, the National Geographic Guide is hard to beat.
I would hesitate to call it a 'bible,' however. It's full of verifiable facts. But I digress.
Regards
In Reply to: Birder's Bible? posted by Kirk Vetor on March 29, 2002 at 10:43:30:
I like the National Geographic Birds of North America. It is a good overall reference which is small enough to carry in the field. I also like Sibley, but it is too big and heavy to use in the field.
In Reply to: Birder's Bible? posted by Kirk Vetor on March 29, 2002 at 10:43:30:
I prefer the Sibley Guide to Birds. It may be heavy, but it provides extensive paintings of birds, and is easy to use. The paintings are outstanding, you should take a look at this one.
In Reply to: Bohemian Waxwings posted by Kirk Vetor on March 29, 2002 at 10:36:05:
They're winter wanderers. You'd be very lucky indeed to find one in summer if you frequent Hudson Bay.
Two hundred is eyeball-popping stuff. Eek.
I have Audubon and Peterson's field guides. They both have the strenghts, but I would like to get a new better book.
Any suggestions? Is there a "Bible" for birders?
Thanks,
Kirk
Was out along Gages Creek (Port Hope) last weekend and came upon a flock of at least 200 Bohemian Waxwings. Always wanted to see one, never thought I'd see this many all at once my first time. What a sight as they cleaned out the hips from a large Rosa multiflora.
Question: Are these birds just winter migrants or do we have a resident population?
Thanks,
Kirk
Wanted: One determined, energetic, sharp, knowledgeable birder to complete our competitive team for 2002 Taverner Cup competition (Sat. May 25 - midnight to midnight) We have two "cracker jack" birders. We have a driver. We have an enthusiastic sponsor. All that's missing is one more "hot shot" birder.
Qualifications: . Must know Ontario birds thoroughly (sight & sound) . Must have highly developed senses and keen birding skills . Familiarity with Algonquin, Presqu'ile, Carden Plain, Kingston areas an asset . Must be a team player . Must be determined to win
Serious inquiries should be sent to beck.tony@sympatico.ca For information on Taverner Cup birding Competition, visit http://www.web-nat.com/taverner/
In Reply to: Lesser black-backed gull - Rouge Marsh posted by Andreas Jonsson on March 26, 2002 at 10:13:11:
Andreas,
Welcome to Canada - hope your birding has been enjoyable here.
Lesser Black-backed Gull is a casual winter visitor to southern Ontario. The first birds most often show up around mid-September and linger around until late May. As would be expected all age classes are seen. It is not uncommon at Niagara Falls to see as many as 5 - 10 in a day. In Toronto I usually see a few each winter and have seen as many as 10 in a day here as well (once).
In places like New Jersey and North Carolina it is becoming more common to see as many as several dozen in a day at the best gull-watching sites.
Overwhelmingly the subspecies involved in Ontario is Larus fuscus graellsii. Larus fuscus intermedius is known from Ontario but it is much, much rarer and most instances of its occurrence are often not conclusively documented to subspecific level.
To my knowledge Lesser Black-backed Gull has not yet been documented as breeding anywhere in North America though I expect it will at some point.
GC
Hi all!
I'm visiting Toronto for a couple of months and this last weekend (24/3) I was really keen on seeing some TRIUMPETER SWANS. I don't have a car so I chose to go to Rouge Marsh, which you can easily reach with the GO trains. But the marsh was all covered with ice, so the trip turned out to be quite a fiasco for observing ducks. But among the hundereds of RINGBILLED GULLS on the ice there was a familiar bird from back home (I'm from Sweden), an adult LARUS FUSCUS (INTERMEDIUS race with grey back) or LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, I believe you call it over here.
Is this a common observation in North America, or just accidental? Is there even a breeding population here?
Andreas Jonsson andreas@misu.su.se
In Reply to: Port Perry Lagoons posted by Andy on March 25, 2002 at 14:58:49:
To add to Andy's email.
If you know birders that used to frequent the lagoons but do not have access to the internet then please try to get in touch with them and if they are also willing to pay a user fee then take their name and report same to Geoff but there is some urgency to all of this as Geoff needs your answer PDQ.
Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON
In Reply to: What's wrong with me??? posted by Jean-François on March 22, 2002 at 21:43:52:
In addition to cats, you might also be having a problem with squirrels. Squirrels will eat bird eggs and fledglings, as will raccoons, although coons can't get at most nests. So you might want to make sure that your birdfeeder is squirrel-proof.
To those of you who have visited the lagoons in the past and would like to be able to do so again, I urge you to read and respond to the following. My apologies if you have already read this note elsewhere.
-----------------
Durham Region staff have advised that they are prepared to recommend that we
have access to the lagoons this year. The decision must still go to Finance
Committee for ratification, but it looks promising that it will be passed
.....
Now the tricky part ... the Region has decided that a permit system will be put in place, with waivers, and a user fee will apply ... they want to purchase a separate insurance policy specifically for birders and the user fee would cover the cost of the policy. The cost per birder will depend on how many people will commit to buying a permit. The base cost is $1200.00. That means that if 100 people commit, each will have to pay $12.00. If more or less apply, you can do the math. They are unrelenting in this, so we must work within this framework.
What I need NOW is a statement of interest ... I need to know how many people would like to go to the lagoons this year and who would be willing to pay for a permit. I realize you don't know how much it will be, and I won't hold you to buying a permit as that's not my business, but I will provide a definite number to the Durham folks based on the response .... Please email me THIS WEEKEND and tell me of your interest. The number of respondents will determine the potential individual cost. PLEASE DON'T PUT THIS OFF ... pls ask your friends who do not have email or are not members of LISTSERV or OntBirds and tell me of their interest as well. Your reply email must tell me how many people you are responding for pls.
Clubs will not have to pay the fee, if the club has its own liability insurance and if the members are there as part of an organized outing. Club members who are travelling on their own must pay the individual fee.
I'll let you know the results of this weekend's survey and will tell you more about the permit system and access rules as soon as everything is finalized.
The good news is that if the cost can be shared we can all bird at Port Perry once again ... one last thought, are any clubs willing to put up some money as a donation that can be applied to the overall policy cost and thereby reduce what each individual has to pay???
Geoff Carpentier Ajax, Ontario geoffcarpentier@ROGERS.COM
In Reply to: Re: RFI: Birdsong Playback Speaker posted by Andy on March 25, 2002 at 13:36:04:
Andy,
For the larger, louder species (i.e. Great Horned or Barred Owls) which can be detected for quite some distance, playback from the speakers in your car from roadside locations should be sufficient in many areas. Direction of open doors/windows is not quite as important with the deep bass notes.
GC
In Reply to: Re: RFI: Birdsong Playback Speaker posted by Glenn Coady on March 22, 2002 at 17:53:46:
Thanks, Glenn, for the comments. I think I'll take your suggestion and stick with the built-in speaker unless I find it doesn't have the range (distance-wise). I plan on checking it out one afternoon this week to see if I can get adequate volume without distortion. I'm a bit of a fusspot about things like this :-). And, yes, I already have the owl survey protocol (I picked it up yesterday, but have not yet read it). Thanks again.
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, March 24, 2002
We can only hope that a TREE SWALLOW, seen at Kingsford last Sunday, and another at Frankford on Thursday had the good sense to find a warm nook or cranny to spend the evening hours, as it surely was frigid in the Quinte area last week. Snow, wind and white out conditions during the latter part of the week put a damper on birding for many, but a few good sightings turned up nevertheless.
New arrivals last week were AMERICAN WOODCOCK at the Belleville Fish and Game Club (of all places) and Big Island; SONG SPARROWS at Big Island, Cressy area, and Sandbanks, GREAT BLUE HERON at Telegraph Narrows and Wooler, and a very early and optimistic GREATER YELLOWLEGS north of Newburgh. TURKEY VULTURES continue to appear throughout the Quinte area, there was a COMMON LOON at Peat's Point, and a nice flock of 75 SNOW GEESE (about 25 of them blues) at Beaver Meadow.
With the ice disappearing from Beaver Meadow, the swamp there is providing some great opportunities for listers with WOOD DUCK, CANADA GEESE (600), GADWALL (2), AMERICAN WIGEON (2), BLACK DUCK (1), MALLARD (26). HOODED MERGANSER (4), and COMMON MERGANSER (7) turning up on Thursday. The wooded areas there produced RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, RED-TAILED HAWKS (4) and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
The flooded corn field at Kaiser Road, east of Waupoos, still contained good numbers of NORTHERN PINTAIL (100 - 300) during the week, along with lesser numbers of AMERICAN WIGEON, GREEN WINGED TEAL, MALLARDS, and BLACK DUCKS. Also mixed in with them were 45 TUNDRA SWANS and about 500 CANADA GEESE. Peat's Point last week offered 8 species of ducks, some of the notables being 7 HOODED MERGANSERS, 5 AMERICAN WIGEON and 85 RING-NECKED DUCKS. Meanwhile at Sheba's Island, one observer there said 7 hormone crazy BUFFLEHEAD drakes were ganging up on a lone female today. There were over 100 LONG-TAILED DUCKS in Soup Harbour during the past week.
BALD EAGLES were seen during the week over Adolphus Reach (1 A), and at Massassauga Point (1 A & 1 imm). Other good sightings during the week included SNOWY OWLS on Amherst Island, two dozen BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Smith's Bay today, WILD TURKEYS at Sandbanks (7), Stirling (12), and Cherry Valley (100), and numerous reports of AMERICAN KESTRELS and NORTHERN HARRIERS.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Bob Sachs, Betty Hood, John Charlton, Owen Weir, John & Margaret Moore, Jim Collinson, Don Chisholm, Don Craighead, Lloyd Paul, David Bree, Wynne Thomas and Joe Victor for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 31st. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good spring birding everyone!
