Tom Hince - Adventures with Birds & other stuff

Aus hilites Part 10

2012-01-01T16:23:00.001-08:00

Here are some hilites from the Cairns area.

Aus hilites Part 9

2012-01-01T16:19:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more hilites from the Atherton tablelands.

Aus hilites Part 8

2012-01-01T16:15:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics from the Mareeba area and the Cassowary House near Cairns.

Aus hilites Part 7

2012-01-01T16:11:00.001-08:00

Here are some photo hilites from the Jullaten area near Cairns.

Aus hilites Part 6

2012-01-01T16:06:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics from the Sydney leg of the trip.

Aus hilites Part 5

2012-01-01T16:02:00.001-08:00

Here are some photo hilites from the Oreillys leg of the trip.

Aus hilites Part 4

2012-01-01T15:56:00.001-08:00

Here are a few hilites from the Melbourne leg of the trip.

Aus hilites Part 3

2012-01-01T15:50:00.001-08:00

Here are some hilites from the Alice Springs leg of the trip.

Aus hilites Part 2

2012-01-01T15:44:00.001-08:00

Here are some photo hilites from the Darwin and Top End leg of the trip.

Australia trip hilites part 1

2012-01-01T15:35:00.001-08:00

Got back in late Nov from a wonderful exploration of 'down under'. Next to Africa, Aus surely has the best combination of birds and cool mammals. Here are a few photos from the Perth leg of my trip.

Peregrine Falcon adult

2012-01-01T15:24:00.001-08:00

A few hours out on Dec 27th and our best bird was an adult Peregrine Falcon. It perched on top of a telephone pole before and after making an unsuccessful run at a Rock Pigeon. This is surely one of the greatest birds in the world!

GREAT GRAY OWL - Kingsville ON

2012-01-01T15:19:00.001-08:00

After two busy days Kathi and I finally got a few hours to look for the Great Gray Owl found in Kingsville on Dec 23rd. The owl was incredibly co-operative and we had fantastic point blank views. Here are a couple of quick snaps taken on Dec 26th morning. This was a lifer for Kathi and the first record for Essex County.

SMEW at WHITBY HARBOUR

2012-01-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a way to end the year! Kathi and I braved the cold on Dec 28th morning to see if we could find the first winter male SMEW found at Whitby Harbour on the 26th. The combination of low temps and bitter north winds off the water made this an extremely uncomfortable experience. Fortunately there were lots of other helpful birders out in search of the same quarry. After some tense moments, a sharp eyed birder from Boston put us on the bird. It was a life bird for both of us, and I managed to snap off a few digi images before the cold drove us back to the van.

First year SMEW are hard to sex, but the presence of large white patches on the flanks, and white flecking on the crown indicate this is a male. This is the third record for Ontario, and one of a handful of national records. It was fortunate that we went for the bird on the 28th, because this was the last day it was seen!

Wheatley - vireos

2011-09-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

Still lots of songbirds on the move this week despite the wet weather. Half a dozen warbler species and loads of vireos and thrushes too. Here is one of several responsive Red-eyed Vireos.

And here is a second pose - again this bird was responding to calling techniques, not playback.

The last image is of one of my favorite birds - the Blue-headed Vireo!

Viceroy at Pelee

2011-09-16T11:19:00.001-07:00

Forgot about the nice fresh Viceroy butterfly (the monarch mimic) that we shot at Pelee last week! It was immaculate! Also lots of Buckeyes.

HOLIDAY BEACH HAWK WATCH

2011-09-16T04:36:00.000-07:00

The passage of a strong cold front overnight brought me to Holiday Beach Conservation Area on the morning of September 15th. With temps in the high 40s and low 50s and 30 kph plus north winds, it felt much more like late October! The birds felt this too, and this proved to be a fantastic day for raptor migration.

For the first hour, the dominant migrant was the SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. Nearly a thousand were tallied today by official counter Steve Kolbe. This one passed right over the tower and showed the classic punched in looked to the front edge of the wing profile.

With these quickly moving raptors, you have to 'crank' on the shutter button and hope that one or two of the many images will be sharp and a good pose. Sometimes you get lucky and the birds are doing something suprising like this sharpie! I guess when you are migrating the pressure is on, and you dont want to waste time for any unnecessary activities!!

While sharpies were the most abundant raptor, there was also a good diversity of other species. Over thirty BALD EAGLES were tallied today and this first year bird put on a particularly nice show right over the tower.

The big hope today was that BROAD-WINGED HAWKS would be moving in large numbers. As the day warmed up a few thermals started to form and the first broad-wings appeared low over the tower. Most were first year birds like this one.

It didnt take long before the first big groups of broad-wings started to appear. Soon there were swirling and streaming groups everywhere we looked. The day's tally was roughly 10,000 birds. Here is an image of part of a large group of four hundred birds that streamed right over the tower in mid morning.

For me another big highlight of the morning was the appearance of Paul Pratt with a prize from the passerine banding operation (he was helping out this morning). He pulled this stunning GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (a first fall female) out to show everyone.

I was so taken with this gorgeous little bird that I decided to adopt it as part of the fundraising activities of the Holiday Beach banding group.

PELEE FALL SONGBIRDS

2011-09-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

On September 8th I spent a really enjoyable day at Pelee with Karen and Dan Olech. The day started out pretty wet but within twenty minutes it ceased and there were birds everywhere we looked. The bright overcast conditions made for some decent photography. Although the songbirds were in fall plumage it was still great fun. Here are a few of my best images from the day.

First a BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER

Then a female/juv BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER

and a co-operative BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER...

another great close NORTHERN PARULA...

and to finish up warblers, one of the most abundant - a MAGNOLIA WARBLER...

Lastly, one of an amazing forty plus PHILADELPHIA VIREOS that we tallied!

PANAMA - CANOPY LODGE

2011-08-30T13:08:00.001-07:00

After five days at Canopy Tower, we made the two hour drive over to the equally delightful Canopy Lodge. This beautiful facility is at higher altitude and has a different mix of birds than the tower. It is situated in the town of EL VALLE DE ANTON (known as EL VALLE) about an hour and a half west of Panama City. The town is well known weekend getaway spot for wealthy Panamanians, and even has its own "Millionaires Row" of outrageous weekend homes.

The lodge is away from the main town site and is beautifully designed. You cross a small stone bridge over a creek which almost always has COMMON BASILISK lizards (also known as the Jesus Christ Lizard because it runs over water) in view on the rocks and stream edges below.

Another great feature of the lodge are the fruit and nectar feeders around the grounds. A great diversity of birds attend the feeders throughout the day, and one of the most common is this THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA (this is a male).

The feeders are not to be ignored at night too, as LEAF-NOSED BATS (unknown species) come in to sip nectar at the hummingbird feeders right by the rooms! They only stay for a split second but if you take enough pictures and have a patient companion with a flashlight (thanks Kathi!) then you have a shot an image like this.

The shot I really wanted was the 'business' end of things though, and this took at least thirty shots before the odds were on my side. Here you can see that long nectar lapping tongue!

Again, as with the tower, we basically birded in the mornings and took the afternoons to relax and read and nap (and in my case, to process photos). We spent one particularly productive morning with our guide Moyo (my apologies for the spelling!). One of the birds I was really hoping to photograph on this visit was TODY MOTMOT, and Moyo made a real effort to get us great views of this bird. It was elusive at first but he knew the territories cold and we eventually got fantastic views of this difficult species. El Valle certainly has to be one of the best places to see this species.

And so ended our delightful ten day trip to Panama!

PANAMA - ANTSHRIKE KILLS SNAKE!

2011-08-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

When we left the Canopy Tower, we drove slowly down the entrance road along Semaphore Hill. We made a couple of stops where we heard small parties of birds foraging nearby. About two thirds of the way down the hill we made our last stop at a small party of antbirds feeding in the canopy near the road. There were at least three WESTERN SLATY ANTSHRIKES and a pair of FASCIATED ANTSHRIKES, plus several DOT-WINGED ANTWRENS and - we got out first decent look at GREEN SHRIKE-VIREO!

As we watched this small group of birds, we were soon surprised as they moved rapidly towards the ground and began to scold and display. The WESTERN SLATY ANTSHRIKES even showed large white patches of puffed up feathers on their backs as they scolded just a few feet from the road and a few feet above the ground. I alerted Kathi to the possibility that they had spotted a snake and only a few seconds later she said "There IS a snake and the antshrike is attacking it!!!". We both edged forward as close as possible and there on the ground was a small yellow/orange viper, about two feet in length and a male FASCIATED ANTSHRIKE standing a few inches away - POISED TO STRIKE IT!!!

As we watched, the ANTSHRIKE lunged forward with his massive bill and grabbed the snake by the head.

He would shake the snake violently back and forth and then drop it back on the ground.

Initially, the snake would recoil and move after these attacks. But the antshrike was relentless and kept on grabbing and shaking the snake violently by the head. The video below gives an idea of this process. I have a longer clip but its too big to upload.

The antshrike continued this process for about five minutes, and then grabbed the snake by the tail and dropped it, as if to check to see if it was still alive. It seemed non-responsive to me.

At this point, greedy 'photographer' Tom took over, when 'scientist' Tom should have prevailed. I decided to take a stick and drop it onto a small plant that had been blocking my view of the event. This scared the antshrike off. I thought it might return, but after about five more minutes there was no sign of activity so we decided to leave. The snake was motionless. The big question to me was did the antshrike just kill the snake, or did it intend to eat it and I scared it off? If anyone has any insight into this, it would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone has any thoughts on the species of viper that would be helpful.

In any event, this was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed in the wild, and both Kathi and I were on a high for several days after this!

PANAMA - PIPELINE ANT MARCH

2011-08-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Pipeline Road has a reputation as being one of the best places in the world to chance upon an ant march and this trip did not disappoint. Don't confuse army ant marches with groups of commonly seen leaf cutters. Army ants predate insects, spiders and even small vertebrates such as mice and birds if they don't flee the marauding ants. Unlike the movie "Army Ants" they are no danger to humans, though they can inflict a painful sting/bite if you blunder into the swarm.

Birders are attracted to ant swarms because of the birds that follow them. They dont eat the ants but instead feed on the insects that try to flee from the ants. We spent a full morning on Pipeline road with our guide from the Canopy Tower, Danilo. Below is an image of the army ants swarming across Pipeline Road right in front of us!

This ant march was a fairly good one for attracting quality birds. Here is an image of PLAIN-BROWN WOODCREEPER with a food item it has found. This species is a common follower of army ants.

Although it can be a bit unnerving to be around the ant swarm (as they frequently climb up your legs if you get in their path!), the photography opportunities can be fantastic. I find if you get into a spot in the path of the ant swarm and just stay there that the birds calm down and come right to you. You can get some amazingly close views and images. In many cases the birds will come within a few feet if you stay still! Below are female and male SPOTTED ANTBIRDS . This is a rather common species in Panama but a really beautiful antbird.

Another "professional" antbird is the BICOLORED ANTBIRD. At ant marches you can often get great views of this bird, but they are exceptionally difficult to see well in other situations. In fact, outside of ant marches I have only seen this species on two other occasions.

Another professional ant follower is the GRAY-HEADED TANAGER. We tend to think of tanagers as frugivores, and indeed most are, but the GRAY-HEADED is a frequent follower of army ants.

A lot of guides move on fairly quickly from ant marches once they feel they have exhausted the birds present. However, I like to spend at least an hour with a good march and will often return to it later on to see if any new birds have popped in. The quality of birds seen at these marches is so good that is often worthwhile. Here is another representative (again from Pipeline Road) of a family that I have seen a number of times at ant marches - puffbirds. This is a WHITE-WHISKERED PUFFBIRD.

The importance of hanging with ant marches as long as possible was brought home with this one. One of THE prize birds of an ant march is OCELLATED ANTBIRD. Although we spent a full hour with the march our first time around we didnt even get a whiff of this species. Nonetheless on our return journey past the march, our guide Danilo heard one singing and we soon had great point blank views of this amazing bird.

PANAMA - AROUND CANOPY TOWER

2011-08-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

This was definitely designed to be a 'vacation' so we spent most mornings birding and exploring, and then had a leisurely lunch and relaxed and read most of the afternoons.

