Spring Birding 11-17 April 2011

Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx Serripennis

Tuesday 12th April :

The first day of the spring program started at Petrie Island.

It was cool and fresh but that didn’t scare the birds away. The activity was high, and it seemed like most of the action was happening overhead.

16 Wood  Duck drakes chasing a single female, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 13 Sandhill Cranes, and the day’s highlight the fantastic Northern Goshawk .

Day list: 

1. Mallard
2. Canada Goose
3. Red-Tailed Hawk
4. Ring-billed Gull
5. Rock Pigeon
6. American Crow
7. Common Raven
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. American Robin
10. European Starling
11. American Tree Sparrow
12. Song Sparrow
13. Red-winged Blackbird
14. Common Grackle
15. American Goldfinch
16. House Sparrow
17. Turkey Vulture
18. Hairy Woodpecker
19. Downy Woodpecker
20. Common Goldeneye
21. White-breasted Nuthatch
22. Mourning Dove
23. Killdeer
24. Herring Gull
25. Common Merganser
26. American Black Duck
27. Coopers Hawk
28. Hooded Merganser
29. Ring-necked Duck
30. Tree Swallow
31. Wood Duck
32. Sandhill Crane
33. Northern Harrier
34. Great Blue Heron
35. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
36. Eastern Phoebe
37. Northern Pintail
38. American Kestrel
39. Barn Swallow
40. Bufflehead
41. Brown-headed Cowbird
42. Pileated Woodpecker
43. Common Loon
44. Northern Flicker
45. Sharp-shinned Hawk
46. Evening Grosbeak
47. Horned Lark
48. Northern Goshawk

Beaver

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius

Thursday 14^th April – Photo day

New to the spring program this year are “Wildlife Photography Days”, which started at Britannia Conservation Area.  We were thrown into action almost from the beginning, experiencing a Coopers Hawk catching his meal, a European Starling.

The class occupied with the Coopers Hawk

Later in the morning we moved over to Shirley’s Bay and the Hilda Road feeders, where we had a beautiful White-throated Sparrow singing his heart out. We also had the pleasure of watching a porcupine slowly eating fresh leaf buds.   

Day list:

1. Canada Goose
2. Mallard
3. Ring-billed Gull
4. Rock Pigeon
5. Blue Jay
6. American Crow
7. Common Raven
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. American Robin
10. European Starling
11. American Tree Sparrow
12. Song Sparrow
13. Northern Cardinal
14. Red-winged Blackbird
15. Common Grackle
16. American Goldfinch
17. House Sparrow
18. Turkey Vulture
19. Hairy Woodpecker
20. Common Goldeneye
21. White-breasted Nuthatch
22. Mourning Dove
23. Killdeer
24. Herring Gull
25. Common Merganser
26. American Black Duck
27. Coopers Hawk
28. Hooded Merganser
29. Tree Swallow
30. Black-crowned Night Heron
31. White-throated Sparrow
32. America Wigeon
33. Wood Duck
34. House Finch
35. Dark-eyed Junco
36. Great Blue Heron
37. Barn Swallow
38. Osprey
39. Brown-headed Cowbird
40. Pied-billed grebe
41. Great Black-backed Gull
42. Merlin
43. Northern Flicker
44. Northern Rough-winged Swallow 

Porcupine 

Saturday 16^th April :

The morning started with a magnificent Great Egret flying overhead at Mud Lake. Strong winds gave promises of interesting birds, and we had 4 different kinds of Swallows in addition to another welcomed spring migrant, the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle). A Belted Kingfisher and several Fox Sparrows were  other highlights of the day.

Day list:

1. Canada Goose
2. Mallard
3. Red-Tailed Hawk
4. Ring-billed Gull
5. Rock Pigeon
6. Blue Jay
7. American Crow
8. Common Raven
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. American Robin
11. European Starling
12. American Tree Sparrow
13. Song Sparrow
14. Northern Cardinal
15. Red-winged Blackbird
16. Common Grackle
17. House Sparrow
18. Bohemian Waxwing
19. Turkey Vulture
20. Hairy Woodpecker
21. Downy Woodpecker
22. Common Goldeneye
23. Brown Creeper
24. White-breasted Nuthatch
25. Mourning Dove
26. Killdeer
27. Herring Gull
28. Common Merganser
29. American Black Duck
30. Hooded Merganser
31. Ring-necked Duck
32. Lesser Scaup
33. Tree Swallow
34. Black-crowned Night Heron
35. White-throated Sparrow
36. Wood Duck
37. Wild Turkey
38. Dark-eyed Junco
39. Northern Harrier
40. Great Blue Heron
41. Barn Swallow
42. Bufflehead
43. Ruddy Duck
44. Osprey
45. Brown-headed Cowbird
46. Pied-billed Grebe
47. Common Loon
48. Northern Flicker
49. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
50. Cliff Swallow
51. Golden-crowned Kinglet
52. Yellow-rumped Warbler
53. Northern Flicker
54. Fox Sparrow
55. Great Egret
56. Belted Kingfisher

Ruffed Grouse - Bonasa umbellus 

Sunday 17^th April :

We witnessed a most fantastic event this morning at the Dewberry trail. For the first time in my life I observed the full display of an adult male Ruffed Grouse. Clearly something that will never be forgotten.

We also had big numbers of Dark-eyed Juncos, and again we spotted the Sandhill Cranes, flying majestically on the strong winds.

Day list:

1. American Black Duck
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Wigeon
6. Belted Kingfisher
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Broad-winged Hawk
9. Brown Creeper
10. Brown-headed Cowbird
11. Bufflehead
12. Cackling Goose
13. Canada Goose        
14. Common Grackle
15. Common Merganser
16. Common Raven
17. Dark-eyed Junco
18. Downy Woodpecker
19. European Starling
20. Fox Sparrow
21. Gadvall
22. Golden-crowned Kinglet
23. Great Blue Heron
24. Green-winged Teal
25. Killdeer
26. Mallard
27. Mourning Dove
28. Northern Flicker
29. Northern Harrier
30. Northern Pintail
31. Osprey
32. Pileated Woodpecker
33. Red-tailed Hawk
34. Red-winged Blackbird
35. Ring-billed Gull
36. Rock Pigeon
37. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
38. Ruffed Grouse
39. Sandhill Crane
40. Song Sparrow
41. Tree Swallow
42. White-breasted Nuthatch
43. Wild Turkey
44. Wood Duck
45. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura

The first week of the spring program is over, and O’boy, did we ever have a lot of new birds!

Keep them coming... !! ;o)

Excursions organized by Tony Beck - Always An Adventure