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
tsprague@kos.net
http://www.naturestuff.net
In Reply to: Re: Birdathons posted by B. Griffin on March 23, 2002 at 21:43:06:
Brendan, I would be remiss if I did not mention Bird Studies Canada in this context. They not only organize the Baillie Birdathon but they also conduct and support bird conservation research and educational programs all across Canada. For more information on their activities go to: Bird Studies Canada
In Reply to: Birdathons posted by Brendan O'Sullivan on March 23, 2002 at 10:08:23:
I was all prepared to respond and then thought to be sure, I should skim through the Baillie Birdathon registration brochure first. While all references in the text seem to indicate or refer to "birds seen", I don't think they mean this in an exclusive sense. I have done Birdathons for 8+ years and have always included "heard" birds but usually mark them with an asterisk on the checklist to show my sponsors. It usually does not matter in the final tally as most of my sponsors use the flat-rate method anyway. Most skeptics would only challenge your song or call ID for fun, but if they persist then invite them out with you next time! Remember that its for fun and to raise money for a good cause, so I don't think it's a serious issue(unless they were to use the results for survey info purposes). In the case of scientific purposes heard birds are an important means of detecting presence on formal surveys, so why not this one as well. I usually do the Birdathon on the IMBD/NAMC day which is the 2nd Sat. in May which can produce a large count total depending on weather conditions of course. You may even consider submitting your results as a Big Day report, some people enjoy the competitive aspects of these activities. If you are good with bird song identification you might consider helping out in other ways as well, check out the Citizen Science Bird Projects on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, they are in need of help on several monitoring projects. Remember the bottom line is to have fun! Peel Birding Class
In Reply to: Re: What's wrong with me??? posted by Jim Richards on March 22, 2002 at 23:55:35:
You also have to note whether there are cats in the area, that could be one main reason why they are avoiding your yard. If there are you might want to talk to your neighbours about them.
Mike Boyd
I was wondering what is the criterion for counting birds in the various birdathons: does the bird have to be actually SEEN or is HEARING the bird sing/call sufficient for it to be counted? Thanks in advance.
In Reply to: What's wrong with me??? posted by Jean-François on March 22, 2002 at 21:43:52:
You note having good quality feed and you mention having shrubs and that covers two of the main ingredients; not counting the birds! What you fail to mention is the provision of water. Even in winter a birdbath with a heater is great, and it's a very critical component. Perhaps the fact that birds favour the eavestrough is a clue. Maybe they go there for a drink (when possible) but this is not a steady source of water year-round.
Hello all,
I live in the Queensway and Islington neighbourhood, which is a calm area with a large maple tree and sycamore population. Besides sparrows and morning doves, and the occasional goldfinch epiphany, I can't seem to make my premium birdseed expenses worth my while. Even the few sparrows that visit appear to prefer my neighbours' eavestroughs to the wonderful villas I've set up for them. I have planted succulent flowers, bright honeysuckles, enticing bushes and shrubs, yet the insect population proliferates and dies of old age without fearing any possible predator. I'm so desperate that I've even considered setting up neon signs pointing to my backyard. I promised my wife that the messy seeds would not be in vain and that our garden would be overflowing with bird life. I'm not expecting parrots, but recognition for my efforts would be appreciated. To date, the most beautiful bird to visit our humble abode has been a dead vireo (3 years ago!!). I don't pretend to want to create a bird sanctuary, but I wasn't expecting to become the neighbourhood resting place! Please help me to save face among my family and to pass for a friendly birdwatcher, not a gravedigger!
Desperately yours, Jean-François
In Reply to: RFI: Birdsong Playback Speaker posted by Andy on March 22, 2002 at 13:39:39:
Andy,
Although I agree with you that the response at the bass end of most portable cassette/CD players leaves much to be desired, in practical terms I have never found it to be a hindrance in eliciting response from any species of owl I have ever tried calling (including all the North American owls, some European owls, and many Central and South American owls).
Key to successful owl calling is:
1) patience: often owls will not respond immediately.
2) good night vision: owls will often pass silently overhead in response to playback - many times that I have led an outing for owls I have been the only one to notice such an overhead flight occur. Red filter over your flashlight to help keep your eyes dilated can be useful. Limited use of the flashlight at all is even better.
3) good hearing: many owls call back at very great distance; it is a good bet they will have less trouble hearing your recorder than you will hearing their distant response if you are on the edge of a territory. Playing at frequent intervals at distances approximating YOUR range of audibility for owl calls can mitigate this.
4) Life history knowledge: knowledge of when a particular species is most vocal is useful. Also, most people underestimate how often owls will respond to playback even in daylight hours. In general, playback should be done in the order of smallest to largest sized owls (for obvious reasons).
My attempts to use an external speaker have not met with any increased success in my estimation. They did, however, use up many more batteries.
I could forward you a copy of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas instruction manual for the standardized owl survey protocol if you don't already have it.
GC
I'm hoping someone can advise me on speaker selection for playback of owl calls in the field. My present setup uses a horn type tweeter. This works very well with high-frequency calls of songbirds, but I am not happy with its low frequency response. Before going out to Radio Shack and trying to re-invent the wheel, I thought I'd ask here if anyone is using anything other than their unit's built-in speaker for playing owl calls, and, if so, would you mind sharing that information? Thank you.
While driving at dusk during a heavy snow squall yesterday, I spotted a Great Blue Heron flying west at Beare/Steeles. I thought to myself that bird must be saying to itself, "what was I thinking...".
In Reply to: Cherry Beach posted by Chris on March 21, 2002 at 13:57:42:
Chris, your recollection could well have been totally accurate. At this time of the year, you could have seen, Mute, Tundra, or Trumpeter Swans at Cherry Beach. Al
Are there swans at Cherry Beach? I am from Ottawa and visited the beach with an old friend late Sunday night, later I recollected seeing swans. Is this possible?
In Reply to: Bumblebee egg predator posted by Rick Lauzon on March 21, 2002 at 12:07:29:
Hi Rick, I doubt the bumblebee would have done it. IMHO it sounds like the work of a house wren. They've been known to "pip" the eggs of other birds so that they can take over the nest site. Any other thoughts out there? Al, Whitchurch-Stouffville
I have a Chickadee nest box in my yard in Scarborough. They nested successfully for two years, and they started to install a nest in the third year. I checked the progress after a few days. I tapped the box at noon, then opened the front face. There were two eggs covered over with moss, which seemed normal enough, but then the moss started moving! I just watched until a bumblebee emerged. Then I noticed that an adult Chickadee was nearby, so I closed up the box and watched again. The Chickadee tried repeatedly to enter the box, but was driven off by the bee. This seemed to be an intentional action on the part of the bee as it actually left the box to buzz at the Chickadee before going back into the box.
All this seemed unusual enough, but the kicker came a few days later. I had left the situation as it was, to see if the bee and the Chickadee could resolve things on their own. When it became obvious that the Chickadee had abandoned the nest, I checked the cold eggs and found a pinhole in one of the eggs. Could the bumblebee have done this?
In Reply to: Re: Toronto Nesting box for Wren or Chickadee in Toronto posted by merrilea on March 21, 2002 at 10:12:27:
Hi, also another problem you might have is attracting birds, your backyard seemed very bare of vegetation. I would recommend planting some shrubs and bushes to increase your chances as it would give the adults something to hide in and also increase the amount of insects in your backyard.
Mike Boy
In Reply to: Rattray Marsh Pileated Woodpeckers posted by George Daszkowski on April 13, 1999 at 09:23:08:
I'm from Nashville Tennessee , just had a visit from a pileated woodpecker , I got one pic of him before he flew off , I've seeen them once before here a few years ago , rare I think...I live in a suburban area & am close to BNA , our airport , wish they would stay around for the camera a little longer!
In Reply to: Toronto Nesting box for Wren or Chickadee in Toronto posted by Benjamin Feist on March 20, 2002 at 21:46:02:
I am no expert on nesting boxes, but I appears to me that having it situated on a fence makes it very accessible to cats. Cats kills something like 500 million birds a year in North America. I would think that a box affixed atop a painted pole situated in the very centre of the yard would be far less accessible to cats. A cat would have a much harder time stalking a nesting box it can't rub up against, wouldn't you think?
Hi all,
I recently built a nesting box for my back yard. Thanks to everyone who sent advice (http://www.zoo.utoronto.ca/FUN/Bmessages/2807.html).
Here are a couple of shots of the nesting box and how it had to be situated in my tiny yard.
If anyone has any warnings/suggestions, please let me know. Any idea how long before something may move in (or ever will)?
Thanks,
Ben Feist Bloorwest Village Toronto
in case the above images don't show up, you can see them here:
http://members.rogers.com/benfeist/birdhouse-backyard.jpg http://members.rogers.com/benfeist/birdhouse-fence.jpg
In Reply to: Re: Humber Bay posted by Doug on March 20, 2002 at 18:38:33:
In deference to Theresa, I will only say that the long-eared owl can be found somewhere among the many evergreens around the parking lot of Humber Bay East. Windemere Avenue runs north and south and by going south it will take you straight into the parking lot of the westernmost beach before crossing the Humber River. It goes under the Gardiner but is accessible from the Queensway or the Lakeshore.
In Reply to: Humber Bay posted by Kerri on March 20, 2002 at 17:57:42:
Hi, from which area can the long-eared owl be viewed, and secondly where is Windermere? I'm new to the area...thanks from any info.
I was out after the rain from 230-5pm along the lakeshore from Windermere to the Mimico Creek bridge. I saw 3 robins, 4 RW blackbirds, the usual array of ducks and the long-eared owl. There were 3 geese that looked like barnyard geese--pure white with orange bills and feet. Is that what they are? I also saw what I believe was a pied-billed grebe in winter plumage in the rainwater purification pond (the one with the metal bridge down the centre of it) This bird was about the size of a bufflehead but had a light grey back, buff sides and a dark eye. The bill was thick with a hint of a band. It dove once. It stayed away from the other duks around; mallards, gadwalls, and American widgeon. I also saw a mainly white gull with hints of lighter brown/buff on the back near the Humber Bay Bridge. It was in the water so I do not know color the feet were. The bill was pinkish with black near the tip. Based on Sibley's, I think it was either a second winter glaucous gull or a second winter Iceland gull. I am not a gull or grebe expert, so any help is appreciated.
Brian Bailey will be leading a bird outing on Saturday March 23, 2002 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at Humber Bay Park East on behalf of the Citizens Concerned with the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront (CCFEW). Participation is free and open to all interested. The walk is sponsored by the TD Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation.
Meet at the main parking lot at Humber Bay Park East on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. (Rain or shine)
Went to Humber Bay East, Long-eareds Owls had ALREADY been spooked from their roosts by 710am! Several dogs and their owners already on the prowl, if dog owners won't comply with the leash by-law, can we put leashes on them? Food for thought! Good luck to the Long-eareds, you can only put up with sleep deprivation for so long.... Mockingbird was seen at Kipling Spit, no Saw-whets were found. Later at Bronte Park got Woodcock at dusk, and E. Bluebird, E.Meadowlark, and Horned Lark singing just before. Nice day!
In Reply to: Re: Woodcock & Spring Peeper and Martins posted by Al Johnston on March 17, 2002 at 19:14:09:
You'll probably find useful the link below. It displays the advance of martin scouts. Click on whatever state or province of interest and get current reports.
