Timiskaming Birds Forum

 Beautiful ducks, great pictures Mike. Today at the New Liskeard waterfront, I found 4 of those brant you saw yesterday. Also, in Casey Twp, I saw your peregrine falcon, at the same location you did, although he was not cooperative when it came time to take his picture. I did get a bit of him though.

Today's new additions to our list are Alder Flycatcher and Cliff Swallows, both in Evanturel Twp. The Cliff Swallows were in a mixed flock that included Tree, Barn and Cliff Swallows foraging together, and there were at least a dozen Cliff Swallows in the mix.

On a side note, the four Brant are still at the New Liskeard waterfront, and the Redheads are also still present.  There are definitely three pairs there, including three male and three female.  Other highlights from today include 4 Bluebirds in three separate locations, and a group of Sandhill Cranes in a field west of River Road in Beauchamp Twp. on my way home this evening.

Amongst the birds listed by Mike Leahy and Ann Black on their Baillie Birdathon today were Canada and Cape May Warblers, both observed at Crooked Creek at Hwy 66 in Eby Township this morning.

 Yesterday I saw a veery, a gray catbird and today a black & white warbler at Kapkigiwan Park.

Yesterday, May 19, at Hilliardton Marsh, I observed the following:

Dunlin (at least 8)
Pectoral Sandpiper (at least one)
Lesser Yellowlegs (at least 5)
Short-billed Dowitcher (just one)

They were mixed in with about a twenty Greater Yellowlegs. 

Today (May 20) at Hilliardton Marsh, 6 Black Terns flying around Cell 2.

On Monday, May 18, at the Haileybury marina - two Common Terns.

Today in Henwood Twp., a Black-throated Green Warbler, and along the Lake Timiskaming shoreline in Bucke Twp., a pair of Wilson's Warblers.

Also, Gert Trudel reported to me by e-mail that she and Paul had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo fly across the road in front of their vehicle on Hwy. 560 on May 18.

This evening at Hilliardton Marsh:
    1 breeding and 3 non-breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plovers
    5 Short-billed Dowitchers
    8 Least Sandpipers
    approx. 25 Dunlin

Paul Fantin reported to me today that he has a Redstart setting up a nest in his rural yard in Evanturel Twp.

This afternoon at Hilliardton Marsh, 4 Semipalmated Plovers were feeding with a small groupd of Dunlin and Least Sandpipers.

Serge and I viewed one Semipalmated Sandpiper on Monday afternoon (May 25) on the dead cattails along the edge of a pond feeding with groups of Least Sandpipers.

I wish I had been with you and Serge to see the Little Gulls....I'm going to retire someday, too.  How close to Englehart are they?

Anyway, I don't think anyone has reported Cormorants yet (not my favourite bird, as I figure they must be pushing something else out of its niche).  But there was one in typical Cormorant wing-drying pose by the water hazard between holes 6 and 7 (it's a hazard for me coming and going!) at the New Liskeard Golf Course on both Monday and Tuesday.

Mike Leahy reported the following to me by e-mail:

"Checked the first sightings list as of May 12 I am assuming someone else has seen Ospreys, Cormorants (Larder Lake May 21), Nighthawk (in the headlights near Larder Lake May 21 not a positive).

Our neighbor Hal Fjeldsted reported an Indigo Bunting May 27 in Swastika right next door so we are on the lookout."

 My first view of Cedar Waxwings this year. Englehart 30 May 2009

Hal Fjeldsted saw a Scarlet Tanager at the KL hospital on May 29, as reported to me by Mike Leahy.

 I went back to the Park this afternoon and snapped this picture of what I think is a Bay-breasted Warbler.

At Hilliardton Marsh this evening, I heard 3 Virginia Rails, and actually saw one of them.  Also saw a Ruddy Turnstone fly over with a group of Yellowlegs, and saw my first young of the year - six Canada Goose goslings.

Good capture on the Bay-breasted Warbler Serge - a beautiful male.

This morning at Kap-Kig-Iwan Park, amid a small albeit persistent cloud of mosquitos. One of the flycatchers flew within a few inches from my head, likely attracted by the swarm.

Out birding with Serge this afternoon at Kapkigiwan Park, we added Philadelphia Vireos (at least two) and Orange-crowned Warbler to the list of arrivals.  (I'm sure Orange-crowned Warblers have been banded at the marsh earlier this year, as they are usually a fairly early arrival, but banding data will be collated in later.)

Other birds of note at the park this afternoon were 3 Nighthawks, some B&W Warblers, Ovenbirds, Phoebes, Redstarts, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warblers, Gray Catbird, Song and Chipping Sparrows, Flicker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Sandpiper and a singing Winter Wren. A possible singing Pine Warbler magically transformed itself into a Chipping Sparrow when we finally got binoculars on it.

Hi Folks,

Yesterday Jim Bishop of Gowganda came over to tell me that he had a Yellow headed blackbird visit near his deck. He couldn't get a picture cause the camera was in the car and he didn't want to scare the bird away.

Jim was well aware that YHBL are not very frequent visitors.

The date was June 6th.

Cheers, Gert

Saw one this morning, but it is a very shy bird.  I will go back again tomorrow, and if it still there I'll try for pictures, though don't want to disturb it too much if it is nesting.

 Evanturel Twp this afternoon.... They're rotten pictures, but...

By Jove, I think you've got it!  Did you hear that flat buzzy "song"?

 Sure did! And judging by the flitting activity, I think there were more than one of them.

Jonathan says they are a loosely semi-colonial nesting species - where there's one pair there are likely to be several more pairs in the vicinity.

 This afternoon - see picture. (I had to be carefull not to use the red-eye removal tool...)

 We haven't recorded one this year yet, sooooo, I hope this counts. I believe this is a picture of one about to be released on 22 August 09 at the Open House at Hilliardton Marsh. I wish I had found out what it was sooner, I would have taken close-ups... I enjoyed that day!