On one afternoon foray, we had lunch in Gamboa at the Los Logartos restaurant which has a deck overhanging the water. The staff feed the birds, fish, lizards and turtles with old bread and it creates quite a stir. This juvenile GREEN HERON was one of the attendant guests though I never did him see go after the bread!

Another bird that definitely DID partake of the bread handouts was this adult PURPLE GALLINULE. In fact, until the bread was brought out this bird remained completely out of the sight in the vegetation.

At one point, we watched one of the gallinules at the edge of the water eating its prize. Then along came a small AGOUTI who tried to steal a bite. I was amazing that the gallinule stood its ground and turned and pecked the agouti firmly on the head chasing it off!

Continuing on the baby theme, Kathi spotted this group of frog eggs in a small puddle along the old Gamboa Road when we were searching for roosting SPECTACLED OWLS (unfortunately a no show).

The pattern of the eggs might make a good screen saver!

Nearby was the nest of a LINEATED WOODPECKER. This stunning bird is reminiscent of our PILEATED WOODPECKER. This pair put on a great show staying low to the ground and feeding near us for several minutes. Later we saw them at this large cavity, which the one bird entered. We presumed that this was an active nest?

If you look carefully you will notice that the nest of this woodpecker is in bamboo. Yes, thats right - this huge woodpecker has chosen to nest in GRASS! How amazing is that!

Another very showy family which I enjoy are the trogons. The canal zone area is excellent for viewing trogons with four or five regularly seen species. This VIOLACEOUS TROGON male was one of the most frequently seen species, but still a great sight!

PANAMA - CANOPY TOWER

2011-08-30T10:47:00.001-07:00

From Panama City we moved to the renowned CANOPY TOWER about thirty minutes north, and perfectly positioned on top of Semaphore Hill. This was my third visit to the tower, but it was Kathi's first.

After lunch we spent about an hour watching for raptors from the top of the tower. Kathi was thrilled to see a flight of SWALLOW-TAILED KITES on the move. They had already begun their southward migration, and we tallied over 150 of them in just an hour.

Even better than the kites were two stunning adult KING VULTURES that soared low over the tower for nearly half an hour! I have seen this bird many times over the years but this was certainly THE best view I had ever had.

One of the great aspects of a visit to the tower is an early morning spent on the viewing deck. Even in the rainy season, when we were visiting, the mornings are usually fairly clear. The view below gives an idea of the magical feeling of being up there listening to the world come to life. All around you there are incredible sounds - howler monkeys roaring.... the tremelo whistles of great tinamous... and a host of antbirds and others greeting the day.

Every time I have visited the tower, the dynamic has been a bit different. On this occasion there was a CECROPIA tree right next to the tower which was fruiting. This attracted a parade of wonderful birds for incredible close views as they fed only a few feet away and below us! Again below the COLLARED ARACARI is a common bird, but I was thrilled to get a series of great images.

We spent five days at the Canopy Tower exploring the surrounding sites. One of my top memories was a crystal clear morning with a full moon visible from the top of the tower just before dawn.

PANAMA - ANCON HILL

2011-08-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just got back from ten great days in Panama. I am going to do a series of quick posts on highlights of the trip. Upon arrival we spent two nights at La Estancia bed and breakfast on Ancon Hill in the centre of the city. This is a fantastic base for exploring the city. The facilities and staff are excellent and really good value. The b and b is located on Ancon Hill which is forested and lush on the upper half and the b and b feeds birds and monkeys bananas near the deck. The views are incredible.

I know BLUE-GRAY TANAGER is a common and widespread species but this photo is indicative of the viewing from the deck, and it is the best photo I have ever gotten of this bird. Below is another common bird, VARIABLE SEEDEATER. This male was one of several dozen that mobbed the feeders almost all day long.

So here is a more showy and difficult bird to photograph - ORANGE-CHINNED PARAKEET. This is a widespread species in the lowlands of central Panama. Again this was photographed from the deck at La Estancia.

So you have been patient and looked at the birds... now its time for the mammals that we enjoyed at La Estancia. The star attraction has to be the GEOFFREY'S TAMARIN monkeys that appear in small troops once or twice a day. They are addicted to the bananas that the staff hang in the forest next to the balcony. This is a gorgeous primate.

One morning we took a walk up Ancon Hill. Starting right from the door of the b and b this walk is through beautiful lush tropical forest and interspersed are fantastic views of the city below. The highlight of the walk was seeing several THREE-TOED SLOTHS including this comical individual who was scratching vigorously while hanging from his back legs!!

BADLANDS SOUTH DAKOTA CRITTERS

2011-06-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

One of the best places that Kathi had on our itinerary was Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The landscape was breathtaking, but due to the overcast and drizzly conditions my landscape shots didn't do it justice.

In addition to the amazing geological features here, we had some great encounters with mammals. First was a site where the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs were incredibly tame. Carina even touched one of the baby prairie dogs on the head! As you can see from the image below, they really are super cute!

We also had some great mammal encounters at nearby Custer State Park. Even though it was a mammal I had photographed many times before, this image of a male Pronghorn is probably my personal favourite.

GREAT SALT LAKE - UTAH

2011-06-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

One of the neatest places we visited on this trip was the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The local Audubon society has a great website with birding info and we used this to choose Antelope Island as a site to visit as we had only a few hours. This proved to be an excellent choice. The causeway provides is almost six miles long and takes you to Antelope Island - the largest island in the Great Salt Lake.

There were lots of mud flats on the east side of the lake as we entered the causeway. In addition to hundreds of Willets and Avocets there were thousands of Wilson's Phalaropes (mostly females) flying around in large flocks. At peak in July this lake holds over half a million of this species!

In the fall and winter this site is well known for attracting huge numbers of shorebirds and waterfowl. Although it was mid summer, there were still some interesting water birds including this Clark's Grebe, a species I have only seen a few times before.

On the island itself we had a nice selection of birds including Burrowing Owls, Rock Wrens, Sage Thrashers, Lark Sparrrows and a single Chukar. This game bird is an introduced species, like the Ring-necked Pheasant and Gray Partridge, but it is a truly striking bird.

YELLOWSTONE - WOLVES & GRIZZLIES!!

2011-06-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Kathi and I just finished several great days in Yellowstone National Park. This site is truly one of the most incredible protected areas I have ever visited. There were many people but it still was an outstanding experience. For me, two of the things I most wanted to see were wolves and grizzly bears. I had seen both before a number of times but with these mammals - more is always better!

On our first evening we had distant views of a very dark Wolf and a Grizzly grazing in a meadow. They were exciting moments but I was really hoping for a killer view of both. On our second full day we opted for an earlier start - hoping that we might luck into a close encounter with either species before the roads got busy. Not twenty minutes after we entered the park, there was an almost white Wolf walking along the roadside right beside us!!! We watched as the Wolf walked steadily along the roadside for several minutes. I drove alongside shooting images from the car window as I kept pace driving. The Wolf was carrying food in its mouth (looked like a bunch of bones and meat from a kill) and probably heading back to a den to feed some pups. Here are two of my best images below:

The Wolf sighting alone made our visit to Yellowstone a huge success. However, we had one more memorable moment to come. About an hour later we were driving northeast of Madison corner when we spotted a huge old Grizzly (male?) walking towards the road. It was perfect timing as the Grizzly slowly walked towards us following the edge of a meadow, turning over small logs and searching for food. He was really beat up, with scarred ears, eyes and a large wound on his shoulder - an old warrior to be sure! As he moved along we slowed closed the ground between him and us until he was only about 15 feet away! It was a thrilling moment as he crossed the road right in front of us, his breathe steaming in the cool clear morning air. We were the first car to find him but by the time he crossed the road there were about four other cars on the scene, including one that was appeared panicked as he crossed right behind them!

IOWA - WANAKA STATE PARK

2011-06-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Kathi, Carina, her girlfriend Sam and I just started a road trip/vacation and we were passing through Iowa today. We took a brief time out from passing through the many cornfields to spend a little time birding in a small park in the nw portion of the state. Even at midday there was a nice selection of birds including Barred Owl, both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, three or four Red-headed Woodpeckers, several Yellow-throated Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and many other great birds. For Kathi the top bird was Dickcissel, which was a lifer. We had seen many 'possible' Dickcissels at high speed as we drove along interstates, but at the end of this park we came across a nice close co-operative pair. Here is the best image I got of the male. Later we would see dozens of males as we drove west towards out next stop in South Dakota!

ALBERTA TOUR - Day 2

2011-06-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Our first full day of the Alberta and Saskatchewan tour found us on Primrose Lake Road northwest of Cold Lake. It was a crisp cold morning with virtually no wind. The entire group was hoping this might be the day they finally got to see the elusive CONNECTICUT WARBLER. As luck would have it there four singing males in one small site Paul and I had scouted and we soon had one male in the scope singing high from the treetops. We spent twenty minutes watching it in the scope obtaining incredible views as it sang repeatedly. Here is a photo of this great bird.

Other great finds around Cold Lake included scope views of Nelson's and Le Conte's Sparrows, White-winged Crossbills, a point blank male American Three-toed Woodpecker, many warblers including Mourning and Canada at point blank range, heard Yellow Rail, great views of Virginia and Sora rails, distant Sabine's Gulls and a great view of a Fisher. Our next stop is Luck Lake, Saskatchewan where hopefully we will find good numbers of shorebirds.

CANADIAN BIG DAY RECORD - JUNE 1, 2011

2011-06-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

On June 1st Paul Pratt and myself made our third attempt at a big day in Alberta. In 2009 we tallied 207 species and in 2010 we tallied 213. After the success of these days we firmly believed it was possible that a new Canadian big day record might be achievable in Alberta. Since 1987, the province of Manitoba has held the national big day record. For most of that time it was 205 species until Paul and I tallied 212 species in Manitoba five years ago. That record was best by a team from Manitoba that reached 214 species three years later.

We are happy to report that on June 1st we tallied 218 species wholly within the province of Alberta to establish a new Canadian big day record. Our route took us from the boreal forest in the Cold Lake area to Waterton National Park in the southwest. Full details of the big day will appear in the 2011 ABA list and big day report.

The day was so intense that I had virtually no chance to take any photos. Here are two that document some memorable moments (sunrise over English bay picnic site on the west side of Cold Lake and a White-rumped Sandpiper).

PELEE AS GOOD AS EVER...

2011-05-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

This has been a great spring at Pelee. Its been a treat guiding people around the park and the migration has been typified by some great birds and good viewing. Today was no different.

Kathi and I headed down to the park late morning in pursuit of a BELL'S VIREO. We joined up with Paul Pratt, Steve Pike, Mike Fitzpatrick, Sue Fortuna and several other good friends and took the new train down to the tip. After fifteen tense minutes, the yells went out from Steve and we were soon all enjoying fantastic views of this exceptionally tough bird. For Paul it was a new Canada bird, and for me it was only the second ever at Pelee.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying some great low views of old familiar friends. One of the best photo opps was this male AMERICAN REDSTART. This is a common bird here but always a stunning bird.

We also looked for a reported KIRTLANDS WARBLER in the afternoon but the bird hadnt been seen in two hours and we had no luck in our quest. We left the park after dinner but made an abrupt U turn when Bruce Di Labio phoned to say the bird was back and performing well on the west beach. A few frantic moments later we were on the beach enjoying another great rarity. This was a female KIRTLANDS, but still a gorgeous bird.

FLORIDA - WEST COAST TO EAST COAST

2011-04-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today we birded from Fort Myers Beach all the way across to the Wellington area. We finally got our RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS! Other highlights included this GLOSSY IBIS, which although not all that rare, was unique because it was missing all its right foot and lower leg. Only a stump was visible and the wound appeared to be fairly fresh. We wondered whether it was a large turtle or an alligator?

At Okeeheelee Park we spent some productive time at the bird feeders. We tallied no fewer than 13 PAINTED BUNTINGS and 5 INDIGO BUNTINGS! Only two were adult male PAINTED BUNTINGS. There were at least 9 or 10 that were female type birds with one or two of these being much brighter green. The one below appeared to be a first year male because of the orangy red present on the lower breast!