Purple Martin Scout Report
In Reply to: Woodcock & Spring Peeper posted by Mike Boyd on March 17, 2002 at 18:51:24:
I also heard a woodcock display flight on Friday night, in central Toronto. It was at 7:05 pm., at the intersection of St Clair East and Hudson Drive, near the Rosedale Ravine. I was not aware that woodcock displayed on migration stopovers. I find it unlikely that this bird was on breeding territory at this location.
Pat
In Reply to: Re: unknown bird posted by Robert Goulet on March 15, 2002 at 22:28:29:
Yes, I believe Robert is likely right. This sounds like a blonde variant House Finch.
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, March 17, 2002
A London area resident jokingly commented on the brevity of last week's Quinte area report; I trust he has a cup of coffee at the ready for this week's report! Birders looking for waterfowl have had lots of opportunities this past week in the Quinte area, whether searching the skies or scanning the lakes, bays and flooded fields. There was a significant movement of CANADA GEESE over the area through Thursday and Friday, with continuous skeins passing through. Observers in the East Lake area had a great day when they came across 25 SNOW GEESE in the boat launch area off Log Cabin Point, adjacent to Sandbanks Provincial Park. Observers the following day reported that their numbers had doubled, with one blue phase in amongst them. By today, they were all gone, except for 7 TUNDRA SWANS.
Waterfowl watching was also very prolific at the flooded corn field on Kaiser Crossroad in the Cressy area where in excess of 200 NORTHERN PINTAILS were observed feeding, along with lesser numbers of TUNDRA SWANS, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARDS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, GADWALL, CANADA GEESE, and two male WOOD DUCKS. The following day the NORTHERN PINTAIL population had swelled to over 300. A check there today showed stabilized numbers. There is convenient parking at this location. Kaiser Crossroad can be reached by following County Road 7 east from Lake-on-the-Mountain, or alternatively, east on County Road 8 from Waupoos. The field is located at the south end of Kaiser Crossroad, just a short distance in from County Road 8.
Other waterfowl seen this past week included numerous sightings of TUNDRA SWANS throughout the county which have become a challenge to locate as they move around so much. Wellington Harbour had a "large" flock there last weekend, 50 at South Bay early in the week, and 106 on Pleasant Bay by late in the week. There were COMMON GOLDENEYES and a LESSER SCAUP on South Bay during the week; both COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCKS and BUFFLEHEADS on East Lake; while outside the county, at the H.R. Frink Centre, 9 km north of Belleville, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, BUFFLEHEAD and both COMMON and HOODED MERGANSERS were seen there. BUFFLEHEAD and CANADA GEESE were also reported from the Madoc area.
TURKEY VULTURES made their debut in the county over Bloomfield on Monday, and scattered numbers have been turning up daily since then, with five today over Picton. EASTERN MEADOWLARKS also showed up in the Quinte area, with the first report coming from Presqu'ile on Sunday, one at Big Island the following day, and other scattered sightings including 2 at Orland, north of Brighton. Other spring hopefuls included 2 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS at Salmon Point, 4 BROWN CREEPERS and a BELTED KINGFISHER at the Frink Centre, a SONG SPARROW at Elmbrook, an EASTERN PHOEBE at Northport on Tuesday, and the county's first spring COMMON SNIPE at the East Lake boat launch (Sandbanks) on Thursday.
Other super sightings in the Quinte area this past week included 2 immature BALD EAGLES over the Rutherford-Stevens Lookout at Smith's Bay today, GREAT HORNED OWLS at Salmon Point and in the Madoc area (nesting), and NORTHERN HARRIERS literally everywhere.
A few Madoc area sightings included PILEATED WOODPECKER, RUFFED GROUSE (also one at the Morganston/Codrington Road area), BROWN CREEPER, and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL calling. Also noticed was a COMMON REDPOLL that had presumably died from Salmonella poisoning. There have been numerous report of similar deaths throughout the Quinte area, although our feeders appear to have escaped the problem. Cleanliness is imperative at feeders; I have 18 feeders and routinely scrub them every two or three weeks with a 10% solution of bleach. Hopefully, this has made a difference.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Albert Boisvert, Maureen Riggs, Joanne Dewey, Lloyd Paul, Nancy Fox, Doris Lane, Molly Mulloy, Shirley and Ken Joyce, Leah den Besten, Dennis and MaryEllen Murphy, and Donald Craighead for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 24th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good spring birding everyone!
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
tsprague@kos.net
http://www.naturestuff.net
In Reply to: Woodcock & Spring Peeper posted by Mike Boyd on March 17, 2002 at 18:51:24:
Hi Mike, Do me a favour, if you don't mind. When you first see Purple Martins, let me know and I'll get ready for them here in Whitchurch-Stouffville. This'll be 21 years trying for them with very little success. Thanks. Al
Dear Fellow Birders
Just wanted to add to the further signs of spring, on Friday in Oakville, near Neyagawa & Hwy 5, there was a Woodcock displaying and I also heard at least 1 Spring Peeper calling as well. Hopefully not too far off and the martins will be back.
Mike Boyd
In Reply to: Re: What birds will nest in a nesting box in Western Toronto? posted by Pat Hodgson on March 04, 2002 at 09:26:26:
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I have built two houses (both identical) as designed for wren and chickadees. Each has a 1 1/8" hole that is 6 1/2" inches from the bottom of the box. The internal floor dimensions are 3 1/2" x 4".
These specs are from the suggested link (http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/documents/nathis/woodwork/ww8.pdf).
I'm going to mount them to my back fence so the bottom lip of the box is attached to the top of the fence, thus the entrance hole will be about 7' high. I know predators might be a problem, but I have no choice given the tiny dimensions of my yard. Hopefully the squirrels with leave the box alone.
The other link Pat suggested (http://biology.queensu.ca/~mennilld/nestbox.html) refers to filling the box with wood shavings so I'm going to fill this one up to the bottom of the hole with chips for a hamster cage.
Hopefully something will move in--preferably a wren or chickadee.
If anyone has any suggestions, or has seen that I have done something wrong, please reply.
Ben Feist Toronto
In Reply to: unknown bird posted by Pat Gangl on March 15, 2002 at 19:56:37:
Check out House Finch variants in the NG Guide and possibly web sources. Strange but true.
Thursday observed a finch like bird at LAMBTON Park. It was at a feeder . The bird had an orange cap and yellow colour down to the middle of the body and then was a streaky grey. Cant find anything in my book to match it. Can any one help? Lambton Park is off Edenbridge Dr. Etobicoke and is on the Humber River. Today Friday at Humber Bay East a trumpeter Swan was in with some mute swans. Its number is 499. Humber Bay East Park is off Lakeshore Blvd at the foot of Park Lawn Rd.
In Reply to: Re: Trumpeter Swans in Rouge Marsh posted by Glenn Coady` on March 15, 2002 at 11:35:50:
Thank you Glen for giving me Harry Lumsden's number for the Swan Restoration Project. Since your message, I've received 2 other e-mails letting me know how to proceed and I thank everyone for their help.
I called Harry Lumsden this morning and he was already out. He went to the Rouge Marsh this morning, as well as to another pond, to check on the 2 Trumpeters Liz Green and I reported as well as 7 cygnets at another location.
The tagged bird that Liz and I saw is a female, hatched in 1992 and originally tagged as #226. Harry gave me an extensive history of her comings and goings. Between 1992 through 1996, she was mostly around the Rouge and the Zoo. He recaptured her in 1996 and renumbered her #136. Since then she has wandered more widely as far as LaSalle in Burlington. She's been in the company of a few males over the years.
The formerly unbanded bird is a male and is now #649. Harry believes that they will probably remain there at the mouth of the Rouge.
Glad to have shared this experience with Liz and to contribute to Harry's lifetime achievement. Amazing man.
Theresa Dobko
In Reply to: Re: Moderated BB? posted by Andy on March 15, 2002 at 12:03:58:
".....But moderation is a necessary evil. Without it chaos will ensue......."
Wow - I wish I had said that about the reporting of rare birds. So succinct.
Read the rules on the new link. Seem very fair and easy not to contravene. About the only one I can see that has even come close to being contravened would be that forbidding the use of U of T resources for commercial purposes. I guess your interpretation is that this excludes the promotion of birding publications and birding courses which have been freely done in the past. Or will tolerance of that change?
GC
In Reply to: Moderated BB? posted by David Shilman on March 15, 2002 at 08:46:55:
Yes, it is and yes, most of us are (this is a family-oriented board and, as such, has readers of all ages). I do my best (although at times it may not seem that way) to moderate this board. Occasionally a post is made that creates discord and it is prudent to remove it, either to restore peace (this is supposed to be a genteel pastime) or prevent escalation of disharmony. Also, I may be asked by a reader or the original poster to remove a post for whatever reason. At those times, I must don my Solomon's hat and make a judgement that will ruffle as few feathers as possible. That is not an easy task; there will always be people in both camps, and a decision must be made that will offend the least number of people. In moderating this and other boards, I have yet to experience a case where everyone is pleased with my decision to remove or allow a post. But moderation is a necessary evil. Without it, chaos will ensue. If you doubt this is true, check some of the other web-boards.
But enough preaching. The post and subsequent thread deletion to which you refer was, in my opinion, necessary. Yes, one of the posts in the thread was full of valuable information, but, as you say, was rather rude in places. What would you have done in this case? Allow the information to remain at the expense of another poster's feelings? Edit the "offending" remarks from the post? Would either, or another, course of action be met with agreement from everyone, without exception, on this board? Now let's add the email communications between yourself, the posters in question and other readers. I don't want to go into specific details. I just want people to think about how they would handle the situation. If you disagree with my decision, please send me your thoughts via email.
Finally, I want to call your attention to the rules now found in the links above. This board has been in operation for many years, and I did not think it was ever necessary to ask visitors and posters to read them. (These rules have been broadcast and in effect for many years on the other boards hosted here.) Please read them. If you see a post that contains anything that seems to contravene the guidelines, please let me know.
In Reply to: Trumpeter Swans in Rouge Marsh posted by Theresa Dobko on March 14, 2002 at 17:25:52:
I have shared this information privately with Theresa Dobko already by e-mail but I will make a quick post here too.
As Theresa has suggested, it would be desirable for any unbanded Trumpeter Swans to be banded. In a situation where you find very approachable, correctly identified Trumpeter Swans, any of which are not banded, I am sure Harry Lumsden would appreciate a phone call at (905) 727-6492. In such a situation he goes out of his way to make the effort to get them banded. Souinds like Theresa's find is right up that alley.
