Timiskaming Birds Forum

Below is a listing of the 2009 arrivals recorded to date in Timiskaming District.  This listing will be maintained by Mike Werner and myself based on posts in the First Sightings Forum.  If a species does not have a date and location specified, then it has not yet been recorded this year.  Species are listed in taxanomic order, as per the master species checklist.  This list, however, only includes the true migrants - those species that are generally absent from Timiskaming District in the depths of winter. Also excluded are those rare or vagrant species that are not typically seen in Timiskaming in most years.

Please note that, while this post will be updated at least weekly, it will not be listed under recent forum activity, so you may want to bookmark this page for easy reference.  If you notice any errors or omissions in this compilation, please send an email to: webmaster [at] timbirds.info.

Our list is filling out nicely. Time to make a special effort for the small passerines, including the remaining warblers, some of the wrens, vireos and flycatchers, which should all be back fairly soon if not already.  Many of the other blanks on our list are of occasional species that we don't get in every year.

Last Friday, May 29, I was able to bring my class from CSPS to the marsh, where we enjoyed a fantastic, if damp, day hosted by Bruce Murphy and a great group of TERRA students.  I made a list from memory when we returned, which included a Tennessee Warbler, which I noticed had not yet been reported.  I remember it mainly because of Bruce's preference for its French name, Paruline obscure.  Bruce will be able to confirm this, when he's not so busy, and may have had earlier captures.  We also had Redstarts, Black-and-white, Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, and many Wilson's Warblers, as well as sighting Bobolink, Bitterns, Chickadees, Red-Wings, and Alder Flycatcher (and I think a Least Flycatcher, but I'd have to check Bruce's notes to be sure.)  The TERRA class is doing a great job at the marsh, and have added, I believe, 200 Tree Swallow nest boxes this spring, as well as banding, studying, and interpreting and entertaining many Grade 4 and Grade 7 classes from throughout the district.  They deserve our thanks and congratulations.

P.S.  I notiice that the Little Gulls Serge and Mike spotted are not on the list....

The Little Gulls fall into the category of rare and exceptional.  They are certainly not expected every year.  This list is just for the normal annual migrants.  Little Gulls are now on our official checklist.