The other exciting bird that appeared at the feeders was a female DICKCISSEL! We were thrilled to find this bird still lingering as it was expected to depart any day now.

FLORIDA - PEACEFUL WATERS

2011-04-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today we visited Peaceful Waters natural area to search for shorebirds and other waterbirds. Our main target here was LONG-BILLED DOWICHER. When we arrived I was disappointed to see that the water levels in the ponds had risen significantly. Nonetheless the back cell held a nice flock of dowitchers, plus both YELLOWLEGS, and many STILT SANDPIPERS.

Below is an image of one of the dowitchers. This is a LONG-BILLED.

Many of the dowitchers seemed to be paired off and were frequently seen having little scuffles about feeding sites.

FLORIDA - THREE LAKES AGAIN

2011-04-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

We began our trip in the Orlando area with early morning at Brinson Park. Highlights here were both FULVOUS and BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS, LIMPKINS, and several SNAIL KITES. The male kite flew by within twenty feet of us carrying a snail!

At Three Lakes WMA we managed to hear loads of BACHMAN'S SPARROWS and then finally got two males to co-operate. They sang from close distance allowing great scope views. Below is a poor image of one of the sparrows.

In the Lake Placid area we spent some time searching for the endemic breeding FLORIDA SCRUB JAY. This confiding bird showed off well allowing us to get some decent images.

In this photo the jay scolds us as we watch from a close distance. You can see he is colour banded as part of an ongoing long term study.

FLORIDA - THREE LAKES W M A

2011-04-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today checking out Joe Overstreet and Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area south of Kissimmee. The landing at Joe O was not as productive as usual, but still lots of great birds. According to Rob, the airboat tour captain, the whoopers have moved south this year to around Lake Okeechobee. BTW - I recommend his tours. Have done them in the past and he really knows where the birds are, and gets you great views.

In Three Lakes my main target was the endangered RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. I was too late to see them leaving roost holes but managed to find a number of birds foraging. Here is a photo of one of pair that seemed to be searching for a nesting cavity. Note that this bird is colour banded (for identification) as all of the RCWPs are here.

As I entered the WMA it was apparent that hunting was in full swing (turkey season I think). At the entry gate one hunter was decked out in full gear leaning against the gate staring off into the forest with his shotgun in his arms and ready for anything that moved. He warned me to 'be careful' out there! Ironically twenty yards past him there was a NORTHERN BOBWHITE standing on a log right beside the road. I was really pleased to get what is certainly my best image of this bird.

FLORIDA - BURROWING OWLS

2011-04-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

This morning Kathi and I took a short trip to look for BURROWING OWLS at Brian Piccolo Park near Pembroke Pines. It was certainly easy finding these great birds even in the heat of midday. At one burrow we came across one adult perched up in a tree.

At another burrow we watched a pair of owls interact by their nest burrow. What was presumably the male offered a blob of something to his mate. We weren't sure if it was nesting material or food, but the female readily accepted it.

POMPANO BEACH , FL - BEACH BIRDS

2011-04-06T09:32:00.001-07:00

Kathi and I are enjoying some fun on the beach here in Pompano Beach, Florida. We took a walk down the beach with a point and shoot a few days ago and too some pics of gulls and terns and skimmers on the beach. The black line centre left are all skimmers, the terns at bottom left are mostly ROYAL TERNS with the odd LAUGHING GULL and RING-BILLED GULL. But what about that group of gulls on in the centre right of the photo????

Below is a closer shot of that group of gulls. If you look carefully you will notice there are fourteen birds in this group. There are three species represented here. So what are they?

I know. I know. They are pretty small in this image, so below is a close up showing two of the species. The third species is RING-BILLED GULL. One is pretty much hidden except a wing tip and the other near the centre is noticeably smaller. So what are the two species below?

The bird in the bottom left with really bleached and pale wing coverts is a first summer HERRING GULL. It is the ONLY herring gull in any of these images. All the other gulls (and there are ELEVEN of them!!!) are LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS of varying ages. Just a few decades ago this species would have been earth shattering news anywhere in North America, but today they are widely reported in numbers. The thing I found most surprising is that this group of LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were the DOMINANT species in this gull flock. I had upwards of fourteen LBBGs at any one time on the beach and there was never more than three or four other gulls with the flock! The LESSERS age classes seemed to be 4 adult or near adult, 3 second summer, and 7 first summer birds. In the image below you can see a range of variation of birds in the group - all of these are LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS!

FLORIDA - OKEEHEELEE

2011-04-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kathi and I headed to Okeeheelee Park to hopefully finally end her quest for the elusive PAINTED BUNTING. Last year in Texas I had promised to produce one and had failed (although I did see one the week after she headed home!).

We arrived at the nature center around 9:30 am and found the feeder the buntings had been frequenting occupied by a surly RACCOON, several SQUIRRELS and some pesky BLUE JAYS. Another birder/photographer let us know that the buntings had been there about twenty minutes prior (ugh!).

After a tense wait of about twenty minutes a female PAINTED BUNTING appeared. Kathi was pleased but this was really not what we were there to see. Another twenty minutes and several failed attempts to deter the raccoon later, we could hear a number of bunting call notes as the flock of buntings approached. Suddenly two female painted buntings appeared, then Kathi spotted a stunning male PAINTED BUNTING sitting in the brush above the feeders.

Not long after the single male moved down to the ground at point blank range and began to feed. It was great to have such stunning views of this wonderful bird. The range of colours on the male is amazing.

Soon the ground was littered with buntings - we counted a minimum of 12 PAINTED BUNTINGS (4 males, 8 females) and four INDIGO BUNTINGS (two males and two females). Below is one of the male INDIGOS coming into full alternate (breeding) plumage.

After this fantastic start to the day we headed to IHOP for Kathi's favourite breakfast - German pancakes (not on the menu anymore but they still will make them!). Later we visited two other great sites - Peaceful Waters and Grassy Waters, but the buntings were definitely the highlight of the day!

PERIGEE MOON

2011-03-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight Kathi and I were out at a local wetland watching TUNDRA SWANS go to roost and AMERICAN WOODCOCK doing their famous evening flight display. I had forgotten how wonderful the swans can sound. The woodcock proved difficult to see but we did get some close encounters with silhouettes buzzing by us.

Best of all, it was a beautiful early spring evening punctuated by the rising full moon. On the horizon the moon appeared larger than ever because it was the famous PERIGEE MOON - the closest moon in almost 20 years. It was a wonderful way to end the day.

MAR 17 - PELEE AREA

2011-03-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Spent a few hours cruising the wet fields north of Pelee and then a brief run down to the tip area. There are lots of changes in Pelee this spring - newly paved tip road, new visitor center paved parking lot (definitely designed by an engineer!), new boardwalk going in at the marsh, and apparently a new tip transit service for this spring! Also some work being done on Sparrow Field. Hoping that involves actively managing this site for grassland species and viewing opportunities - still hopeful!

There was a good selection of waterfowl along Conc D and a nice smattering of raptors - two Rough-legs, three harriers and about a dozen Red-tails - also a Great Horned Owl on nest. The most photogenic subject was a RACCOON which was teed up in a small sapling along the North Dyke road (which continues to deteriorate). He/she sat there obligingly for this image.

Opossums in northern climes often have frost damage to their ear tips. This Raccoon clearly has a piece missing from one ear (see upper left of the image below). I am not sure whether Raccoons suffer this same issue as their ears are more fur covered. It may be more likely this was the result of a fight.

SOUTH AFRICA - KRUGER COLOURFUL BIRDS

2011-01-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

Kruger hosts a wide variety of colourful species, but there is no bird more revered than the LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER. Amazingly this species is widespread and easy to see as it perches in on small bushes and shrubs in the open savanna.

The are half a dozen bee eater species possible in summer but in winter when we visited, only two are likely. These cozy WHITE-FRONTED BEE EATERS are the most widespread and common species then, with LITTLE BEE EATER also present in small numbers.

Shrikes and bush shrikes are particularly well represented in Kruger with over a dozen species likely on a visit of several days. This BLACK-CROWNED TCHAGRA is one of this 'clan'. They frequently forage on the ground, searching for small invertebrates.

Half a dozen species of robin chats occur in Kruger, with this WHITE-BROWED ROBIN CHAT being a typical showy representative.

SOUTH AFRICA - KRUGER RAPTORS

2011-01-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

The diversity of landscapes and wildlife in South Africa is impressive. There is a great system of protected areas and national parks, the most well known of which is Kruger National Park. The park boasts an enormous bird list, with several hundred species likely in a visit of three days.

Raptors are particularly well represented. The largest of all is the MARTIAL EAGLE which tends to favour guineafowl as a prey item. The individual below caught a CAPE TURTLE DOVE right in front of our car - landing on the road and then alighting right above us! We watched for nearly fifteen minutes as it plucked the dove clean and then proceeded to eat it.

Another stunning raptor that is common in Kruger is the BATALEUR. This medium sized eagle often scavenges at kills. The black adult and brown juvenile below are vying for the gut pack of an impala that was recently killed. Surprisingly, the juvenile dominated the adult!

But neither of these smaller birds were able to hold onto the prize once a TAWNY EAGLE appeared.

Another great moment came when we got close to this GIANT KINGFISHER (about the size of an AMERICAN CROW!). It was chomping down a small invertebrate which turned out to be a mudcrab - a small freshwater mollusc.

Not a raptor but a species that likes to feed on fish, so certainly a predator, is the rare AFRICAN FINFOOT. I had searched the streams of Kruger on every previous visit but always missed this bird. Paul's sharp eyes picked out an adult male swimming at a bridge just east of the Skukuza Camp. We watched the bird swim towards us and then eventually swim right underneath us and pass downstream!

SOUTH AFRICA - KRUGER NIGHT DRIVES

2011-01-01T13:18:00.001-08:00

One of the greatest experiences in South Africa is a night drive in Kruger National Park. We were lucky enough to do several during our stay in this immense protected area. Unfortunately you cannot drive yourself at night, so you have to rely on the park ranger led drives. Some are good and others leave a lot to be desired - mostly because of the staff leading the drives. By far our best night drive experience was at Satara camp where we saw a superb array of mammals and also had a driver who understood how to get everyone good views.

I had read that some drivers were even able to spot chameleons at night as the fed on the edge of branches. Given the thick scrubby vegetation this is hard to imagine as you speed along the roads! Nonetheless on our Satara night drive our ranger spotted no fewer than three WHITE LIPPED CHAMELEONS along the roadside.

Of course everyone on the drives wanted to see big cats, and that was the focus. We saw lions and leopards on several night drives (cheetahs are diurnal) but I was equally interested in the smaller cats and predators. One of the most common nocturnal cats is the AFRICAN WILD CAT, a species which is almost never seen during the day. The eyeshine on this small cat is impressive.

Another small 'cat like' mammal that is frequently seen is the GENET. This LARGE-SPOTTED GENET was actually photographed on a self drive outing at Bonamanzi Reserve when it sat right beside us marking a scent post only ten feet from the car window!

One nocturnal mammal that is frequently heard "whooping" during the night is the SPOTTED HYENA. We came across this one on a drive near Pretoriskop camp and were surprised that it came right up to the game drive van, appearing almost curious.

The night birding is often good on these drives. Both of SPOTTED EAGLE OWL and AFRICAN SCOPS OWL were seen on multiple drives.

SOUTH AFRICA - the KAROO

2011-01-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some catch up posts from my trip to South Africa in the fall of 2010.

This first one is from the KAROO. The karoo is an arid, steppe like habitat which dominates much of South Africa. Below is a photograph taken near the remote town of Pofadder (from the Afrikaans for the venomous "puff adder").

The Pofadder area is famous for larks. This family of birds reaches its peak of endemism in southern Africa. I tallied over twenty lark species during my trip and several were only found while near Pofadder. One of the most difficult to find is the nomadic Sclater's Lark.

These two Sclater's Larks flew in to take a drink at a water trough. Note the dark tear like mark below the eye, which is a key feature of Stark's. Waiting at water troughs, water holes or other water sources is a great mid day birding technique in this habitat. Here is another example of birds coming to a water hole - in this case a mixed flock of YELLOW CANARIES, BLACK-HEADED CANARIES and CAPE SPARROWS.