Harry is the retired Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologist whose brainchild the re-introduction of Trumpeter Swans in the early 1980's in Ontario was. He continues to privately oversee the continued project through a large network of dedicated volunteers and benefactors to this day.
Ensuring that as many of the population are banded as possibile provides much very useful information on factors such as: longevity, individual health/injuries, recruitment rate, migration timing and distances, site tenacity, cross-border occurrence, pair bond stability, sex ratios, breeding condition and suitability, more accurate mortality analysis, and much more.
This wealth of information is all necessary in arriving at a methodolgy to determine when further captive-rearing efforts will become superfluous to the maintenance of a self-sustaining, ever-wilder population of Trumpeter Swans in Ontario, a goal Harry and his researchers are fast on the road to achieving - despite my initial doubts of 20 years ago.
Nice job Harry. I am in your debt.
GC
Is this board moderated? I notice that some of the posts regarding the blackbirds at Cranberry Marsh have disappeared. One was very thoughtful and contained valuable information, though the writer was rather rude in places. Is this a reason to delete it? Seems like unnecessary censorship to me. I assume most of us are mature adults and can "handle" the controversy.
After travelling "out-of-town" to find Trumpeter Swans at Cranberry Marsh, Whitby, with my friend Liz Green, and successfully viewing them at a distance, we decided to try Rouge Marsh on our way home. Lo and behold, up close to the fence and the roadway, not needing scope or binoculars, a pair of Trumpeter Swans. (I would still recommend bringing at least binoculars.) One was tagged and the other was not. The yellow tag was flipped over and couldn't be read but the leg band read either 555-34926 out of Washington, D.C. or 55?-34926, the third number was obscured by some mud. They are both quite tame and easily fed if someone wants to try and come down and tag the second bird. I don't know how long they have been there or how long they will stay.
Rouge Marsh is found in the base of Rouge Park on the border between Scarborough and Pickering. To get there, take Lawrence Avenue East from within Toronto, all the way to the very end, east of Port Union Rd. The road ends at Rouge Park. Or from Highway 401 exit at 392 at Port Union Road. Travel south all the way to Lawrence Avenue East and then take Lawrence all the way east to the park. The lower parking lot right at the marsh was closed off but the small lot on top was open and there is a very short walk to see the marsh.
Also in the Marsh, more than a dozen male Common Mergansers, several females, and an immature Greater Black-backed Gull.
Theresa Dobko
In Reply to: Re: Arrival Dates posted by Glenn Coady on March 14, 2002 at 11:02:02:
Excellent points, Glenn, thank you.
In Reply to: Re: Arrival Dates posted by Andy on March 14, 2002 at 09:14:17:
Sounds most reasonable and an admirable amount of work too.
As arrival dates can vary across as broad a geography as this site routinely covers, I would suggest that your effort routinely capture the following data:
Species/Arrival Date/Specific Location/Observer(s)
The location/date combination for some species will not be the same in Oakville as it will in Beaverton, for instance, thus referencing both will be more instructive.
Thanks Andy
In Reply to: Re: Arrival Dates posted by Marcel Gahbauer on March 13, 2002 at 21:01:53:
Thanks, Marcel, for your comments. I guess the dates in the list betray my age too...
I like the idea of setting up an automated system for entering information, but the programming involved is not trivial. I'd do it if I knew it would be used extensively, but I suspect very few people would use it. I would spend many hours setting up something that likely can be handled just as easily via email. So, I propose that if any of the readers here want to email me their arrival date information, I'll enter it into the existing list. If this proves to be too labour-intensive, I'll get crackin' on an automated system. Sound reasonable?
In Reply to: Arrival Dates posted by Andy on March 13, 2002 at 16:47:11:
Andy, such a list could indeed be quite useful for visitors to the board, and hopefully collectively we can refine it to reflect current trends. As it stands, the list does show some signs of age - in just glancing at it quickly, I note some dates that seem unusually late in light of arrivals over the past decade (e.g. Red-winged Blackbird listed as March 16, though they are now usually here by the first week of March at the latest) and other species (e.g. Mourning Dove) that have become such regular winter residents that defining an arrival time as such is questionable. Just goes to show how much the distribution of birds can change in a relatively short time!
I don't have time to go through the list in detail tonight, but hope to look it over more thoroughly in the near future.
If there is any capacity within the board to set up a page such that visitors could view the existing list and enter their own arrival date for each species, it might be possible to collect a number of estimates for each species from which to refine the dates. Don't know how difficult this would be technically, but it would make both entering the data and compiling it easier.
Marcel
For the long-timers out there, you may remember the utility on this board that displayed likely migrants for a given date. I want to set up that utility again, and would like your help and input. The list of average arrival dates is at the link below. It's obviously a poor attempt to pick a date that a given species will appear in the area. The list is a melding of data from the literature (none of which I can now remember where it came from [I'll use my age and the very distant past as excuses for that]) and my own observations over the years. The purpose of the list was to act as a gauge to suggest an early, average or late arrival in our area. This is not meant to be some sort of definitive calendar by which to time the migration, but it has proven useful to me and others in the past.
Anyway, if you can have a look at the list and add to it or point out glaring errors, I would very much appreciate it. I'd like to have this utility on the board. If you have thoughts on this bright idea, I'd be happy to hear them, either here or via email.
Average Arrival Dates
saw a pair of geese in oakville habour[entrance of 16 mile creek] at 2:45p.m.march 13th. help;I AM A NOVICE, COULD NOT ID.
In Reply to: Upcoming TOC bird outings posted by Marcel Gahbauer on February 20, 2002 at 16:07:15:
Full details on the April/May outings are now available. Please see my March 13 message for details.
Marcel
The list of the Toronto Ornithological Club's spring Jim Baillie Memorial Bird Walks is now available. These outings are free to the public, and while aimed at the intermediate birder, beginners are always welcome too. The Baillie outings provide a great opportunity to become familiar with many of the species which migrate through Toronto.
Saturday April 27, 8:00 am (all day)
Leslie Street Spit - "Early Migrants"
Leader: Hugh Currie
--- meet at the foot of Leslie Street; bring a lunch
Saturday May 4, 7:30 am - 12:00 noon
High Park - "Spring Migration"
Leader: Bob Yukich
--- meet in the parking area inside High Park's Bloor St. entrance
Saturday May 11, 7:30 am - 12:00 noon
Lambton Woods - "Warblers"
Leader to be determined
--- meet in the parking lot of James Gardens (off Edenbridge Drive)
Monday May 20, 7:45 am (all day)
Toronto Islands - "Peak Migration"
Leader: Luke Fazio
--- meet at the Toronto Islands ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street to catch the 8:00 am ferry to Hanlon's Point; bring a lunch
Saturday May 25, 7:30 am - 12:00 noon
Colonel Sam Smith Park - "Whimbrel and late migrants"
Leader: Andrew Keaveney
--- meet in the last parking lot at the landfill at the foot of Kipling
Please contact me if you need any further information on these trips.
Marcel Gahbauer
marcel.gahbauer@utoronto.ca
In Reply to: Re: NO confusion - surely you must be joking posted by Glenn Coady on March 13, 2002 at 08:55:43:
Subject line says it all...
In Reply to: BALD EAGLE!!! posted by Casey Sefton on March 11, 2002 at 22:50:24:
Each winter there are usually a few Bald Eagle sightings along the Greater Toronto waterfront but they are not common. Congratulations on your sighting - do you know whether it was an adult?
In Reply to: Re: Hagersville 11 Mar posted by William D. Jack on March 12, 2002 at 13:26:45:
Hagersville is in Haldimand, I believe, down Hwy 6 about two-thirds of the way from Hamilton to Port Dover - just past the hamlet of Willow Grove and well before Jarvis.
Hope this helps.
In Reply to: NO confusion posted by Craig McLauchlan on March 11, 2002 at 18:57:06:
Craig,
You will note that my post above was directed specifically to Theresa Dobko, in particular in response to her query for me in her prior post.
Theresa is one of the atlassers in the breeding bird atlas region I coordinate and I was happy to respond to her query. Although she is a relatively new birder and deals with some personal challenges that I'm sure prevent her from birding as much as she would like, I have been impressed that she has been a very determined and hard-working atlasser, shows a desire to continuously learn, aspires to being a careful and knowledgeable observer, and so far has demonstrated a commitment and respect for the integrity of local bird records legacies and understands and supports the need for the highest possible standards in the documentation of any claimed unusual bird occurrences. I will be genuinely happy on the day upon which I feel I can honestly and whole-heartedly apply the same statement to you.
In your self-obsessed post above, you admonish that "telling people identifiying birds is hard is wrong". On the contrary, most people I know would say it is merely realistic! Regardless, I suggest you either work on your reading comprehension skills or re-read my post. I wrote no such thing. I merely cautioned Theresa that: "Field guides tend to underestimate the difficulty in separation of some early spring Euphagus blackbirds". This was meant to caution Theresa that pitfalls exist in Euphagus blackbird identification for those relying solely on that which is imparted in standard field guides and that reliable identification is more than simply just an exercise in assessing "which painting in the Sibley guide does my bird most resemble?" Trading $53 Cdn for a Sibley Guide does not immediately confer infallibility.
In fact, in their article specifically on this topic let me quote Peter Burke and Alvaro Jaramillo * :
In talking about identification of fall and winter plumages of male Euphagus blackbirds they state:
"Species recognition is not normally a problem given today's quantity of identification knowledge. However, pitfalls exist, manifested by occasional individuals exhibiting characters not elaborated upon in the standard guides."
and specifically:
"Apparently most male Brewer's Blackbirds that acquire any light fringing from the annual molt quickly wear to the typical glossy plumage. Of about 35 male specimens collected between August and March, examined at the Royal Ontario Museum, six were distinctly fringed with brown. There were no data on the age of the birds collected. In Vancouver, where the species is a common permanent resident, brown-fringed individuals are scarce.
From November to March, male Rusty Blackbirds can appear very similar to the brown-fringed plumage of male Brewer's Blackbirds. As winter progresses, the light fringes of both species wear off. Brewer's Blackbirds will look most Rusty-like at the start of this period and less so as the fringes wear off by early spring. Rusty Blackbirds will look most Brewer's-like in mid to late winter and less so earlier in the period when they still have wide fringes on the feathers. Individuals of both species can appear at feeders and among icterid concentrations, sparking debate as to their identification. Some birds pose no problem, while others may be more difficult."
