End of Spring...

Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum

 Northern Parula (Parula americana)

The season has ended with a flurry of bird activity.

It’s been a most fantastic spring, and we have high hopes that this continues into the summer, both with birding and photography.

Male Scarlet Tanager in sight @ Chaffey's Lock, Ontario.

Dragonfly,  Four-spotted Skimmer, Libellula quadrimaculata Photo credit Janet Wall

Chaffey's Lock, Ontario. Photo credit Janet Wall 

Thursday: Full Day Excursion: Chaffey's Lock, Ontario, Canada, 26 May 2011

Our full day excursion to Chaffey’s Locks revealed several life-birds for the group of 18 eager participants. Chaffey’s Locks, is one of Eastern Ontario’s best example of Carolinian habitats.

We had Cerulean Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Golden-winged Warbler and Yellow-throated Vireo, just  to mention a few highlights.

Day-list:

1. American Bittern
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Redstart
5. American Robin
6. American Kestrel
7. Baltimore Oriole
8. Barn Swallow
9. Belted Kingfisher
10. Black & White Warbler
11. Blackburnian Warbler
12. Black-capped Chickadee
13. Blackpoll Warbler
14. Black-throated Green Warbler
15. Blue Jay
16. Broad-winged Hawk
17. Canada Goose        
18. Cedar Waxwing
19. Cerulean Warbler
20. Chestnut-sided Warbler
21. Chimney Swift
22. Chipping Sparrow
23. Common Grackle
24. Common Loon
25. Common Raven
26. Common Yellowthroat
27. Downy Woodpecker
28. Eastern Bluebird
29. Eastern Kingbird
30. Eastern Meadowlark
31. Eastern Phoebe
32. Eastern Wood-Pewee
33. European Starling
34. Golden-winged Warbler
35. Great Blue Heron
36. Great-crested Flycatcher
37. Hairy Woodpecker
38. Hooded Merganser
39. House Sparrow
40. House Wren
41. Indigo Bunting
42. Mallard
43. Mourning Dove
44. Northern Cardinal
45. Northern Flicker
46. Osprey
47. Ovenbird
48. Pileated Woodpecker
49. Pine Warbler
50. Red-eyed Vireo
51. Red-shouldered Hawk
52. Red-tailed Hawk
53. Red-winged Blackbird
54. Ring-billed Gull
55. Rock Pigeon
56. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
57. Rough-winged Swallow
58. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
59. Scarlet Tanager
60. Song Sparrow
61. Swainson's Thrush
62. Swamp Sparrow
63. Tree Swallow
64. Turkey Vulture
65. Veery
66. Warbling Vireo
67. White-breasted Nuthatch
68. Wild Turkey
69. Wilson's Snipe
70. Wood Duck
71. Yellow Warbler
72. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
73. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
74. Yellow-throated Vireo

Chaffey's Lock, Ontario

Saturday 4^th June – Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, ON, Canada

With spring migration waning we still encountered 44 species of birds in one location - Britannia Conservation Area.

With much evidence of breeding activity, Great-crested Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, American Redstart, Pine Warbler and many others, put on a great musical and visual performance.

Britannia Conservation Area

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Day-list:

1. American Black Duck
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Redstart
5. American Robin
6. Baltimore Oriole
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Black-crowned Night Heron
9. Blue Jay
10. Brown Thrasher
11. Brown-headed Cowbird
12. Canada Goose        
13. Chimney Swift
14. Common Grackle
15. Common Merganser
16. Common Raven
17. Common Tern
18. Double-crested Cormorant
19. Downy Woodpecker
20. Eastern Kingbird
21. Eastern Wood-Pewee
22. European Starling
23. Great Blue Heron
24. Great-crested Flycatcher
25. Grey Catbird
26. Hairy Woodpecker
27. House Finch
28. House Sparrow
29. Mallard
30. Mourning Dove
31. Nashville Warbler
32. Northern Cardinal
33. Pine Warbler
34. Red-eyed Vireo
35. Red-winged Blackbird
36. Rock Pigeon
37. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
38. Song Sparrow
39. Tree Swallow
40. Turkey Vulture
41. Warbling Vireo
42. White-breasted Nuthatch
43. Wood Duck
44. Yellow Warbler

Dragonfly, © Nina Stavlund

Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)

Sunday 5^th June – The big Sparrow hunt

I think Sparrows are adorable creatures, and some of them make the strangest sounds, like the Grasshopper Sparrow and the Clay-colored Sparrow. Meanwhile, others have the most beautiful song like the Vesper Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and the ever-familiar Song Sparrow.

We met our target of 10 different species of Sparrow, and were extremely pleased with their performance in front of the camera.

We were also happy to see two Great Egrets flying overhead near the Mer Bleue.

Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum

Day-list:

1. American Bittern
2. Alder Flycatcher
3. American Crow
4. American Goldfinch
5. American Robin
6. Barn Swallow
7. Black & White Warbler
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Black-crowned Night Heron
10. Blue Jay
11. Bobolink
12. Brown Thrasher
13. Brown-headed Cowbird
14. Canada Goose        
15. Chestnut-sided Warbler
16. Chipping Sparrow
17. Clay-colored Sparrow
18. Common Grackle
19. Common Raven
20. Common Yellowthroat
21. Double-crested Cormorant
22. Eastern Bluebird
23. Eastern Kingbird
24. Eastern Meadowlark
25. Eastern Phoebe
26. Eastern Wood-Pewee
27. European Starling
28. Field Sparrow
29. Grasshopper Saprrow
30. Great Blue Heron
31. Great Eagret
32. Great-crested Flycatcher
33. Green Heron
34. Grey Catbird
35. Hairy Woodpecker
36. House Sparrow
37. House Wren
38. Indigo Bunting
39. Least Flycatcher
40. Lincoln's Sparrow
41. Mallard
42. Mourning Dove
43. Nashville Warbler
44. Northern Cardinal
45. Northern Flicker
46. Ovenbird
47. Palm Warbler
48. Pileated Woodpecker
49. Purple Finch
50. Red-eyed Vireo
51. Red-tailed Hawk
52. Red-winged Blackbird
53. Ring-billed Gull
54. Rock Pigeon
55. Savanna Sparrow
56. Song Sparrow
57. Swamp Sparrow
58. Tree Swallow
59. Turkey Vulture
60. Veery
61. Vesper Sparrow
62. Virginia Rail
63. White-throated Sparrow
64. Wild Turkey
65. Yellow Warbler

Mer Bleue

Tuesday 7 June – Mer Bleue

It was a wonderful day at the Mer Bleue with magnificent bog scenery that included Pink Lady Slippers and abundant Cotton Grass. We also had the great pleasure of seeing Lincoln’s Sparrow and Palm Warbler. Dragonflies and Damselflies were ruling the bog and flying around us everywhere.

Another highlight of the day came in the form of 2 Sandhill Cranes flying over the boardwalk.

Moccasin Flower/Pink Lady's Slipper  (Cypripedium acaule)

Palm warbler in sight @ Mer Bleue

Day-list:

1. American Bittern
2. Alder Flycatcher
3. American Crow
4. American Goldfinch
5. American Redstart
6. American Robin
7. Baltimore Oriole
8. Black & White Warbler
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Blue Jay
11. Canada Goose        
12. Cedar Waxwing
13. Chestnut-sided Warbler
14. Chipping Sparrow
15. Common Raven
16. Common Yellowthroat
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Eastern Kingbird
19. Eastern Phoebe
20. Eastern Wood-Pewee
21. European Starling
22. Great-crested Flycatcher
23. Grey Catbird
24. Hairy Woodpecker
25. Hermit Thrush
26. House Sparrow
27. Indigo Bunting
28. Lincoln's Sparrow
29. Mallard
30. Mourning Dove
31. Nashville Warbler
32. Northern Flicker
33. Ovenbird
34. Palm Warbler
35. Pileated Woodpecker
36. Purple Finch
37. Red-eyed Vireo
38. Red-tailed Hawk
39. Red-winged Blackbird
40. Ring-billed Gull
41. Sandhill Crane
42. Song Sparrow
43. Swamp Sparrow
44. Turkey Vulture
45. Veery
46. Virginia Rail
47. White-throated Sparrow
48. Yellow Warbler
49. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

Thursday 9^th June – Photography Day @ Jack Pine Trail

We ended the season with a focused photography excursion at Jack Pine Trail.

Surprisingly, a Virginia Rail came out into the open, relaxed, and away from all cover of vegetation.

At the same time, a highly vocal Swamp Sparrow proclaimed his territory from an exposed perch beside the boardwalk.  The 10 members of our group could not ask for more cooperative subjects to  photograph.

Day-list:

1. Alder Flycatcher
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. Baltimore Oriole
6. Black & White Warbler
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Black-crowned Night Heron
9. Blue Jay
10. Broad-winged Hawk
11. Brown Creeper
12. Canada Goose        
13. Cedar Waxwing
14. Common Grackle
15. Common Raven
16. Common Yellowthroat
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Eastern Kingbird
19. Eastern Towhee
20. Eastern Wood-Pewee
21. European Starling
22. Field Sparrow
23. Great Blue Heron
24. Great-crested Flycatcher
25. Grey Catbird
26. Hairy Woodpecker
27. Hermit Thrush
28. House Sparrow
29. Killdeer
30. Mallard
31. Mourning Dove
32. Nashville Warbler
33. Northern Cardinal
34. Northern Flicker
35. Ovenbird
36. Pileated Woodpecker
37. Pine Warbler
38. Purple Finch
39. Red-eyed Vireo
40. Red-winged Blackbird
41. Ring-billed Gull
42. Rock Pigeon
43. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
44. Song Sparrow
45. Swamp Sparrow
46. Tree Swallow
47. Veery
48. Virginia Rail
49. White-breasted Nuthatch
50. White-throated Sparrow
51. Yellow Warbler
52. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Mallard Shoot @ Jack Pine Trail

Drake Mallard, Photo credit Ron Allen

Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), Photo credit Lorraine Elsworthy

The summer session will start in the end of June.

The Summer Program can be found by clicking the link!
Stay tuned for more BLOGs! :o)

All excursions organized by Always An Adventure ~ Tony Beck

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

Magnolia warbler (Dendroica magnolia)

Northern Parula (Parula americana)

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Spring into Summer 2011