The plant life of the karoo is often bizarre. Here are several photos of karoo plants.

The karoo isnt just little brown birds and plants! Here are three of the more striking birds that are widespread throughout this region of South Africa. First a striking raptor - the PALE CHANTING GOSHAWK.

Next, is the cryptic KAROO KORHAAN - this time a male fluffed up prior to display.

Lastly, the beautifully marked DOUBLE-BANDED COURSER - a member of the shorebird family that loves arid sandy plains.

THE YEAR OF THE.....

2011-01-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 began with a quick scan of the bird feeders. Would the first bird of the year be a House Finch? or a House Sparrow? or something more exotic? Incredibly a thorough scan of the feeders and trees didn't turn up a single bird! Checking another window produced the reason why... a first year COOPER'S HAWK was perched right next to the feeders! What a great bird to start the year off and certainly this is the first time I have tallied this species to start out a year. Hopefully it bodes well for a year of high quality birds and birding!

As I filled the feeders up I was surprised to hear several COMMON REDPOLLS calling from overhead. They didn't seem to land but we'll keep an eye on the nyger feeder over the next couple of days. Hopefully they are the vanguard of a bigger movement.

Back from SOUTH AFRICA!

2010-10-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the long hiatus from posts... I have been guiding in South Africa and just back for a week. I plan on doing a whole bunch of follow up posts from the trip but here are a few images from early in the trip that I managed to process while on the road.

This is an AFRICAN BROADBILL. It is a real tough bird to see and we lucked onto it while on the Fig Forest walk at Mkuze Reserve (with an armed ranger). Normally the only way to find it is during the breeding season when the males do a bizarre predawn display. Even then its very tough to track down and views are not great so this was really serendipity! Sorry Chris - I know this is one you have searched for, for a long time.

I know its a little brown job... BUT South Africa is well known for being a center for endemism (unique species) and no family better represents that specialization than the LARK family. We saw over twenty lark species on our trip (a superb tally) and many of them are darn hard to see well. This is one species I never expected to photograph. Its a CAPE CLAPPER LARK. This species is notorious for being heard or seen in flight as it displays, but rarely seen on the ground. This obliging individual sunned itself on a fencepost on a chilly morning.

Okay so now we are on to a real showy bird! This is a GRAY-HEADED BUSHSHRIKE. It is about the size of a blue jay. That massive beak is used to dispatch lizards, frogs, invertebrates and even baby birds. We saw all six bushshrikes in South Africa and never tired of any of them!

One of the great things about Africa is night drives. You see many neat mammals you wont see during the day, and some great birds as well. This SPOTTED EAGLE OWL is a widespread owl found throughout southern Africa. This one perched right beside us for nearly five minutes!

This is just a taste of some of the highlights of this trip. Lots more to come next week.

JULY 18th - FRIGATEBIRD - ANCHOR BAY, MI

2010-07-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Kathi and I were enjoying a quiet Sunday evening when she got a text from Martin Blagdurn - "FRIGATEBIRD - ON ANCHOR BAY NOW". A quick phone call to Martin to confirm the bird was still in view, and we were on our way towards the north shore of the bay. It was a frantic ten minutes while we called back and forth to Martin to find out where the bird was headed. As we drove east, Kathi spotted the bird gliding overhead. There was Martin right beside it, as we arrived at BobbyMacs bayside grill. We spent about twenty minutes following it back and forth over an area of only a few hundred yards. In that entire time I don't recall seeing it flap once! It soared effortlessly in the onshore breeze, staying just above the tree tops - and likely looking for a place to roost. By the time we saw the bird it was around 9 pm so photography was difficult. However I did manage to get a few diagnostic shots. This was a Michigan first for all of us, and many thanks to Martin for the prompt notification!

JULY 4th - fireworks on the beach

2010-07-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the holidays, Kathi, Carina,her girlfriend Sam and I went to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. One of the highlights of the trip was sitting on the beach watching the incredible display of fireworks. It was hard to know where to look! The displays went on for hours and stretched for miles down the beach in both directions. It took a while to get the exposure correct but after playing in manual for a while I got the hang of it.

Sometimes experimentation brings some great results. In this case I was having trouble with auto focus so I moved to manual. While I was trying to get the right focal range I cranked this out of focus shot by mistake.

ALB ERTA - AMAZING AVOCETS

2010-06-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

Today we encountered a small pond with baby AVOCETS! The parents put on an amazing display flying about us and doing the broken wing act just like KILLDEER. They were incredibly aggressive in defense of their babies. We could only see one little one but no doubt there were a number in the grass nearby. Just one more thing that makes that this trip a true spectacle!

The Arctic bound shorebirds have now departed for their breeding sites. However, the combination of prairies and boreal makes seeing no fewer than FOURTEEN breeding shorebirds a good possibility.

ALBERTA - govenlock hilites

2010-06-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

Just a catch up post on the first groups day in Govenlock in southwest Saskatchewan. I was surprised we had not run into GREAT HORNED OWL on this trip, and on our final full day we lucked upon two adults and these two babies. They were sitting within fifty feet of the main highway near Consul.

One of the critters I really wanted to see down here was SWIFT FOX. We asked several locals in Consul at the hotel where we might find one. They suggested down near the Govenlock intersection. Incredibly as we arrived at that intersection there was a SWIFT FOX crossing the road with a RICHARDSONS GROUND SQUIRREL in its mouth!!!! We followed the fox for about five minutes as it attracted the attention of hundreds of ground squirrels screaming from their burrows!.

ALBERTA - more great mammals

2010-06-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

One of the main targets of our mountain extension was to see bears. We managed to get great views of 6 BLACK BEARS including a mother with two cubs. But everyone wanted to see a GRIZZLY BEAR. On our second last afternoon we came across a beautiful blond GRIZZLY working a hillside across a creek. We had good binocular views and spectacular scope views for at least twenty minutes. Here is a digiscoped picture of the GRIZZLY.

Compare the colour of this bear to the dark GRIZZLY that Paul and I had seen about a week earlier on the same stretch of Banff National Park.

The good luck with mammals continued as we started our second boreal and prairie adventure. We added RED FOX and heard TIMBER WOLVES at close range near Cold Lake. In addition we have encountered dozens of COYOTES over the last several weeks. This one was one of the most co-operative I have ever seen as most turn tail as soon as the car stops. This one stood his ground and I got some fine images.

MOUNTAINS EXTENSION

2010-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Kathi joined me for the mountain extension in Jasper and Banff National Parks for four days with my group. One of the highlights of the trip was taking the gondola car up to Whistlers to search for the elusive WHITE TAILED PTARMIGAN. It was a bitter morning and we had layers and layers of clothing but still were bitterly cold. All that changed though when a male WHITE TAILED PTARMIGAN turned up putting on a tremendous show calling away from the top of a rock and strutting his stuff. It was an amazing experience.

This picture Kathi took gives you an idea of how incredibly close we got to the bird. In fact the male seemed curious about me, walking towards me on several occasions to within a few feet.

So here is what the image looks like from my end of the lens! It was one of those times when the cold just didnt seem to matter and the bird was all that we could see or feel... wonderful memories!

ALBERTA trip 1 wrap up

2010-06-19T19:54:00.001-07:00

Just one last post from my first prairies and boreal trip and this one is a shot from the Cypress Hills I couldnt resist. We had a great morning with some of the local specialties and this male WESTERN TANAGER was a real hit!

SASK - GRASSLANDS NATIONAL PARK

2010-06-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

This morning we left at 4:30 am to view a prairie dog town in Grasslands National Park. This was a fabulous morning with lots of LARK BUNTINGS displaying, scope views of BAIRDS SPARROWS, MCCOWNS LONGSPURS, CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS, LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, and at least 4 BURROWING OWLS. However it was mammals that stole the show on this gorgeous song filled prairie morning....

We saw many BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS, at least two BADGERS, a couple of COYOTES and many MULE DEER, and RICHARDSONS GROUND SQUIRRELS. However one mammal was a true standout. For me it was a life mammal and one that I figured I would never see. Almost certainly still part of a release program but still seeing a BLACK FOOTED FERRET in the wild was awesome. At one point we watched it face off with a BURROWING OWL at a distance of only a few feet! This pic is fuzzy as it was digiscoped but no doubt about what it was!

ALBERTA - COLD LAKE AREA

2010-06-09T20:05:00.001-07:00

My group spent two days birding the Cold Lake area to begin out trip (June 7th and 8th). Among the many highlights were a male THREE-TOED WOODPECKER which responded well to an imitation of Barred Owl. It was on the north end of Primrose Lake Road along with two YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, at least six NASHVILLE WARBLERS, an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, a family of GRAY JAYS, displaying SOLITARY SANDPIPER, and a BOREAL CHICKADEE that stayed still long enough for everyone to enjoy scope views!

We had a great selection of warblers (including great views of CONNECTICUT, MOURNING and CANADA), plus scope views of LECONTE'S and NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS, and SEDGE WRENS. One of the most fun sightings for the group was a family of RUFFED GROUSE which included at least six tiny chicks. The adults vigorously defended the brood making some amazing noises while doing a broken wing act. These two images were captured as the adults tried to lure us away from their brood.

Carol and Fred Hummerstone, and members of the Beaver River Naturalists (including president Ted Hindmarch) hosted our group for a barbecue on the evening of the 7th. This was a wonderful time and we look forward to coming back again for some fine birding and hospitality!

ALBERTA - BEARS

2010-06-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Paul and I spent June 4th doing a mad dash from Canmore to Jasper and back to search for bears. Well I say bears, but our real target was not Black Bear, but Grizzly Bear - a much more difficult critter to see.

We had a great day and the weather was much better than predicted. We had pretty good luck with Black Bears finding six during the day. Here are images of two different individuals, both of which were grazing on grass!

One of the best wildlife finding techniques here is to simply watch for the jams of cars that occur when a bear or other critter appear along the roadside. We lucked onto a GRIZZLY BEAR this way. However it was on the move and quite distant. Soon the mob of cars disappeared as the bear moved out of sight. We tried to predict where the bear might turn up and to our amazement it did exactly as we expected. We tracked it down to where it had to walk along a narrow edge of the road and I was able to get this image by the edge of a lake.

It soon decided to cross the road right behind us and I managed to get some images as it climbed the bank at the side of the road. What a thrill to see this incredible animal at such close range! Look at the size of those claws on the front paws!!!

LUCK LAKE, SASK - BAR TAILED GODWIT

2010-06-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today we left Rosetown, Saskatchewan around 9 am and headed south to one of my favourite birding sites in the province - Luck Lake. We hoped to catch some lingering Arctic bound migrant shorebirds here, but I knew even if there were none present that the breeding shorebirds and waterfowl would still keep us busy. We entered the lake from the north side along a causeway which runs roughly north south and crosses the western third of the lake. In addition to the numerous AMERICAN AVOCETS, MARBLED GODWITS, WILLETS and WILSON'S PHALAROPES, we managed to find a smattering of migrants such as BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (10), SANDERLING (20), SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (40), WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (12).
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At our second stop about 500 metres from the north end of the lake, I was stunned to see a strange GODWIT feeding next to two Marbled Godwits. It was bright orange on the neck and chest fading to white on the underparts. The feeding style was also much different, as the bird stayed with a low flat profile to the back and appeared smaller and quite short legged. It also appeared that the tail was barred when viewed from the side. I had a strong suspicion what the bird was but checked Sibley and it was unequivocal that this was a BAR-TAILED GODWIT coming into alternate plumage!!!!! My group of eight spent the next half hour watching the bird, including twice when it took flight allowing us to get some diagnostic views of the tail and wing pattern.

In the first image below you will note the short legged appearance of the bird and the orange neck and breast fading to white underparts.

In this image, taken as the bird landed, the "bar-tail" is clearly visible.

In this final image (my favourite!!), you can see the underwing pattern (important in godwits), tail pattern, and breast pattern.

I didnt have any contact information for Sask birders outside an email address for my friend Bob Luterbach (sorry Bob I lost your cell when my phone crashed and I lost all my addresses this spring). However a quick call to Ontarian Paul Pratt, helped to put the word out on Saskbirds. It looks like a number of birders were able to head out there today. I really hope the bird stuck around for them. I am not sure, but I would guess this is the first record for the province as there are very few records for this species for inland North America. This was my first for Canada and a great bird for the whole group.