* Burke, P. and A. Jaramillo. 1995. Fall and winter plumages of male Rusty and Brewer's Blackbirds. Birders Journal 4(2):97-101.
Almost sounds like these psychic gents were writing this specifically about the Cranberry Marsh conundrum, doesn't it? I suspect it doesn't relate this information in your standard field guide either, does it?
Also of interest should be Peter and Alvaro's subsequent treatment of Euphagus blackbirds in their excellent Helm series identification guide:
Jaramillo, A and P. Burke. 1999. New World Blackbirds: The Icterids. Christopher Helm. A&C Black. London.
The title of your most recent post suggests that there has been no confusion with respect to Euphagus blackbirds at Cranberry Marsh. This only implies to me an inherent ability to ignore facts as easily as field marks. There has been ample confusion.
For the benefit of readers here who have not been seeing recent ONTBIRDS posts, here is my own synopsis of recent posts concerning the possibility of Brewer's Blackbird at Cranberry Marsh that I think most reasonable people would agree qualifies as confusion. You can also examine the full original e-mails to ONTBIRDS by using the ONTBIRDS link provided above from this web page.
1) On the afternoon of March 3, 2002 Steven Rowe and Wendy Dey post to ONTBIRDS that among other icterids at Cranberry Marsh they observed a male Brewer's Blackbird. No description of the bird is given nor is any rationale for the criteria used in arriving at this identification.
2) Early in the afternoon of March 5, 2002, Doug Lockrey sends to ONTBIRDS a post that in its very title uses the words "Blackbird expertise needed at Cranberry Marsh". In it he describes two blackbirds among other obvious Rusty Blackbirds that appear all glossy black with brownish heads. He enquires whether these might be immature Rusty Blackbirds.
I know Doug Lockrey to be a careful observer. I also know he would not cavalierly identify a bird so historically rare in Durham R.M. as Brewer's Blackbird if for no other reason than that would break the faith with his mentor and hero, the late Dr. J. Murray Speirs, who spent a lifetime carefully cataloguing and documentating the avifauna of both Cranberry Marsh and Durham region. I assume Doug merely wanted to generate interest in either documenting any possible legitimate Brewer's Blackbird report or refuting any spurious report, based solely on whatever any forthcoming documentation obtainable might support. Assuming that is correct, then bravo to him for keeping an open mind and the courage to ask for help. I'm sure Murray would have been pleased with his approach. Doug makes no claim in any ONTBIRDS post to having positively identified a Brewer's Blackbird.
3) On the morning of March 6, 2002 Carol Horner posts that on March 4th she also saw two birds that she had a hard time identifying, that she considered might be Rusty Blackbirds, but in the end stated her best guess was that they were Brewer's Blackbirds. To her credit she does give a brief description of the one of these two birds that she did get to examine most closely. Unfortunately this description does not detail many aspects of the bird that might have helped in making a positive identification of one or the other Euphagus blackbird with any reasonable certainty (in my humble opinion). This at least is a good attempt to advance further discussion. I do not get the sense from the original e-mail that this post claims to have achieved any CERTAIN identification of Brewer's Blackbird.
4) On the evening of March 7 Craig McLauchlan posts on this web page and on ONTBIRDS that earlier that day he was able to confirm that the aforementioned birds by Carol Horner had been re-examined and now found to indeed have been Rusty Blackbirds after all - no criteria for this diagnosis is given however. But that's OK because a new bird has now also been found that according to Craig IS a Brewer's Blackbird. No description is given of this bird whatsoever nor is any discussion of the criteria used in reaching such a differential identification. We are told that the bird is a male in first basic plumage, but not the basis on how that decision is arrived at either. Kind of deflates one a bit though when you find out in Jaramillo and Burke (1999) that first basic male Brewer's Blackbirds are just about the most likely putative candidate that can be mistaken in comparison to Rusty Blackbird.
When, in response to my assertion to Theresa Dobko that perhaps she might not most aptly use the term "confirmed" for any putative recent sighting of Brewer's Blackbird at Cranberry Marsh, we quickly get a very defensive reply from Craig, the basic jist of which is "it is a Brewer's Blackbird if I say it is". Seen several thousand, spent 3 whole hours looking, yada, yada, yada. Still no description of the bird whatsoever is provided nor is any explanation of the criteria for assigning such an identification. Most regrettable.
There are precious few reliable records in the Greater Toronto Area of Brewer's Blackbird in winter, and at best it has been a very rare, enigmatic and erratic breeder anywhere in the GTA. Even the number of reliable migrant records is very small.
Given this rarity in the region in combination with a not insignificant potential for misidentifcation of its more common congeneric cohort, Brewer's Blackbird was designated in the Toronto Ornithological Club's "Greater Toronto Area Checklist and Reporting Guidelines - 2000" as a species requiring documentation and review by the Toronto Bird Rarities Committee for all occurrences. This seems only prudent. It is definitely infinitely preferable to a standard of "it IS because I say so".
In assuring the integrity of local databases of bird records such an approach is unworkable and impractical and would revert to a nightmare of record assessment based on "reputation" and cronyism. Most contemporary records collection systems have moved far beyond such an undesirable approach.
An impartial review of written or material documentation by an expert panel of peers is far preferable to such anarchy and it compares reasonably favourably to the accuracy of the era when only a specimen would do.
Some scrutiny of claimed records at just about any level is a necessary evil just because of human nature. Besides imparting impartial and expert knowledge on difficult assessments of claimed identifications to which they are foremost suited, records committees also unfortunately serve to help sift out the same sorts of problems as in just about any human endeavour such as:
1) A small minority of any population of people will include some incorrigible liars, some that are deliberately malicious and some, sadly, that are pathological. Fortunately this is a minor problem in ornithology, but regardless, procedures to prevent it are a necessary evil.
2) Some people are outright incompetent, or have either an unrealistic or unsupportable view of their own competence. It would seem prudent to have measures in place to mitigate this too. You would demand high standards of demonstrable competence from your airline pilot or your heart surgeon, so I think it is probably a good idea for the integrity of your area's bird records to insist on such quality control measures there too.
3) Even the most competent and honest observer is still capable of making occasional mistakes (I certainly haven't met anyone who doesn't - including the guy in the bathroom mirror in the morning). An approach that essentially takes the attitude "it is a Brewer's Blackbird because I say it is" is akin to a declaration of infallibility. We can and should quite easily do better.
4) A thankfully very, very small minority of birders choose to subordinate any and all concern for the accuracy and historical integrity of their local community's bird records legacy in favour of their own trivial personal recreational "listing" considerations. Listing is not a bad thing in and of itself, in fact it can be quite a useful and benign motivator for birders - until they reach the stage described above, at which point it is no longer benign but clearly crosses over into the realm of disease - an ornithological gonorrhea if you will, one for which wise records committees can hopefully find an effective penicillin.
Documentation of rarities is also important because it gives an ability to assess and compare bird records "across the ages". It gives you the observer a potential chance to speak to the researcher of bird records of the year 2250 or 2650. Aspects of what you document today may make more sense 100 years out, when even a rejected record using the identification criteria of today might be re-evaluated and deemed totally acceptable using different criteria in the future. I am quite certain that some of the best written sight record documentations I have seen will compare favourably to the specimens of bygone days to future researchers.
In summary, I have no basis for even beginning to assess whether a Brewer's Blackbird is (or was) recently found at Cranberry Marsh. I would like to think it was true, but given its rarity I think that any balanced and careful observer should start with the null hypothesis that, based on probability, it likely is not - and that to over-ride such a null hypothesis, a careful description (or better still - material evidence) should be obtained and a rationale for the criteria for arriving at a positive identification of such a rare species submitted to the appropriate records collection committee for the geographical area under concern.
An attitude that would substitute an approach that claims to have "confirmed" a report of such a rarity on the basis of a thesis that amounts to: "it is a Brewer's Blackbird because I say so, because I have seen many, and I spent three hours searching, and although subtle it was easy" not only demonstrates an appalling lack of respect for other observers who don't find it quite so obvious or easy as you, but also only serves to make me curious about whether you simply were unable to invest the requisite 3 hours when incorrectly "confirming" the Eurasian Collared-Dove in Concord or perhaps a "Vega" Herring Gull at Sunnyside - and who even wants to begin to think about what other examples.
If I am very lucky, and can find some time this weekend, perhaps I will venture to Hall's Rd. and have a look at some blackbirds for myself. Along with my binos and scope I will bring an open mind and a healthy dose of skepticism with me. If I find any reputed Brewer's Blackbirds I'll try to document them as best as I can and report back. If not, I will content myself to a little atlassing.
GC
Hi, I live on the south end of Lake Simcoe and we have lots of birds returning since last week. We have hundreds of Canada Geese, various ducks, Robins, Grackles, and Red Winged Blackbirds. The lake never completely froze this year so I think alot of birds stayed pretty close by.
In Reply to: Hagersville 11 Mar posted by Jim Smemple on March 11, 2002 at 11:59:02:
I really do hate to show my ignorance but which county is Hagersville in?
I sighted a bald eagle at the Scarborough Bluffs with 3 other whitnesses. Is this a normal or rare sighting??? I am uneducated on this topic and would like a reply. Please E-mail me...
In Reply to: Re: Brewer's Black bird Cranberry Marsh posted by Theresa Dobko on March 11, 2002 at 11:11:14:
This is just my 2 cents, their is no confusion on the bird that I saw at Cranberry, IT is a Brewer's black bird!!!
This is my 3 record for the GTA but moor like my 2000 or even 4000 BBLB that I have seen and ID in most western Provinces , States and even Mexico in my life , I am not shier why it is being sead that it has not bin confirmed maybe in some mind's !
But as for this being the correct ID for the bird I saw IT is.
Also it is not a hard bird to ID this birds , the jizz of this species is completely deferent to other Black Birds and telling people that IDing birds is hard is roung , with anoff time ( I spent 3 hours out at cranberry last week ) and work it is quite easy to see the ( Yes) suttle difference .
Craig
If you check Ontbirds, you'll find a remarkable report from Ronald J. Fleming -- I had only a moment to look at his entry, but apparently he went looking for the Smith's Longspur, and on the bank of a nearby stream, saw Arnold Schwarzenegger wrestling with a mink!
I have arranged a ride to the area this afternoon and will provide an update.
JS
In Reply to: Re: Port Credit Birds; Updated posted by Mike Boyd on March 07, 2002 at 18:02:28:
I sighted a pair of trumpeter swans near Hiawatha Park (lakeshore east of Highway 10) in Port Credit last week and jsut wasn't around to make a post.
