Fun coming from the North...

Male Black-backed Woodpecker, Photo Courtesy of Tony Beck

Winter plumage Horned Grebe

Full day excursion Tues. Nov. 8 to Lake Dore and Algonquin Park:
Although the lake was reasonable productive with plenty of grebes, Common Loon and Bonaparte’s Gulls, diversity was relatively low. Birds became a bit more interesting as we got closer to Algonquin Park. We had an excellent afternoon birding along the Barron Canyon Road. 

Gray Jays were greeting us almost everywhere we stopped in the park. Also in the park were 5 Black-backed Woodpeckers. They were a lifer bird for many in the group.

Starting with 2 Common Redpolls just outside the park, we saw several more small flocks in the park, totaling about 120 birds. We had only one White-winged Crossbill flying overhead and along Hwy 26 southeast of the park, we saw a juvenile Northern Goshawk.

1. American Black Duck
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Tree Sparrow
6. Black-backed Woodpecker
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Blue Jay
9. Bonaparte's Gull
10. Brown Creeper
11. Bufflehead
12. Canada Goose        
13. Common Goldeneye
14. Common Loon
15. Common Merganser
16. Common Raven
17. Common Redpoll
18. Downy Woodpecker
19. European Starling
20. Golden-crowned Kinglet
21. Gray Jay
22. Great Blue Heron
23. Hairy Woodpecker
24. Herring Gull
25. Horned Lark
26. House Sparrow
27. Lesser Scaup
28. Mallard
29. Northern Goshawk
30. Northern Harrier
31. Northern Shrike
32. Red-breasted Nuthatch
33. Red-necked Grebe
34. Red-tailed Hawk
35. Red-winged Blackbird
36. Ring-billed Gull
37. Rock Pigeon
38. Rough-legged Hawk
39. Sharp-shinned Hawk
40. Snowbunting
41. White-winged Crossbill
42. Wild Turkey

Black-backed Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker

Thursday Nov. 10^th:
Our beautiful morning started at Andrew Haydon Park. Thousands of Geese were flying overhead. After checking out the park more closely, we went over to Shirley’s Bay and out on the dyke. While scanning the wetlands, an adult Bald Eagle flushed a huge flock of Canada Geese. It was a spectacular sight! After Shirley’s Bay, we went back to Andrew Haydon but with a Parasailor on the waters, there were no birds. Instead we ended the excursion at Britannia and Mud Lake. 

1. American Black Duck
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Tree Sparrow
6. American Wigeon
7. Bald Eagle
8. Belted Kingfisher
9. Black Scoter
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Blue Jay
12. Brant
13. Bufflehead
14. Cackling Goose
15. Canada Goose        
16. Common Goldeneye
17. Common Loon
18. Double-crested Cormorant
19. Great Black-backed Gull
20. Great Blue Heron
21. Greater Scaup
22. Green-winged Teal
23. Herring Gull
24. Hooded Merganser
25. Horned Grebe
26. House Sparrow
27. Lesser Scaup
28. Mallard
29. Northern Cardinal
30. Northern Shoveler
31. Red-breasted Merganser
32. Red-necked Grebe
33. Red-winged Blackbird
34. Ring-billed Gull
35. Ring-necked Duck
36. Rock Pigeon
37. Ruffed Grouse
38. Snow Bunting
39. Song Sparrow
40. White-breasted Nuthatch
41. White-winged Scoter
42. Wood Duck

Red-tailed Hawk

Saturday Nov. 12:
Today we hoped to find something unusual, and indeed we did.
Cackling Geese are not unusual this time of year. But, we had 11 of them at Britannia Beach including a tight flock of 10. Going to Shirley’s Bay we witnessed something quite extraordinary. On a huge nest, visible high in the bare trees, two adult Bald Eagles, appeared to be bonding. It was fantastic to see!
Also, inside the forest at Shirley’s Bay we had a Ruffed Grouse.

We ended the excursion studying the gulls around Bunside Pit. We found 3 Lesser-backed and a first winter Iceland Gull amongst hundreds of Ring-billed, Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls. 

1. American Black Duck
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Tree Sparrow
5. Bald Eagle
6. Black Scoter
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Blue Jay
9. Bonaparte's Gull
10. Bufflehead
11. Cackling Goose
12. Canada Goose        
13. Common Goldeneye
14. Common Loon
15. Common Merganser
16. Common Raven
17. Dark-eyed Junco
18. Downy Woodpecker
19. European Starling
20. Great Black-backed Gull
21. Greater Scaup
22. Herring Gull
23. Hooded Merganser
24. House Sparrow
25. Iceland Gull
26. Lesser Black-backed Gull
27. Lesser Scaup
28. Mallard
29. Mourning Dove
30. Northern Cardinal
31. Red-tailed Hawk
32. Red-winged Blackbird
33. Ring-billed Gull
34. Rock Pigeon
35. Snow Bunting
36. Snow Goose
37. White-breasted Nuthatch
38. White-throated Sparrow
39. White-winged Scoter
40. Wild Turkey

Gray Jay

Sunday Nov. 13, Amherst:

We started  before dawn in the direction of Kingston and the world famous Amherst Island.

The weather did not act up as badly as predicted and the group was quite pleased with the mild temperature.

We were greeted by a beautiful male Red-bellied Woodpecker at the entrance of the Owl Woods.

The only cooperative owl we found was a Long-eared Owl hiding away deep in the needles of the Jack Pine. Fortunately it remained still for everyone to see. It was a lifer for several in the group.

The fields around the island revealed many diurnal raptors, like Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, and all color morphs of Rough-legged Hawk. Good number of Tundra Swan was accumulating on the north-east side of the island. 

1. American Crow
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Robin
4. American Tree Sparrow
5. American Kestrel
6. Black Scoter
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Blue Jay
9. Bonaparte's Gull
10. Brown Creeper
11. Bufflehead
12. Canada Goose        
13. Common Goldeneye
14. Common Loon
15. Common Merganser
16. Common Raven
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. European Starling
19. Gadwall
20. Golden-crowned Kinglet
21. Great Black-backed Gull
22. Great Blue Heron
23. Greater Scaup
24. Herring Gull
25. Horned Lark
26. House Finch
27. House Sparrow
28. Long-eared Owl
29. Long-tailed Duck
30. Mallard
31. Mourning Dove
32. Northern Cardinal
33. Northern Harrier
34. Red-bellied Woodpecker
35. Red-breasted Merganser
36. Red-tailed Hawk
37. Red-winged Blackbird
38. Ring-billed Gull
39. Rock Pigeon
40. Rough-legged Hawk
41. Snow Bunting
42. Tundra Swan
43. White-breasted Nuthatch
44. Wild Turkey

The group studying the very cooperative Long-eared Owl.

Excursions organized by Nina Stavlund & Tony Beck as Always An Adventure

~ HAPPY BIRDING ! ~