ALBERTA - MISC

2010-05-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Killing a little time right now because it is snowing here in Cold Lake (gee, how appropriate!). Here are two images from southern Alberta that I took a few days ago.

First a RED FOX from the campground in Waterton Lakes National Park. It allowed us to approach within about 150 feet possibly because there was a fast flowing river between us.

The next image is of a RUFFED GROUSE. Incredibly this was the third grouse species we got good images of in Waterton (also Dusky and Spruce Grouse - see pics in earlier posts). The grouse was crossing the road in the rain on the Red Rock Canyon road.

ALBERTA - COLD LAKE SPRING COUNT

2010-05-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we bumped into some local birders who invited us to a gathering at Carol and Fred Hummerstones' property. This is the spring bird count weekend for the Cold Lake naturalists group. We enjoyed some great local hospitality, a fine BBQ, and met some new friends. Many thanks to the local naturalists and particularly the Hummerstones for a wonderful evening!

We also volunteered to help out with the count this weekend. On Saturday morning again we got up early and headed to the west side of Cold Lake. Today the name really did fit! The songbird action was good early in the morning, but soon slowed down as the east winds picked up. The temp never got much over 6 C (about 42 F) for the morning and it was overcast and windy. Fortunately the rain held off until around 3 in the afternoon and the SNOW until about 5:30 pm!!!

Despite the tough conditions, we had some incredible birds. No doubt the highlight of the day for us was scoping Cold Lake along the west side. The cold front grounded some Arctic bound breeders. We estimated no fewer than 200 SABINE'S GULLS, plus 3 JAEGERS (1 definite PARASITIC), and 5 PACIFIC LOONS!!! The birds were too far for binocs but with our scopes we got good views. Fortunately we were able to contact Ted Hindmarch, the count compiler so he could join us and add SABINE'S GULL to his life list.

The best photo opp of the day was provided by a male THREE-TOED WOODPECKER that we watched feeding for about twenty minutes. It was unconcerned by our presence. Below are a single photo and a video clip of the woodpecker.

ALBERTA - BONNYVILLE

2010-05-29T16:02:00.001-07:00

Well yesterday was a complete wash out... literally. Indeed we left southern Alberta where the temps were hovering around 4 C and heavy rain with strong winds, and headed north to warmer conditions. This seemed like a better move than heading into Banff which had been our original plan. Why the change? Well Banff got hit with five inches of snow!

We arrived in Bonnyville in central eastern Alberta late on the 27th. We got up at 4 am on the 28th, and this was the sight from our hotel parking lot. As it turned out, 'red sky at dawn, sailor be warned' was not accurate - for today at least.

While we didn't get any rain or snow today, it was chilly, windy and gray for much of the day. That didn't stop us from racking up a good list of songbirds. Most of those were not suitable for photography but we did have fun with a pond with loads of waterfowl including several pairs of RUDDY DUCKS. The males would their squeaky emphatic calls, bobbing their heads and then rushing any other male that presented a potential threat. This male was particularly aggressive!

Here is another male part way through the head dipping display. The snap their head down rapidly as they call. It is quite an amusing sight.

ALBERTA - MORE WATERTON

2010-05-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is late here in Waterton and the BIGHORN SHEEP are still hanging around the valley. We came across four groups in the town totaling about forty sheep. It was fascinating to watch the BLACK-BILLED MAPGIES landing on the sheep and pulling out their winter coats to search for ticks!

The image below shows a tuft of old hair in the beak of the magpie. We saw several of these clumps pulled with one or two juicy looking ticks on them.

One of the key targets for us here was DUSKY GROUSE. The males do their hooting display at this time of year, and since this population was split from SOOTY GROUSE (together formerly BLUE GROUSE), we wanted to make sure we had it on our Alberta lists. We were thrilled when Paul spotted a male right by the side of the road just above the townsite in late evening.

It got even better when the male began hooting and displaying when he was only about ten feet away from us - a truly amazing experience!

ALBERTA - CAMERON LAKES ROAD

2010-05-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

From Waterton townsite, the main access to higher altitude forest is via Cameron Lake Road. It ascends through a series of switchbacks and then into a steep sided valley that eventually reaches Cameron Lake. We drove the 15 km long road and saw only two other cars. Right along the roadside we bumped into a female SPRUCE GROUSE. As is typical with this species, she was remarkably tame (hence the nickname FOOL HEN). At one point the grouse walked directly towards me and within two feet (much too close to focus with my 100-400 lens!!).

Although it was late May, Waterton had several large late spring snow storms this year. So the forest was still full of snow, with large drifts along the roadside.

When we arrived at Cameron "Lake" we were surprised to find that there was virtually no open water at all. We walked over four or five foot high snow drifts to get this image. There was a tiny sliver of open water with a pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYE.

Waterton N P is contiguous with Glacier N P in the US. In fact, the south end of this lake and the mountain behind me are actually IN THE US! Here is a close up of the mountain slope.

ALBERTA - DAY 1

2010-05-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Paul Pratt and I arrived in Alberta on May 25th and began scouting out sites for my upcoming Alberta and Saskatchewan tours. It took most of the morning to get out of the airport, get our rental car and clear the city. By early afternoon we were heading south towards Waterton National Park. En route Paul spotted a male MERLIN sitting on a roadside post eating something. I quickly turned the car around and returned to the bird which was incredibly tame - allowing us to approach within about twenty five feet as it ate.

We arrived in Waterton in late afternoon. This national park is stunningly beautiful. Here is an image of the lake and backdrop on the entrance drive.

In the townsite itself there were numerous COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRRELS, which scolded repeatedly at the slightest threat. I managed to catch this one as it was screaming at Paul and I - a really cute little critter.

PELEE - MAY 13th

2010-05-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

This morning I did chores and then headed down to the park in early afternoon to take a quick look for a reported Western Grebe. No luck with that but while scanning at Northwest Beach I was surprised to spot an adult light phase PARASITIC JAEGER!

I continued down to the visitor center and there I heard that the photo opps in Tildens were good. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon there.

One of the lowest and easiest birds to see was this TENNESSEE WARBLER. This is a bird that is quite hard to photograph as it normally stays way up in the canopy.

At first I had trouble with trying to get the right set up for photographing in these overcast conditions. Fortunately I ran into professional photographer and good friend Chris Dodds. He set me straight on the best setting and compensation and right away my results improved. This was a good thing because there were lots of great birds like this ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK to capture. Thanks Chris!

There were at least fifteen warbler species in Tilden's but I only managed to get decent images of about four species, including this BLACK-THROATED GREEN (a female).

PELEE - MAY 12th

2010-05-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

After yesterdays complete wash out, I headed down to the park with another full group of visitors. It turned out to be the best day of the spring migration by far. We tallied 25 species of warblers, all 6 regular vireos, both cuckoos, a perched LEAST BITTERN, and many other great birds. The number of BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS was particularly impressive. I estimated that we spotted between 150 and 250 of these gorgeous songbirds. We also had huge numbers of NASHVILLE and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS as well.

PELEE - MAY 9th

2010-05-13T20:11:00.001-07:00

After yesterday's horrendous conditions Kathi and I got an early start and enjoyed a good breakfast at Paula's Fish Place just north of the park gate. As we were leaving Paula pointed out a group of swallows sunning on the sheltered side of the restaurant. There were at least fifty lethargic individuals trying to get warm.

CLIFF SWALLOW is a scarce breeder in Essex County. However there were at least fifteen perched on the eavestrough of the restaurant this morning including this co-operative individual.

PELEE - MAY 6TH

2010-05-13T20:03:00.001-07:00

I had Thursday May 6th 'off' so I spent the morning photographing. It was a bit challenging with all the big guns running around and many whose behavior bordered on down right ignorant. I wont be politically incorrect, but suffice it to say they come from one particular region of Canada! I waited patiently for this WHITE-EYED VIREO to show and should have nailed it. However two different groups attacked the bird from off trail and it spooked.

I spent a fair bit of time taking pics of people this morning because there were relatively few songbirds. However, the large group of COMMON TERNS on the tip put on a great show and took flight and wheeled overhead several times.

It was fun watching the TERNS and some of them were even courting. This individual is carrying a small fish (likely a smelt) - a common behavior during courtship.

PELEE - May 4th

2010-05-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning taking photos around Point Pelee. The weather was good for photography but unlike the last two days, there were very few migrants. I decided to focus on other subjects and there was no shortage of those! The early morning was spent photographing MayApple and other plants, most of which had a nice coating of dew or water droplets.

The birds were not flying but with the sunny mild conditions, it was a good day for butterfly activity. Among the species seen were my first MONARCH of the year. This AMERICAN PAINTED LADY was one of several dozen seen. Most were feeding on flowering GARLIC MUSTARD.

When the opportunities popped up, I did manage to get some images common breeders. Although the background is a bit busy, I liked this image of a co-operative male AMERICAN ROBIN.

PELEE - May 3rd

2010-05-03T17:40:00.001-07:00

It was another GREAT day at Pelee with numbers still low but diversity and quality both superb. After overnight rain, it cleared and we were treated to a gorgeous sunny and warm day. We started at the Tip with the highlight certainly being no fewer than a dozen RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS! It was like the good old days when this bird was seen frequently at the tip. At one point we had SIX RED-HEADED and SIX RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS in the same tree!! Other tip highlights included perfect close low views of WHITE-EYED VIREO and a text book study of CLAY-COLORED SPARROW feeding in the open with two FIELD SPARROWS.

Our next stop was the Woodland Nature Trail. The northeast corner produced again today with top honours going to a close male HOODED WARBLER, a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (distant but clear views), two or three BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS (including one with yellow wing bars), and a really co-operative OVENBIRD. The big warbler highlight of the day was a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER found by my good friend Bruce DiLabio near the park entrance. We had several decent views of the rare southerner. Rounding out good warblers were the same male PRAIRIE WARBLER at our picnic lunch stop at the Dunes (along with a wide open YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO).

PELEE - MAY 2nd

2010-05-02T17:58:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of my Pelee bird hikes and we had a GREAT day. There weren't huge numbers of birds but we had really great views and good diversity and quality. Among the 15 warbler species we observed were a male WORM-EATING WARBLER (stunning close views, we finally walked away from the bird!), a male HOODED WARBLER (scope views of a preening male!), PRAIRIE WARBLER (a great view of a close male at fifteen feet), BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (at least 8 singing males studied at length), NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (incredible leisurely studies of at least six different individuals), a low close male CAPE MAY WARBLER, and a single male BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. Incredibly, we had only ONE Yellow-rumped Warbler all day. I am sure this is certainly the first time in 39 years of birding at the park that I have seen 8x more Blue-winged Warblers than Yellow-rumped Warblers in a day!!! Tomorrow the forecast looks good for more great birding. Can't wait.

TEXAS - GOODBYE AND WRAP UP

2010-04-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Our week long tour of Hill Country and south Texas ended on a high note with good looks at White-collared Seedeater, several male Blue Grosbeaks on territory, a male Cinnamon Teal, and a great look at a male Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.

Here is a pic of the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Not a a great shot, but this is a hard species to photograph in south Texas!

The only low point in the trip was arriving at the entrance road to 75 acre pond in Choke Canyon State Park. There was a barrier being put up by two female park rangers. I asked if we could get to the pond (where a Northern Jacana had been for several months) and was told abruptly NO. I asked where we could park to walk down the road and they said we couldn't even walk on the road! When I told them we had driven a long way just to look for the Jacana they said go look elsewhere in the park. The reason for the closure was the parking lot was flooded! The two staff members left a sour taste in our mouths about the state parks. All too often these government staff completely forget that they are supposed to be public servants!

On our final morning we drove back to San Antonio from Three Rivers. It is only about an hour and a half drive but we had fun counting Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. The tally was a remarkable 111 for the drive. At this time of year it is not unusual to see hundreds on a daily basis. Nonetheless one never tires of this gorgeous bird.