In Reply to: Re: Crane?? Sand Hill or??? posted by Glenn Coady on March 11, 2002 at 10:58:55:
They are very clear that the neck was straight
In Reply to: Re: Brewer's Black bird Cranberry Marsh posted by Glenn Coady on March 11, 2002 at 10:24:51:
Thanks Glenn and I want to clarify that I agree with you that I was mistaken about my supposed "Brewer's" at the Riverdale Farm. Hope I didn't imply otherwise.
Now it seems that since posting my note, the "Brewer's" at Cranberry is still up for consideration, so I don't feel so convinced/excited that I finally have a sighting. It's apparent from all the messages that this is a very difficult call. I will wait for more proficient birders than I to make this call. Wow do I have a lot to learn!
Theresa Dobko
In Reply to: Re: Crane?? Sand Hill or??? posted by George Daszkowski on March 11, 2002 at 10:25:58:
You would be surprised how many people make this error though!
Ask them if the bird flies with neck outstretched or not. Cranes do, similar sized herons don't.
GC
In Reply to: Re: Crane?? Sand Hill or??? posted by Glenn Coady on March 11, 2002 at 08:07:25:
Not likely in this case as Andrew and Lynn are familiar with Great Blue Herons because GBH's are frequent visitors to the Bayfield area.
In Reply to: Re: Brewer's Black bird Cranberry Marsh posted by Theresa Dobko on March 08, 2002 at 08:22:40:
Theresa,
Having at least average powers of recall, I do remember that you reported a Brewer's Blackbird last summer at Riverdale farm which could not be confirmed on the two visits I made to look for it. I would still contend that a misidentification was likely involved in that instance.
Field guides tend to underestimate the difficulty in separation of some early spring male Euphagus blackbirds.
Based solely on what I have read here and from ONTBIRDS, clearly the Euphagus blackbirds presently at Cranberry Marsh are causing such identification confusion. Having not searched for these birds personally (I have been atlassing in Toronto) I can't confirm or refute any possible Brewer's Blackbird there. I would, however, suggest that such an identification might not best be characterized as yet as "confirmed".
GC
In Reply to: Crane?? Sand Hill or??? posted by George Daszkowski on March 09, 2002 at 11:03:53:
It might be prudent to make sure they are not looking at a Great Blue Heron. Non-birders often confuse Great Blue Herons as "cranes".
GC
Hi, I will be travelling to Montreal in early July and plan to go birdwatching for a few weeks. I would appreciate information or suggestions about 'the best' birding spots in south east Canada. What would you recommend? I also would like to hear which bird sound cds are recommended. Many thanks in advance,
Popko Wiersma (Netherlands)
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, March 10, 2002
A few signs of spring this past week, but mostly hesitating as though unsure of its welcome. Today was pretty much a write-off due to extremely high, damaging winds, but birders yesterday took advantage of the unusually mild temperatures, tallying numerous returning KILLDEERS, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, and NORTHERN HARRIERS throughout the Quinte area, certainly far too many reports to bother itemizing.
The high winds today had a dramatic effect on the once frozen lakes and bays around the county, opening up many bodies of water, and in the case of the Bay of Quinte at Big Island, forcing 15-foot mountains of ice onto the roadside. Opening waters at Wellington Harbour this weekend produced close to a dozen species of ducks, with the more notable species being CANVASBACKS, GADWALL, RING-NECKED DUCKS, REDHEADS, along with a pair of WOOD DUCKS. Also seen at this popular location were AMERICAN COOT, TUNDRA SWAN (2), and 400 CANADA GEESE. TUNDRA SWANS, CANADA GEESE and COMMON MERGANSERS were present this week in Telegraph Narrows.
Elsewhere in the county, RED-BELLED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, COOPER'S HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWKS (2), and PILEATED WOODPECKER were among some of the more interesting species found at Beaver Meadow on Friday. There were AMERICAN ROBINS and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS at the Quinte Conservation Area early in the week, and one observer just east of Wellington had a spectacular view of a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK from the edge of a busy highway. The Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area on Friday produced its resident flock of 100+ BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, along with RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and 4 AMERICAN ROBINS. Of course, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, HORNED LARKS and COMMON GRACKLES are everywhere now, and once this weather clears up, the Quinte area can look forward to the arrivals of additional spring migrants including song sparrows, meadowlarks, snipe and woodcock. We can only wait for those days - they're not that far off.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Ken Kingdon, Albert Boisvert, Lloyd Paul, Joanne Dewey, Byron Berwick, Don Craighead, Jim Collinson and Evelyn Sloane for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 17th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good winter/spring birding everyone !
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
tsprague@kos.net
http://www.naturestuff.net
Friends called this morning from Bayfield where they believe that they have sighted a crane from their home above the shores of Lake Huron. They have checked various sources at their disposal and remain convinvced.
Any other sightings or suggestions for this query?
Thanks in advance
Would it be possible to obtain a listing of upcoming outings. I am brand new to "birding" and would love to spend some time with the "experts".
In Reply to: Brewer's Black bird Cranberry Marsh posted by Craig McLauchlan on March 07, 2002 at 23:01:31:
Congrats all on having 3 of you there at once to confirm the Brewer's. I was there on March 1st and went looking for the Brewer's (and the Ring-necked Pheasants which didn't oblige) and was convinced I had seen it. However, since I thought I had spied one once before in the Riverdale Farm and no one could confirm it (remember that Glenn?) I was loathe to say anything. I'm glad that several experienced birders got to look at it all at once and confer.
The thing that was most helpful for me was seeing it in the trees near the Rusty Blackbirds and the Red-winged Blackbirds. If not for the comparison and the notice from someone else that there was a probable Brewer's Blackbird at Cranberry, I might not have believed my eyes.
So thanks for the report and all of your diligence in identifying the bird.
Theresa
Please Excuse my spelling ,I am Dyslexic thank you for your understanding.
late today ( 2:30 pm ) I was able to get down to Cranberry marsh to look for all the birds reported over the last week . it was a great 3 hours of forgetting the city existed , I was also hoping to see the Brewer’s Blackbird that had bin seen over the last fue weeks .
Cranberry Marsh is found at the foot of Halls rd south , south of Victoria st just west of Whitby Ont.
Will sitting in my car for the first hour I was able to count 26 speeches of birds including 160 R.W. Black Birds (including 8 females, my earliest record for them) 30 Red polls , ! Hoery Red Poll , 1 W.W. Cross bill .
But twice I watched the male ( first basic ) Brewer’s Black bird fly in on its own from the south it land in the big trees , never did it come down to the path to feed after the second sighting it flue towards the marsh as I got out of my car Marcel Gahbauer was park behind me and got out of his He too had seen the same bird and independently had come to the same conclusion I had .
with in 5 mints we had re found the bird sitting in the trees near the north platform it was with 6 or 7 Rusty black birds ( great for comparison ) at this point Carol Horner came along and we all wear able to get great looks through her scope ( amassing it tuck $5000.00 dollars of optic’s to ID this bird) also Carol was able to confirm for her self that the birds she had seen the last time she was down wear in deed Rusty Black birds.
Craig.S.A.McLauchlan Toronto/Ont/Canada/World. csam@sympatico.ca
In Reply to: Herons posted by Doug on March 07, 2002 at 18:16:17:
Those sound like pretty good descriptions of imm. Black-crowned Night-herons, they could be either the ones that have overwintered on the Don River or possibly new migrants.
Mike Boyd
Hi, saw three Herons at Grenadier Pond today...what kind are they most likely to be? All three were brown light to dark, with white spotting, red eyes, greenish/yellow legs, yellow bill with some dark on top. Immature Black Crowns? Thanks Doug
In Reply to: Re: Port Credit Birds; Updated posted by Joe on March 06, 2002 at 19:07:25:
Sorry I dont want to rain on your parade, but I think that your Ivory Gull might be a mistaken identity, as they are an extremly rare bird in this area, so its probably one of the 'white-winged gulls' that occur this area.
Mike Boyd
In Reply to: Port Credit Birds; Updated posted by Joe on March 06, 2002 at 16:19:09:
Actaully I just had my film developed, Going to add an Ivory gull and a gadwell to todays list
In Reply to: Re: Winter Listing ?? posted by Maris Apse on March 04, 2002 at 11:35:47:
Hi All,
Although I didn't start the winter listing (other than just getting out there) until well into January, I did do better than I had in other years (partially due to being "downsized" at work). Had I gone "chasing" more in early December I know I could have done much better. Anyway, my Ontario list for Dec 1/01 to Feb 28/02 was 130 species, I added 3 on Feb 28 at Cranberry Marsh, they were White-winged Crossbill, Purple Finch and Ring-necked Pheasant. I tend to do more birding outside the GTA (for whatever reason) and so my GTA list (i.e. within 50km of the ROM) was only 94 species. I agree that this "listing" adds a lot of enjoyment to the cold winter days, not THAT cold this winter though!
Good birding all,
Frank Pinilla Richmond Hill, ON
This Morning I spent a good deal of time in Port credit harbour. This is what I saw.
Commen Mergansers Black ducks Blue winged teal Baffle heads Wood Duck Redhead Mute Swan Canada Geese Great Black backed Gulls Herring gulls Ring billed gulls Icelandic gulls gallacious gulls Commen redpolls and some sort of black and white mottled duck that I can totally not identify ...in fact i need help .
In Reply to: Re: What birds will nest in a nesting box in Western Toronto? posted by Olaf Jorgensen on March 05, 2002 at 14:17:58:
Olaf, I would tend to agree with both you and Pat, but the criteria here is about a father/son bird house building project in an urban setting without much space. The House Sparrow is not my favorite species but it might just get Mr. Feist jr. interested in birding. Here's a thought --- why not build two nest boxes, one with a 1 1/2" entrance and one with 1 1/8"? What say you, Mr. Feist sr.? Al Johnston, Whitchurch-Stouffville
In Reply to: Re: What birds will nest in a nesting box in Western Toronto? posted by Al Johnston on March 03, 2002 at 08:45:05:
I'm surprised to note the absence of house wren on this thread. You will have to dissuade the house sparrows and house finches by removing their materials regularly (they start early) and reducing the entrance diameter to the absolute minimum required for the wrens.
As a bonus, the wrens will harass house cats at every opportunity, providing hours of wholesome entertainment.
It may be a long shot now that we have two non-native species competing for similar sites, but it's worth a try.
Regards
No, not that kind... I have received over the years requests to set up a forum devoted to the wildlife in the city of Toronto. I have finally acted on that suggestion. Please visit the new board at Wildlife in Toronto.
On a walk this morning I saw quite a few diffrent ducks and geese . Other then the mallards, I saw some golden eyes, quite a few baffleheads, a lone black and wood duck were associating with the mallards. As well Mute swans and a single brant goose was found. The only gulls seen were ring bills. But someone told be they saw some gallacious and black backs last week.
In Reply to: Re: Winter Listing ?? posted by Theresa Dobko on March 04, 2002 at 07:47:09:
Hi all! This was just my 4th.year of keeping an Ontario winter list and the best so far - my last bird was Feb.22 at Col. Sam Smith - Winter Wren (finally - thanks, Craig). Tried mightily, but failed to add any on last weekend of Feb. and so ended at 144. I covered a lot of territory, but I enjoy driving, so any keen "winter listers" - contact me if you want to do some travelling next winter. I think I like WL because I have poor hearing and find this is not as disadvantageous in winter, as it is in spring/summer. Maris Apse
In Reply to: Re: ...or on Mount Sinai Hospital posted by Merrilea Shields on March 03, 2002 at 09:25:40:
Yes, the Peregrine Falcons are visible with binoculars from ground level. A scope would be useful, but for my money the best way to view them on the times they do launch off one of the buildings is to watch them with the naked eye.
Quite a sight to behold! Looking forward to having them menace the Rock Doves on my office's window ledges.
GC
In Reply to: What birds will nest in a nesting box in Western Toronto? posted by Benjamin Feist on March 03, 2002 at 01:34:34:
Eastern Screech-Owl is a very good possibility. If your vicinity is suitable for American Kestrel and you are seeing them, then it will be suitable for Eastern Screech-Owl as well. Most Eastern Screech-Owls have, however, already likely selected nest sites for 2002 already. Certainly I have heard them calling in a few places in my breeding bird atlas squares already.
In Reply to: What birds will nest in a nesting box in Western Toronto? posted by Benjamin Feist on March 03, 2002 at 01:34:34:
The list of birds that will nest in a box in a Toronto yard is actually a fairly short one. Your proximity to semi-natural habitat like High Park, or a large cemetary, etc. will broaden the list beyond house sparrow. Regarding the previous suggestion on house sparrow and house finch, some would say that we should not be encouraging the nesting of bird species that are not native to this area. The truth is, if you are in a fairly densely built-up area, those two species are probably all you can hope for. I would suggest, if you are near a larger park, or have a lot of trees in the neighbourhood, that you attempt to encourage the nesting of black-capped chickadees. This is a native species, and I know people have had success with them in nest boxes in Toronto. Nest box plans for this species are available in many sites on the web, such as http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/documents/nathis/woodwork/ww8.pdf (requires Acrobat to read this file) http://biology.queensu.ca/~mennilld/nestbox.html
The key thing is the 1 1/8" hole will _discourage_ house finch and house sparrow. If you want to pursue this, do it soon, as chickadees are surely scouting for nest sites already at this time of year. Good Luck, Pat Hodgson
In Reply to: Winter Listing ?? posted by Craig McLauchlan on March 01, 2002 at 19:00:24:
Hi Craig and others. I couldn't leave your question unanswered even though my total is no where near yours. I had 107 birds in the GTA and added only 1 more at Cranberry Marsh to reach the end of the season. I wasn't able to get out of Toronto more than once but we have a car now so watch out for next year! (said with humour, chuckles, etc.)
I thought I would reply because, like you, keeping a winter list was encouragement to get me out of the house and to get me to go places I might not ordinarily go. Also thought that others like me, not as experienced and adept as you, might appreciate hearing from someone who just barely crossed the 100 mark ... and it wasn't all that difficult. I have some health problems that mean I can go walking long distances or trooping out in the very cold weather, so if I can get more than 100 ...
This is my first year exceeding 100, my first even coming close, and already I'm champing at the bit for next year. My favourite winter additions were the Snowy Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl at Col. Sam Smith and the Long-eared Owl at Humber Bay East, particularly the Long-eared Owl because I wasn't expecting it and when I looked up it was wide awake and staring back down at me. We slowly backed away to enjoy it a distance. I've never enjoyed winter before but I do now.
Theresa Dobko
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, March 03, 2002
A rather interesting week, if only from the standpoint of weather. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS arrived to the Quinte area on Monday, and en masse throughout the area by the following day when there was an estimated 200 in the Big Island Marsh. An overnight snowfall of as much as 15 cm brought many of these huge flocks to area bird feeders on March 1st. There were isolated reports of COMMON GRACKLES last week, and there were two KILLDEER at Prince Edward Point on Wednesday. NORTHERN HARRIER migrants were observed during the week along Highway 62 at Sawguin Marsh, and at the Big Island Marsh.
BALD EAGLES this past week were observed at Adolphustown (1 imm.), Smith's Bay (1 A & 1 imm.), Glenora (1 A & 1 imm) and two others of unspecified age along Highway 49 at the Quinte Skyway Bridge, and along Adolphus Reach.
There was a report from Belleville yesterday of a PEREGRINE FALCON on North Front Street. Other hawk sightings during the week included an AMERICAN KESTREL and a RED-TAILED HAWK at Warkworth. NORTHERN SHRIKES were seen during the week at Crofton and along Royal Road, south of Milford.
Sightings made today at Presqu'ile were 50 MUTE SWANS, 4 TRUMPETER SWANS, 45 TUNDRA SWANS, SNOWY OWL, 900-1000 CANVASBACKS, a BARROW'S GOLDENEYE and PIED-BILLED GREBE. Another observer yesterday added GADWALL, RING-NECKED DUCK, both GREATER & LESSER SCAUP, and COMMON MERGANSERS to the list.
Other interesting sightings during the week included 100+ WILD TURKEYS at their customary location north of Belleville in the field west of Sidney Street, 22 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at the north end of Sprague Road, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH at a Downs Avenue feeder in Picton, 3 PURPLE FINCHES coming to a feeder on Maitland Drive in Belleville, PILEATED WOODPECKER at Prince Edward Point's Big Sand Bay marsh area, and a BELTED KINGFISHER south of Milford. And among the odd and unexplained was a CANADA GOOSE that apparently died in mid flight, plummeting to the ground in front of a Bloomfield home verandah.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Carole and Bob Wigington, Penny Rae, Mary Tammel, Wayne Montgomery, David Bree, Don McClure, Fran Donaldson, Lloyd Paul, Owen Weir, Judy Bell, Shirley Preston, Jim Wait, Bill Hogg, Susan Yankoo, Nancy Fox and Don Craighead for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 10th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good winter birding everyone !
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
tsprague@kos.net
http://www.naturestuff.net
In Reply to: Re: ...or on Mount Sinai Hospital posted by Merrilea Shields on March 03, 2002 at 09:25:40:
Yes, the peregrines can be seen from street level - though admittedly when they perch high up they are awfully small even through binoculars. However, there are several local observers who are frequently present with their scopes and are happy to share the view with others. I'm sure that if the peregrines do choose to nest at Mount Sinai / Princess Margaret, they will be on site with their scopes more frequently as the activity increases (and the weather improves).
Meanwhile, a reminder that anyone interested in watching peregrine nesting behaviour is welcome to visit the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's display in the Clarica Centre at Islington/Bloor. The peregrines there are likely to begin nesting again later this month, and are already being seen at the nest tray daily. Live video from the nest ledge can be viewed throughout the day on a monitor in the north lobby of 3250 Bloor (third tower east of Islington on the north side of Bloor). This site can also be viewed online at www.peregrine-foundation.ca/Web_Cams/Etobicoke/index.htm (the male is on the box as I write this).
Marcel
In Reply to: Re: ...or on Mount Sinai Hospital posted by Glenn Coady on February 26, 2002 at 10:50:45:
Wow, guys, this is really exciting, I wish my office windows had a view like that, how do you get any work done Glenn? Are these falcons viewable from the ground level with binos?
In Reply to: What birds will nest in a nesting box in Western Toronto? posted by Benjamin Feist on March 03, 2002 at 01:34:34:
Benjamin, If you put up a nest box with a 1 1/2 " entrance hole, you may attract House Finches or House Sparrows. You might also try putting up a small shelf under the eaves of the house to attact a pair of Robins. Good luck and let us know how you make out. Al Johnston, Whitchurch-Stouffville
Hello,
I am thinking of building a bird house with my son for our back yard. We don't have much room, and may have to mount the house on our back fence.
Reading the list of nesting birds that may be in the area, I was quite overwhelmed (http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bhbasics/refrchart.html).
I don't have a specific preference for what type of bird nests in the house; what house should I build that would be beneficial to a local species that might need a place to live?
Any help is appreciated.
Benjamin Feist
In Reply to: minolta activa wp vs pentax dcf wp posted by Arpat Ozgul on March 01, 2002 at 17:22:45:
If the Pentax wp 10X42 are the ones I am thinking off they have a vary closes focus I think of 5 feet? which come in handy if you tack up Butterflying !!
Craig
Winter listing !!?? I do not no if any one on this list sever keeps a winter list ( Dec 1 to Feb. 28 or last day) or not I know some are fast and furies against listing but seenc coming to Toronto I find it to be amusing an a great way to get out of the House when its - 20 c . hahahahaaaaaaaa...........
any way I keep 2 lists one for Ont. and this year it was 146 and one for the GTA ( or Toronto area) and this year was 132 I saw my last countable bird at Jean Irons at 4:30 pm on the 28 and was a Hermit thrush
what a great winter and some spitacular birds !!!!
Craig McLauchlan
I am in the process of buying a pair of binoculars for birding. I have limited my search to Minolta Activa WP 10X42 and Pentax DCF WP 10X42, which are about the same price. Can anyone tell me which one is the better buy?
In Reply to: Redpolls dying posted by Margarete on February 27, 2002 at 20:37:29:
Al Johnston is likely correct. It sounds like you may be experiencing the outbreak of salmonellosis affecting redpolls over a wide area in North America this winter.
For an excellent fact sheet on salmonellosis please see the following web site:
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/whats_new/fact_sheet/fact_salmonellosis.html
Hope this helps you out,
GC
In Reply to: Redpolls dying posted by Margarete on February 27, 2002 at 20:37:29:
Margarete, It's a salmonella outbreak that seems to be affecting just Redpolls. It is recommended that you disinfect your feeders periodically. Frankly, I took mine down. Don't let your cat near any dead ones and dipose of any with gloves on. Al
In Reply to: Re: Humber Bay - Long-Eared Owl-Gone!! posted by Kerri on February 27, 2002 at 10:46:14:
Kerri,
Sounds to me like the flock of swans you observed were likely a flock of Tundra Swans.