Also seen were a male Blue Grosbeak, 16 Crested Caracaras, and incredibly an Audubon's Oriole! We turned around and got better views of a pair of orioles including one gathering nest material. Here is an image of one bird which was perching atop a mesquite at the side of the road.

We ended the trip with an excellent total of 265 species - a reflection of the incredible spring birding in Hill Country and South Texas in April!

TEXAS VALLEY SPECIALTIES

2010-04-17T21:09:00.001-07:00

Today was a day for cleaning up the gaps in the list for the lower valley. We had seen both Hook-billed Kite and Clay-colored Robin at Santa Ana a few days before, but also wanted better views. Luckily at Anzalduas we managed to get not only better views of the kite, but also added at least 120 Mississippi Kites, and a male Painted Bunting watched in the scope as it bathed in a puddle in the road. At the North American butterfly park we added White-tailed Kite for our third kite species of the day and finally got much better looks at Clay-colored Robin. This one surprised me by singing well into the morning (at least until 10:30 am). If it hadnt been singing it would have been next to impossible to see. This is typical of the breeding season when these birds become much more secretive and sneaky.

In the heat of the day, we took a break and then in the late afternoon headed to the area around Salineno and Chapeno. There were at least three Red-billed Pigeons perched up for scope views on the island at Salineno. On the back road out of town I was truly surprised to come across at least four SCALED QUAIL including this singing male in a small mesquite. This species has been really tough in recent years, so this was a nice bit of luck to wrap up the day!

TEXAS LAGUNA ATASCOSA NWR

2010-04-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Laguna Atascosa is a large National Wildlife Refuge almost due east of Harlingen in south Texas. It is a good area to get nice pics of several of the common resident specialties such as Green Jay. While we were there at least three attended the feeders and were pretty unconcerned with our presence. They really are a gorgeous bird.

After almost two weeks in south Texas I had not seen ONE Roadrunner! On King Ranch we had heard one vocalize several times, but usually you bump into several in your travels. That was remedied today when we tallied no fewer than 5 Roadrunners in just over two hours. This one was feeding right in the open beside the road and really put on a nice show.

This refuge is one of the few places in the US with a population of Ocelots. There are several "slow for ocelots" signs along the 15 mile driving loop, which provide a real tease of the potential. We didn't see one of this gorgeous cats this time but we did get a great look at a Bobcat. He walked along the road in front of the car for several hundred yards allowing me to get a couple od distant snaps. The shot is heavily cropped but its still the only bobcat shot I have!!

TEXAS - KING RANCH

2010-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

On April 14th I joined the day tour of King Ranch led by researcher Tom Lanschied (sorry if I spelled your name wrong Tom). Tom was a fantastic guide, with a great sense of humour, and he really produced the birds. He also provided some great stories of the rich social history of this fascinating place.

Our four main targets here were Northern Beardless Tyrannulet (which was nabbed right away when we first exited the vehicles), Audubon's Oriole (again a pair picked up quickly only an hour into the tour - an often difficult species), Tropical Parula (it took us until early afternoon to get good views but it was worth the wait) and finally THE bird that everyone wants here - the FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL. We tried several sites for this bird before one responded. We walked in on it and got superb scope views for about five minutes before it moved away.

The day on the ranch is really a worthwhile experience. Tom provided a rich commentary on the remarkable history of the area. This beautiful King Ranch quarter horse was one of several we came across on the day.

Its great to have access to these habitats and the birding is really quality. Both the guides I have had here have been top notch and the full day trip is good value due to the high quality of the experience and the birds. A visit to King Ranch is highly recommended!

TEXAS - BLUCHER PARK, CORPUS CHRISTI

2010-04-17T20:12:00.001-07:00

The central coast of Texas is full of great migrant traps. Blucher Park is an easily accessible one right in the center of Corpus Christi. Unfortunately this means it also home to some seedy characters and lots of homeless folks, but the birding is still great. I would recommend you don't visit this park late in the evening on your own and if birding there probably best to hang out with other birders (there are usually a bunch there).

I spent a few hours there earlier this week and there were lots of 'southern' songbirds. This male Summer Tanager was one of several present.

Blucher is a great place for ground dwelling warblers including tough ones like waterthrushes. We had great views of Louisiana Waterthrush and at least TEN Worm-eating Warblers including several point blank lengthy studies.

Other flashier warblers including this male Hooded. We had about a dozen of these plus a comparable number of Kentucky Warblers. This bird is always a stunner no matter how common.

TEXAS - LAST OF HILL COUNTRY

2010-04-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hill country is such an amazing place in April, so I couldn't help putting a few more pics on the blog before heading south to the valley. The first is of a very co-operative female Golden-cheeked Warbler. This one has a mouthful of crane fly... there was a big hatch during our visit. Golden-cheek is an endemic breeder to the state of Texas and a really beautiful bird.

The bat cave at Concan really is something special. I always tell birders they have to go there and they frequently are hesitant. However I have never had anyone visit this spectacle who didn't go away wowed by the experience.

This area is really a meeting ground for species from east west north and south. For many species it is the '...est' limit of their range. For example for Barred Owl it is the southwest limit of their range. They are quite common in the larger wooded riparian areas of the hills. This one responded well to an imitation of its call.

I really MUST get myself a Texas flower book. This year provided incredible opportunities for wildflower photography. I wish I knew how to properly capture this spectacle. I took a lot of shots with the new macro lens that Kathi got me for my birthday last year. This was one of the ones I liked the best. My apologies for not knowing the species!

TEXAS - INCREDIBLE WILDFLOWER SHOW

2010-04-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

This has been a wet winter in Hill Country in Texas and the result is an incredible show of spring wildflowers. In the eleven years I have enjoyed spring here, this is by far the best wildflower show. There are carpets of flowers filling entire fields in many locations and the roadsides are a flurry of colour almost everywhere. It is a real spectacle.

TEXAS - CONCAN BAT CAVE

2010-04-13T04:59:00.001-07:00

Kathi and I had a great evening at the bat cave at Concan a few nights ago. The weather was perfect and the bats emerged early enough to catch lots of bat raptor interactions. We watched as Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, a single Cooper's Hawk and a single Merlin all made successful attempts to capture Mexican Free-tailed Bats emerging from the cave. I managed to capture two images which really give a feel for this dynamic interaction.

In this first image you can see the moment of impact when the red-tailed goes talons out to grab the bat.

This is my favourite image as it really captures the raptor, the fleeing bats nearby and the single bat that has been snagged!

PELEE SPRING BIRD HIKES

2010-03-05T04:31:00.001-08:00

Spring is definitely in the air this week with local temps 'soaring' to the high 40s (Farenheit!). This should bring loads of waterfowl, blackbirds and gulls, and the first sparrows and smattering of later migrants like Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow and the first shorebirds. Its a reminder that May is not far off.

For those folks coming to Pelee this May I wanted to let you know that I am now working in partnership with the Comfort Inn, Leamington (www.choicehotels.com) to offer birding hikes and accommodations. The hikes are offered on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from May 2 - 21, 2010. Maximum group size is six participants and special discounts on accommodations and hike fees are available for guests of the Comfort Inn, Leamington. All the details are available on line at www.netcore.ca/~peleetom/webdoc14.htm I welcome you to check out this link and join me on a hike this spring!

The number one focus of these hikes will be getting repeated good looks at spring songbirds, with a particular emphasis on warblers. Over the years 42 species of warblers have been recorded at Pelee, with 36 being annual in the park. On a three or four day visit, you could reasonably expect to see between 20 and 30 species of warblers in the park. Every visit is different due to the dynamic nature of migration.

This Magnolia Warbler is one of the most commonly encountered species in mid month, but early on it can be hard to find. However, early in the month Yellow-rumped, Nashville, Palm and Pine Warblers are much easier to find. They often get tough later in May.

This snappy male Cape May Warbler is one of three species often referred to as 'spruce bud worm warblers'. This is because their abundance and breeding success is often linked to cycles in the spruce bud worm population in their boreal forest breeding grounds. The other two species in this group are the Bay-breasted and Tennessee Warblers. In some years, these species can be everywhere in the park, while at other times they can be darn tough.

Many warblers like this Golden-winged Warbler choose either an overland route or trans Gulf route for getting around the Gulf of Mexico to and from their wintering grounds. This means that most of these sites miss some species (Golden-winged is mighty tough in coastal Texas). A big advantage of northern migrant traps like Point Pelee or Crane Creek is that migration corridors converge here, so we get all the warblers breeding at this latitude or farther north.

For Canadian birders, Point Pelee is THE most reliable site in the country for finding 'southern' breeding warblers like this Hooded Warbler. Others in this category included Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush and Yellow-breasted Chat.

This endangered Kirtland's Warbler graced the northwest beach parking lot for seven days a few years ago. It was seen by thousands of birders during the period. Although this species is only likely to be seen on its breeding grounds in Michigan, they have been seen with increasing regularity at Pelee in the last decade. At Pelee, the best dates for finding this rarity are between May 12 - 17 th.

This is just a small selection of some of the exciting possibilities that make a visit to Point Pelee in May a time to remember. I hope to see you on the trails there!

ADULT MALE COOPERS

2010-03-04T12:35:00.001-08:00

There seems to be at least three different Cooper's Hawks visiting the feeders this past week. After the young female, we were visited by an adult female, and then today Kathi noticed an adult male at the feeder. He sat for at least two minutes just eight feet away from the living room window allowing me to snap off about twenty pics. The one below is probably the best.

As you can see from this cropped head and shoulders shot, this adult male was calling a single loud note much like the call heard last week. I guess this is a common call which I somehow have never heard before - a good reminder that there is always so much to learn!

There were also some signs of spring this week with returning Pine Siskin heard and a small group of Canada Geese flying over in early morning. With the warmer weather this coming weekend there should be lots of waterfowl pouring in. Can't wait!

ODD COOPER'S HAWK VOCALIZATION

2010-02-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

I'm back home in the snow and ice for two weeks now and finally getting out to do some birding. Today I had an interesting encounter with a rather tame immature Cooper's Hawk. Because of the large size this bird was almost certainly a female.

Here are some digiscoped images of this bird taken through my Kowa TS 883.

What attracted me to this bird was the repeated almost meow like vocalization it was producing. It repeated this call in bouts of about five to eight calls a second or two apart. These bouts were repeated every one to two minutes for nearly an hour! If it had been late summer or the fall I would have thought it was a food begging call, but really not sure what was going on in late February! If you click on the video link below you can hear a few of these calls in the clip. If anyone is familiar with this call, I'd appreciate you dropping me a line at peleetom@netcore.ca

ECUADOR WRAP UP

2010-02-24T18:00:00.001-08:00

After six days we said goodbye to Napo Wildlife center and headed back to Coca. There were so many great memories from this wonderful place. One of the most profound was the exceptionally hard working and skilled local guides. I highly recommend a visit to Napo Wildlife Centre for anyone wanting an outstanding Amazonian experience!

Once back in Napo we had fun at the dock while waiting for our bus. The dock hotel has a menagerie of tame mammals and birds including a cheeky band of squirrel monkeys. No pack, drink or hairdo was safe! In the photo below, Andrea is totally in her element (with her work at the Cincinnati zoo) with a few treats for her friends.

We spent our final four days at Wild Sumaco lodge and San Isidro, pushing our group list to around 470 species of birds and 23 mammals (including 8 primates). Unfortunately I was under the weather for part of this, so I don't have a lot of photos to document this part of the trip. However, both provided a great wrap up to our Ecuadorian adventure!

AMAZONIAN ECUADOR DAY 6

2010-02-24T10:55:00.001-08:00

Our last full day began with an extra early start so we could get out to the Napo river early. We hiked across the tower trail in the dark and light rain. Jills sharp eyes picked out a small snake sitting quietly on the trail. Fortunately it was a non venomous Tricolored Swamp Snake. Paul picked the snake up first, allowing me the confidence to do the same!

Our destination today were the small river islands in the Napo river. Although these islands look pretty poor as habitat, they hold a totally unique set of birds. We spent the morning visiting several sites including the one below. It doesnt look impressive but we saw some fantastic birds including Gray-breasted Crake and Lesser Wagtail-tyrant!

It was great to share this trip some dear friends, including Paul Pratt and Bruce Di Labio (pictured here with our native guide Mauriano). I have been lucky enough to call Bruce and Paul friends for nearly forty years and feel privileged to be able to say so!

AMAZONIAN ECUADOR DAY 5

2010-02-24T10:46:00.001-08:00

One of the most familiar sights and sounds here is the Yellow-rumped Cacique. Right next to the lodge dock there is a large and noisy colony, and their nesting season was in full swing. In fact, one evening after supper we were surprised to find this visitor on the steps of room - a fledgling cacique. With a little coaxing he was soon on his way.

Not every maiden flight is so smooth. One morning as we paddled across the lake a young cacique took flight from shore and headed out over the lake. He didn't make it so our guide paddled to give him a helping hand. Paul picked him up and we soon had the wayward fledgling back on solid ground. Hopefully the results of the second flight were better!

AMAZONIAN ECUADOR DAY 4

2010-02-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today we switched for the morning so that the group that had done the Tiputini trail now did the tower and vice versa. The first trail group had managed to find the rare Hairy-crested Antbird, but the second group couldn't repeat this luck. Antbirds are a diverse but frustratingly difficult family of new world tropical birds. In most places they are hard to find, but here at Napo there is a remarkable selection. During our twelve days in Ecuador we would tally over thirty species. Photographing them is tough as they tend to be in the understorey. This isn't the best photo but this male Black-faced Antbird gives an idea of the typical view of antbird - dark and shaded and partially obscured!

For both groups the main target on Tiputini Trail was the exceptionally difficult and beautiful Black-necked Red Cotinga. Like its relative the Cock-of-the-rock, this is a lek species. The males come to traditional display sites (not nesting sites) where they display their fitness by singing and fluffing up their elaborate feathers. The Tiputini trail offers the most accessible lek of this species in the world. Fortunately both groups were successful in their quest for this rare find. As you can see it was worth the long, hot and humid trek!

We visited Napo during the dry season, but the trails were still quite wet and muddy in places. We had very little rain during our stay, but we were impressed with how many fungi were growing along the trails. Some looked like fungi we might have in temperate regions (though they almost certainly were different species).

Others were structurally quite different from typical bracket or 'toadstool' type fungi. This odd bat shaped species was one example.

Perhaps the most unusual fungi we saw was one that apparently had taken over a butterfly body. This created a truly bizarre growth form!!

In the afternoon both groups again paddled the black water streams. Our path through one of these was blocked by a newly fallen tree. Our native guide Jorge took out his machete and with bare feet, started to chop at the tree, while balancing on the bow of the boat. Some in the group (okay ME!) thought this was a fruitless proposition, but as you can see Jorge is a remarkable man!

As we neared the lodge at dusk, a full moon was rising over the lake. It was a magical way to end the day!

AMAZONIAN ECUADOR DAY 3

2010-02-24T09:41:00.001-08:00

Today was all about parrots, and what a day it was. The whole group paddled in two canoes back to the warehouse and then boarded a river boat to head to the first of three mineral licks that attract parrots. The parrots need to ingest the minerals to counteract the toxic contents of some of the fruits and seeds that they eat. Specific licks are used by specific sets of parrots, possibly based upon their location, or the minerals they contain. Either way, they provide rich and spectacular birding opportunities. The first we visited was on a river bank and we couldnt approach too closely. This lick was dominated by Mealy Amazons, however there were also fair numbers of Yellow-crowned Amazons and Dusky-headed Parakeets. This bumpy video clip isnt the best but it gives some idea of the number of parrots and the din they make!

To see the second lick, we had to land on shore and walk to a well designed covered viewing blind. Here we could get much closer to the parrots and the photographic opportunities were much better. Again Mealys were common, but there were many Blue-headed Parrots as well.

The final lick we visited was a fair hike down a well constructed trail through terra firma forest. On our way to the lick we picked up several great antbirds and manakins, but my favourite sighting was a perched Sapphire Quail-dove which sang from the same branch for half an hour! This allowed us killer scope views and even a chance to get decent digiscope images.

The final lick also had a blind, but this time a totally different set of parrots. There were at least a dozen stunning Orange-cheeked Parrots among the throng here. The still and video clip below gives an idea of the spectacle.

Before leaving this trail we took a short but steep walk uphill. At first it seemed like a lot of effort for little reward, but we had several incredible birds here. One of the best was this Lanceolated Monklet which perched co-operatively for scope views!

ECUADOR AMAZON DAY 2

2010-02-24T08:17:00.001-08:00

This photo doesn't do justice to the schedule at Napo! Our wake up call while here came at 4:30 am, followed by a 5:00 am departure and then loading into canoes for day trips. This is half our group paddling with Marcelo - our bilingual Ecuadorian guide. Today he took half the group to the Tiputini Trail to search for forest birds while Jorge (another local guide) and I took the rest of the group across the lake and onto another trail that led past a 120 foot/36 meter/209 step canopy tower. Below is the view of the tower from below.

And here was the reward when you made it to the top (not the hug, but the view!). A scope was a must up here because the vista allowed for scanning in every direction and there was lots to see.

After about an hour someone (sorry I cannot remember who?) drew attention to the large brown bird sitting right below us in a Cecropia. It turned out to be a Spix's Guan. For the first half hour the bird wouldn't show its head, but then moved out into the open so I could digiscope this image.

Most of the morning was spent on the tower with many great birds showing for us. One of the closest was this White-necked Puffbird that actually landed right beside in the canopy.

ECUADOR AMAZON DAY 1

2010-02-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our adventure in Amazonian Ecuador began this morning when we took a Tame airlines flight from Quito to Coca on the Napo River. Once at Napo we boarded a covered (motorized) river boat for a two hour journey. Along the way we added some nice birds like Cocoi Heron, Pied Plover and Black Caracara. This short video clip gives you an idea of the speed of the boat ride.

After the river boat, we transferred to smaller hand paddled canoes for a two hour plus journey along a black water stream. Some fantastic birds were seen on the ride including 5 species of kingfishers, a baby Zigzag Heron and many Hoatzins. The clip below gives a feeling for the trip.

As it was nearing dusk the black water stream opened up to a placid lake, with the Napo Wildlife Center lodge nestled along one shore. We were greeted by a flock of 13 Masked Ducks, but the view of the lodge was equally captivating.

ECUADOR PRETOUR DAY

2010-01-28T05:13:00.000-08:00

Today, Jan 27th, was a free day before the start of my Amazon basin and east slope tour here in Ecuador. Bruce Dilabio, Paul Pratt and myself spent the day checking out two new birding sites near the town of Nanagalito on the west slope of the Andes about two and a half hours from Quito. Our driver Mauricio who we had worked with in southern Ecuador picked us up at the Sheraton around 6:30 am. It was a full great day of birding with lots of good birds, a grand adventure and some good laughs.

The first site we visited proved a bit elusive. Roger Altman had given us good directions but that is not always all that is needed here. But after several tries we found a section of road with good forest near the town of Delicias. This site has recently become well known because of the presence of the extremely rare Indigo Flowerpiercer. It has several other great birds that have been discovered by people looking for this rarity. We didnt get there until 11:15 am but in the hour and a half there we had great success. Best of all an unfamiliar song inspired me to spish and in came a gorgeous INDIGO FLOWERPIERCER! Paul and Bruce managed to get some decent photos as the bird stuck around for nearly a minute. Other highlights here included several ORANGE-BREASTED FRUITEATERS, a gorgeous male GOLDEN-WINGED MANAKIN, female HOOK-BILLED KITE (perched and again photos by Paul and Bruce), heard CHOCO TAPACULO and seen NARINO TAPACULO. I had Kathis point and shoot and managed to get good digiscope shots of one of two OLIVACEOUS PIHAS that first fought and then perched quietly in the open.

The next site we visited was an OILBIRD nesting site in a deep cavern along a fast flowing stream. It is near the hamlet of Chontal about an hour from Nanagalito. This is definitely not an adventure for the faint of heart, but for anyone who wants an outstanding birding experience and is good shape - IT IS NOT TO BE MISSED! Again we got lost finding the site but managed to find Mr. Morales as he waited by his gate. He took us onto his property and then we took our 4 wheel drive down a rough track to a small parking area and garden. From here we walked on foot down a steep muddy trail. Fortunately it was relatively dry so rubber boots were not needed, but ordinarily I think they would be good. After a few hundred meters we reached an area where we could see into a deep cavern below and with the help of the scope and some guidance we found the oilbirds sleeping below in the side of the steep rock walls. Not such a thrill because the views were okay, but OILBIRDS nonetheless. However, now the real adventure began! Mr. Morales produced a long rope and three harnesses for us to put on! I opted to pass but Paul and Bruce opted for greater safety. We descended down more trail right to the stream level. From here there were three waterfalls in the narrow cavern. To get down them Mr. Morales had built three long narrow bamboo ladders!!! The harnesses were attached to the climbers and then the ropes to the harnesses as you climbed down the narrow bamboo ladders which were near vertical. The longest ladder was probably thirty feet long!

Above you can see yours truly on the ladder (sans harness). It was definitely worth this adventure because once we reached the bottom there were at least a dozen OILBIRDS close by including this pair of six that were at eye level no more than 8 feet away sitting quietly!!! And not far from them was a nest with a cute little BABY OILBIRD. Here is the best photo I managed to get (before I turned off the flash on the camera -oopps).

Today we fly to Coca and then transfer to Napo Wildlife Center. If we have internet I will post some images from our visit there!

New Years Day birding

2010-01-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

Kathi and I started 2010 by spending the morning birding around the north shore of Lake St. Clair. We revisited some areas we had spent time in on the Anchor Bay Christmas Bird count.

The day started off with Kathi spotting a gorgeous adult Bald Eagle on fresh ice along the lakeshore. It had a smaller dark female duck which we couldnt get a firm ID on. This also turned out to be the first photography lesson of the year. Why? Well when I grabbed my camera I couldnt get it to focus in either auto OR manual. After struggling and wrestling with the lens the eagle eventually got tired and flew off. Subsequently I discovered that I had left an extension tube on the camera... I decided to post the picture of the EMPTY ICE where the eagle WAS to remind myself not to do this again.

The lesson? Always unpack your gear from previous shoots and always prepare BEFORE you head into the field! Despite this humourous gaff we decided this should be the 'year of the eagle'.

We also checked in on the Gray Catbird we had found on the Anchor Bay CBC a few weeks prior. It was in exactly the same rose patch as before. I managed to get a crappy image of the bird hiding in the thickets, but you can at least tell what it is. This was one of a number of catbirds seen on CBCs in southern Ontario and Michigan this season. In fact, the Pelee count tallied four individuals!

It was pretty chilly this morning but we spent about a half hour walking around the trails of Algonac State Park. It was quite birdy and at one point we encountered a large group of birds including more than 20 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 60 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 2 ROBINS, 4 HERMIT THRUSHES and 3 NORTHERN FLICKERS. Other birds of note we found this morning were two LONG-TAILED DUCKS on the river, and four PIED-BILLED GREBES. All in all a great start to the 2010 birding year!

TEXAS IN APRIL

2009-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Just an update to let folks know that I will be in Texas April 11-19, 2010. My trip starts and ends in San Antonio. It includes two nights in Hill Country (where Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo are targets), a full day on King Ranch (targets here include Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Tropical Parula, Audubon's Oriole and Northern Beardless Tyrannulet), and four days in the Rio Grande Valley. A full day will also be spent on the coast searching for migrant songbirds and waterbirds. I would expect we would find around 250-280 species. If you would like join me, please email me at peleetom@netcore.ca

Here are a few photo highlights from previous trips:

The colorful Green Jay is one of several dozen bird species that are most easily seen in the lower valley of south Texas.

Unlike the Green Jay, the White-collared Seedeater is rare and local even in the lower valley. But with good local information, chances of seeing one are good.

Black-capped Vireo is probably the most attractive of all the vireos. It isnt always easy to find but we have never failed in our quest. This male was photographed in Hill Country.

Mexican free-tailed bats emerging at dusk from a cave near Concan in Hill Country. This spectacle is always a highlight of any trip to Texas.

Chuck-wills-widow is one of many migrants regularly seen at sites along the coast.