As in every year I have a big flock red polls visiting my feeders. Everyday I find at least one or two dead red polls. I have a lot of other birds at my feeder and they all do well.I first suspected my cat and converted her to indoors. But the dying continues. Most birds look like they just dropped dead. Some look like they were partially eaten. There are no cats in my area and only once in a while I see a bird of prey. In previous years the red polls did well. Please advise if you have any idea what is happening.
In Reply to: Quinte Area Bird Report - Feb. 24/02 posted by Terry Sprague on February 24, 2002 at 19:16:48:
Hi terry just thought id say hello and let u know I still read ur column faithfully and enjoy it. recently at my bird feeder just before dark I had I believe to be a small hawk chase the other birds loking to eat one I presume. It was probably twice the size of a bluejay, do u have any idea which one it may be. have a good day, I live on the trent just south of Campbellford im looking forward to the spring birds to come back regards Ed
In Reply to: Re: Humber Bay - Long-Eared Owl-Gone!! posted by Craig McLauchlan on February 26, 2002 at 15:04:27:
Craig, I saw 2 long-eared owls on Monday 25th afternoon. With all the contraversy over the snowy owl, I did not want to post. I also saw a kestrel and a flock of 30 swans (? trumpeter. I know they had black feet and bills and were calling) flew overhead around 4pm.
Please Excuse my spelling ,I am Dyslexic thank you for your understanding.
All thought we have Red wing black birds every wear in the Toronto area the rely fun Bird in the last 48 hours have bine the Tundra Swans! Starting yesterday from our home hear on Quebec Av. in Toronto, Bev and I counted 1 flock of 49 fly over at 11:30 am .( Yes another new yard bird )
But this morning from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm along the lake front starting at Colonel Sam Smith Park (found at the foot of Kipling Ave. at the Lake Shore Blvd.) then stopping in to Humber Bay Park ( found at the foot of Park Lawn rd. and Lake shore Blvd . ) and ending at the Leslie st spit ( found at the foot of Leslie st south of Lake shore Blvd.) I counted 364 Tundra Swans in flocks ranging in size of 92 to 13!
Watching them fly across the sky was just a true felling of spring! (Ops that means moor snow) .
At Col. Sam Smith Park I also found 1 Common Grackle, 2 Rusty Blackbirds and 5 Brown-Headed Cowbird’s.
At Humber bay their wear 33 Mute swans , a high flying flock of Canada Geese with 3 white Snow Geese one was vary small it might have bine a Ross ?? but I could not say for sheer and a hunting Peregrine Falcon .
and on the bass of the Leslie st spit along with the 47 tundra swans wear 2 Hood mergansers , 1 wood duck and a Juv. Glaucous Gull .
I had know luck finding my target bird for the day a Killdeer??!! but still a copal of days left in the winter for that …
Craig.S.A.McLauchlan Toronto/Ont/Canada/World. csam@sympatico.ca
In Reply to: Humber Bay - Long-Eared Owl, Trumpeter Swans, R-T Loon posted by Theresa Dobko on February 25, 2002 at 07:49:24:
I look today for the Long eard owls ( konwing wear thay wear ) and found not a one ! I also understand that not one was seen Yesterday.
Craig
In Reply to: Re: ...or on Mount Sinai Hospital posted by Marcel Gahbauer on February 26, 2002 at 09:48:33:
Well then, let's hope this pair succeeds. I shall try to confirm band numbers thios week.
GC
In Reply to: Re: ...or on Mount Sinai Hospital posted by Glenn Coady on February 26, 2002 at 08:55:43:
I also am very much hoping that the peregrines succeed at this site for two reasons in particular.
The peregrines at Bay and Bloor (presumably the same two individuals) attempted to nest the past two years, but failed on both occasions - having a more sheltered nesting location may allow them to be successful at last.
Also, if the male has indeed remained the same over the past two years, then he is a 4-year-old hatched at the Etobicoke site, named "Windwhistler" by the local community. He was the smallest of the four chicks that year, and had some trouble learning how to fly without banging into windows. I rescued him the first time he came to the ground, and as he was the first peregrine I ever held, I have a particularly strong personal attachment to him and would love to see him succeed.
Marcel
In Reply to: ...or on Mount Sinai Hospital posted by Marcel Gahbauer on February 26, 2002 at 07:46:49:
Yes, certainly the high ledges on the east side of Mount Sinai Hospital are also suitable, and I did see the two birds copulate there yesterday afternoon as well. The male habitually perches on the extreme southeast tip of Mount Sinai. Immediately thereafter, however, the female went back to its perch immediately above the nest box on Princess Margaret Hospital (610 University Ave.).
I hope we can confirm breeding at this location for a couple of reasons in particular:
1) It is within my square 17PJ23 for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. It would provide confirmation in 4 out of 16 squares in atlas region 12 (Toronto) so far.
2) This site is almost directly between two locations where I assisted in Peregrine Falcon hacked releases in the early 1980's (Whitney Block & Canada Life Assurance Buildings) thus bringing much nostalgia to the fore.
GC
In Reply to: Peregrine Falcons look likely to nest on Pricess Margaret Hospital building posted by Glenn Coady on February 25, 2002 at 15:33:36:
This appears to be the pair of peregrines which has spent the past 2+ years around Yonge and Bloor. They were first spotted around Mt. Sinai on January 14, and have been seen there daily since January 22.
While the peregrines have shown some interest in the Princess Margaret box during recent weeks, they have spent even more time on the east-facing ledges of Mt. Sinai, and the adults have been seen exhibiting behaviour suggestive of preparing a nest scrape (though admittedly, peregrines often prepare several scrapes before settling on a nest site). Copulation has been observed on numerous occasions already.
Both adults are banded, but we have not been able to read the bands yet - if anyone happens to see the birds at close enough range to read them, I would be very interested in getting the information in order to track down their history.
For those who are interested, full reports on the activities of these peregrines are being posted on the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's "midtown Toronto" page (more appropriate for when they were at Bloor, of course) at www.peregrine-foundation.ca/tops/torontom.html.
Marcel
As I am writing this I am looking out my office window at a Peregrine Falcon perched on a high ledge on Pricess Margaret Hospital facing onto University Avenue directly above a nest box placed on a ledge there several years ago in an attempt to attract a previous pair to nest.
On Friday I saw both male and female birds present in this area near Mount Sinai Hospital and I saw them copulate and give low-head bowing displays at the Princess Margaret site very near this nest box.
I would think it is very likely these birds have chosen this as a nest site and we may be treated to another nesting pair right downtown.
GC
New migrants today Feb 25 2002 Hooded Merganser females, American Widgeons, Ring-necked Ducks, Red-winged Blackbirds Over the last few days Gadwalls, Northern Pintails, and Hooded Mergansers have been arriving at the 2nd marsh and Darlington Provincial Park. Wintering birds still around or holding in: Winter Wren in Robinson creek valley Darlington P.P., and a blue phase Snow Goose at the park boat ramp with the Canada Geese. Common Redpolls also appear to be on the move north again as well. Flocks were at the park feeder and on the beach. McLaughlin bay(aka the 3rd marsh) is approximately 30% open right now. Glaucous, Thayer's, and Iceland have been on the ice this week with the expected 3 species of gulls( Herring. Great Black-backed, and Ring-billed). In the lake Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, and Long-tailed Duck are all actively courting.
Thanks to all of the other reports, I was able to see or hear some great birds at Humber Bay Park on Sunday.
At Humber Bay West, I twice heard the Red-Throated Loon calling behind the Yacht club but couldn't see it. Others may have more luck during the week with fewer people about.
At Humber Bay East, I was able to locate the Long-Eared Owl. In deference to the original poster and because I saw my very careful descriptions of the position of the Snowy Owl at Col. Sam Smith abused so by photographers, I will not give the exact position. However, it was located in one of the many evergreens not far from the parking lot. I understand a Short-eared Owl has been nearby but we did not locate it. Also at HBE there were 5-6 Trumpeter Swans at the far eastern end of the bay and out of the park area. You would need a scope to see clearly. At least 1 had a numbered yellow tag but we could not read the numbers and did not have time to locate them more closely.
Good birding, Theresa Dobko dobko@rogers.com
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, February 24, 2002
Continued relatively mild weather and open conditions provided birders in the Quinte area with some good opportunities during the week. It isn't often that birders get a chance to wander around at Prince Edward Point during February due to snow conditions that usually persist down there, but last week's snow free conditions allowed one observer to walk to a wooded swamp area about 2 km west of the lighthouse where he found over 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, and another 75 flying overhead as he returned back to the harbour area. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS continue to show up at various locations along Sprague Road and North Big Island Road, ranging from a half dozen or so to a couple dozen birds.
The Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area yesterday also had a NORTHERN GOSHAWK near the harbour, 2 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, 4 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, and an AMERICAN ROBIN. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS also turned up at Sandbanks Provincial Park on Friday where there was also a PILEATED WOODPECKER in the West Point area of the park.
Beaver Meadow on Tuesday produced an EASTERN SCREECH OWL, NORTHERN FLICKER, another 2 PILEATED WOODPECKERS and a couple RED-TAILED HAWKS. Woodpeckers were in fine fettle at Sandbanks' Woodland Campground area on Monday when 7 DOWNY WOODPECKERS and 4 HAIRY WOODPECKERS were tallied. Also noted there was a pair of RED-TAILED HAWKS actively nest building.
One interesting observation today occurred at Elmbrook when bird bander Joanne Dewey set up her nets for part of the day and caught a HAIRY WOODPECKER that was previously banded in August of 1993 !
Other species of interest recorded during the week included a GREAT BLUE HERON at Long Reach, an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on Walmsley Road near Point Petre, a RUFFED GROUSE off Nutty Lane at Smith's Bay, and a COOPER'S HAWK at Adolphustown. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were seen today at feeders at Pleasant Bay (4), and at Big Island (2).
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Don Craighead, Stephen Monet, Joanne Dewey, Fran Donaldson, Shirley & Ken Joyce and Bill Hogg for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 3rd. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good winter birding everyone !
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
tsprague@kos.net
http://www.naturestuff.net
Feb.24.2002 There was a Pintail duck at Col.Sams this morning. My husband I watched in fascination a it harassed and stalked a Mallard couple, trying to separate the female Mallard from the male. The Mallard was hard pressed to protect the female. The Pintail also took a run atseveral other male Mallards scaring them away. A sign of Spring ? Pat Gangl member CCFEW
Please Excuse my spelling ,I am Dyslexi