The King Ranch has the largest and most accessible population of Ferruginous Pygmy Owls in North America. This species is virtually guaranteed on a visit there.

Golden-cheeked Warbler is an endemic breeder to the state of Texas and one of the most stunning of our wood warblers. Its just one of the many reasons a visit to Texas in April is a trip you will always remember!

PANAMA - Wrap Up Nov 3-7, 2009

2009-11-18T17:32:00.001-08:00

On our final full day at Canopy Tower, we spent an afternoon birding in Gamboa. Our guide Carlos Bethancourt had permission from a homeowner to stock their feeders with fruit and nectar. As soon as he put out this bounty, swarms of birds arrived. One of the stunning birds present in good numbers was Red-legged Honeycreeper. This male was in particularly good fresh plumage.

The diversity of birds at the feeders was impressive. At least five species of tanagers were present including this Palm Tanager - not the most colorful but still this individual posed beautifully for a pic.

While we were at their, the house owner Carmen, came out to say hello. She was annoyed with the many Orange-chinned Parakeets, which she referred to as the 'mafia' because of their aggressive and noisy habits! Still for us, it was great to see them up close.

Our final morning at Canopy Tower was relaxed and we enjoyed some great views of the regulars including this Keel-billed Toucan, which had been enjoying the cecropia fruits.

From Canopy Tower, we moved next to Canopy Lodge in El Valle for three nights. This beautiful facility has excellent rooms, food and great birding right on the grounds. The feeders were always busy, and there we were surprised to find that a pair of Rufous Motmots were regulars here.

Our guide Tino Sanchez proved his worth on the first day when he took us right to a pair of Mottled Owls on a day roost - a real coup! Tino had two remarkable abilities. First, he could get birds in the scope faster than any of us had ever seen. Second, he could whistle almost any bird that chimed off from the forest. As someone who loves to mimic bird sounds, even I was impressed with his abilities.

Our best bird at Canopy Lodge was probably Tody Motmot (great scope views), but we had lots of other good finds. We ended our trip here with an impressive group total of 320 species!

Panama Trip Update

2009-11-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Paul Pratt and myself arrived in Panama a day before meeting our group at La Estancia bed and breakfast. We birded the Rainforest Discovery center and tower along Pipeline Road before the and did some scouting there. Among the highlights were an incredibly co-operative White-whiskered Puffbird which sat at eye level for nearly twenty minutes!

To start off the trip we returned to the beginning of Pipeline Road. Here we had great looks at several species of antbirds, Bright-rumped Attila, fruit crows, and several great encounters with trogons, including a female Slaty-tailed Trogon.

Another good find was this male Black-throated Trogon, one of several yellow bellied trogons present here.

On day four of the trip we moved to Canopy Tower where we will spend three nights. Our guide Carlos Bethancourt proved to be superb. In addition to a great sense of humour, his knowledge of birds and nature and his enthusiasm made him an outstanding guide. We also benefitted from the official hawk watcher at the tower Dan Berard, who was extremely helpful in pointing out birds and other critters such as Canopy Lizard. On our first full day at the tower we enjoyed no fewer than three male Blue Cotingas including the one below which perched for over ten minutes in clear view with the scope!

On our second full day at the tower we returned to Pipeline road. This was truly a fantastic day with highlights including a perched Collared Forest Falcon in clear view, a Great Tinamou standing on the road to Semaphore Hill, and SCOPE views of Rosy-Thrush Tanager male gathering nesting material for ten minutes in clear view (!). This time we did the area beyond the gate. One of our main targets was the Streak-chested Antpitta - a secretive and local specialty of this area. Incredibly the ENTIRE group of twelve got to see the bird very well. I was even lucky enough to secure this photograph of the bird.

A little farther down the road Carlos picked up on the call of a Great Jacamar. After some tense moments the bird swooped low through the canopy and perched up so we could enjoy scope views for ten minutes.

After all this it seemed almost greedy of us to want to see an army ant march, but we joked with Carlos that were hoping to see one. Not half an hour later and there they were right beside the road. The swarm was attended by many Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds, two Black-faced Antthrushes, Barred, Black-striped and Plain-brown Woodcreepers, Gray-headed Tanagers, and at least six Occellated Antbirds. Here is an image of one of the Occelateds. All in all, a truly spectacular day of birding!

ALBERTA BIG DAY - THE DAY AFTER PLUS...

2009-07-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well what would a big day be without the heartache and what ifs of the day after? We arose late but within the first few hours in the field this Sharp-tailed Grouse teased us by walking proudly along the roadside for fifteen minutes! Of course this was a bird that was a no show the day before...

Not long after this incredibly late male Rough-legged Hawk was sitting right at the edge of the road. It seemed to be in pretty poor shape. Not surprising given the date. Those feathered legs dont help much in the early summer heat!

We continued across into the Sask side of the Cypress Hills where we spent the next two days. Here are a few pics from that wrap up time. This Great Horned Owl allowed us to stand within twenty feet as it was completely used to people.

And to wrap up the crossbill saga started back in May here are female (yellow) and juvenile (striped) Red Crossbills from the Cypress Hills.

ALBERTA BIG DAY - A BELATED POST

2009-07-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Preface: If you have no sense of humour and think birding is not supposed to be fun... and you like to evaluate and judge all of us by our carbon credits... dont bother reading any further!

Well a lot has happened since my last post... but for now lets stick to one really cool event. Paul and I decided to do an Alberta big day in early June while on a two week adventure in Sask and Alberta. It turned out to be a huge success. Here is the story.

We scouted the southern half of the province briefly and then slapped together a route based mostly in Cold Lake. We had set the provincial record with Tom Plath in 2001 (I think?) with 178 species, but the weather was horrible that year and we really felt that we only scratched the potential.

Paul and I spent three full days in late May scouting around Cold Lake and we even got a chance to help out a bit with the Cold Lake spring bird count. I think during those three days we recorded around 175 species which gives you an idea of how diverse this area is in late May. The scouting highlight was undoubtedly three small groups of Sabine's Gulls totaling 12 birds on the waterfront of Cold Lake proper.

We decided to make our attempt on June 2nd, and the day began around 11 pm the night before with what else but Tim Hortons coffee (reheated as the Tims was closed!) and a high protein fix of sausages and eggs.

On our last attempt in 2001 the night birding... well, it sucked! On this night however, we came up trumps at almost every site. We recorded Long-eared, Barred and Northern Saw-whet Owls, Yellow, Virginia and Sora Rails, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, Connecticut Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe, Sandhill Crane, American Bittern and a dizzying array of nocturnal ticks by 4 am. Most surprising was a widespread passage of Lapland Longspurs at almost every stop for the first five hours of the day. I didnt even realize this bird was a nocturnal migrant! By the time this photo of Paul was taken around 4 am at Cold Lake waterfront, we had just recorded our 52nd species which was Common Nighthawk.

As it began to get lighter, we worked a series of stops around Cold Lake Provincial Park, Ethel Lake road and English Bay. Everything fell in to place though our schedule was being stretched a little by the cold morning and reluctance of birds to chime off with their usual vigour. Next we headed south to Jessie Lake happily ticking a fly by Northern Goshawk en route. There was a decent selection of shorebirds and we left knowing the chances of setting a new record were very good. Next stop at Kehewin lake filled in some necessitities like Great Crested Flycatcher, Philly vireo and Veery and by 9:55 am we were on our way south towards Wainright with a massive morning haul of 159 species.

Now rather than let the full story out of the bag, I'm going to skip all the rest of the route details. That keeps everyone guessing a bit which is probably a good thing! Suffice it to say that we had a great afternoon and ended up in the south of the province around Pakowki Lake. This Burrowing Owl along the roadside there was a complete fluke, as we had not seen this bird anywhere during scouting and had no sites for it. It was our 205th species for the day. Yes you read that right!

The day ended at Pakowki lake where White-faced Ibis and Black-crowned Night Heron pushed our total to an incredible 207 species for the day! We were stunned by our success and we cant wait to go back to see if this total can go even higher... watch out Manitoba!!!

Cypress Hills to Eastend and back

2009-05-28T05:21:00.001-07:00

Up early this morning to do dawn chorus around Cypress lodge. Wonderful weather and birds. Then a great breakfast with Red Crossbills at the lodge restaurant. This male was part of a family group including a juvenile, a one year female, and an adult female. This 'type' of Red Crossbill has a distinct song type that differs considerably from the birds we are used to in Ontario (less trilling and more jumbly if that makes sense). It was a gorgeous bird.

The highlight of the day was watching a male Prairie Falcon feed a one or two day old hatching at close range. We had superb views with the scope looking right into the nest. Then the bigger female appeared and they did a mate exchange before she began brooding. This picture is pretty crappy but it gives an idea of the view!

The raptors in southwestern Sask are great. There are Swainsons, Red-tails and Ferruginous everywhere and we found multiple nests of each plus two Great Horned Owl nests. Out here there is nowhere to hide with very few nest tree options! This light phase Swainson's perched nicely for an early evening shot.

Tomorrow we are off to Bigstick, Luck Lake and then spending the night in the Battlefords. Should be another great day!

Calgary to Cypress Hills Saskatchewan

2009-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

After a great evening with Cathy and Roger Watson (thanks guys!), Paul and I began our two week adventure in Alberta and Saskatchewan by heading east from Calgary towards the Cypress Hills. We pulled into the Tims at around 2:40 am (seriously) and were soon heading out of the city rolling towards the hills. Shortly after 3 am the first light started to appear in the sky, though the sun wouldnt rise for over two more hours.

We spent most of the day in the Cypress Hills in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, ending up south of Maple Creek where will spend two nights. There were tons of highlights today but the biggest flurry was early on in the day when we had an adult Goshawk stoop low across the road in pursuit of a songbird (sorry, it didnt garner much attention), soon followed by a provincially rare Red-headed Woodpecker looking very lost on a fence line in the middle of the prairies! I took a record photo of the latter just for documentation. The actual location of the bird was at the corner of Hwy 41 and the Cypress park turnoff a few km south of Elkwater.

Soon after this, a pair of uppies (Upland Sandpipers) landed at the roadside and provided stunning views. This provided my best photo opp of the day.

In early afternoon we had lunch at Cypress Lake resort in Sask. The feeders there are great fun with Red Crossbills regular attendees (pics to follow in the next post). A showy pair of Western Tanagers provided some nice colour while we enjoyed a well deserved lunch break. Here is the male.

MAY ARRIVES AT PELEE

2009-05-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

Finally caught up enough to get out and do some video and still shooting at Pelee and Ojibway over the weekend. While several birders described the birding as 'slow', I found that there was a good diversity of birds at both sites. In short, the birding was good, especially considering it was May 2nd. How quickly folks forget what the typical pattern is at this time of year! Every day cannot be a twenty plus warbler species day, though even that was possible today if you worked hard all day.

One of the most rewarding finds was a bird that had been staked out for several days in front of the visitor center - a Grasshopper Sparrow. I got great video of it foraging at distances as close as ten feet. I also snagged a bunch of stills. Here is one of the best.

When I examined some of my video and stills on a larger screen I noticed that the sparrow had an interesting tag along - a small tick embedded just under its right (from its perspective) eye. While most humans find ticks disgusting, they are a fact of everyday life for many birds and mammals which are the normal hosts for many tick species. Obviously this also makes birds vectors for the spread of ticks, and tick born illnesses. I wonder where this tick actually originated? Did it pick up the tick at Pelee or perhaps somewhere in the southern US where the sparrow wintered? Regardless it is a reminder of the rigors and realities of the natural world - tough, but still beautiful.

It was great to spend some time videotaping at Ojibway reserve and nature center in south Windsor. The feeder set up that Paul (Pratt) and staff have put together there is great. Birds were abundant and diverse and a huge flowering redbud provided a nice backdrop for the attendees. The park was full of song and one of the nice surprises while taping the 'regulars' was hearing a singing male Blue-winged Warbler. With a little effort I managed to get a decent image of the stunning bird.

I'm looking forward to another great spring at Pelee. This will be the 38th year I have spent a week or more birding here in spring and its always a fabulous learning experience. Always unique each time, and always a wonderful journey. I look forward to seeing my old friends on the trails and meeting some new ones as well.

Good Birding! Tom