Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher at Thunder Cape!

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Photo courtesy of John Woodcock, TCBO

This hatch-year bird was mist-netted, banded and released at the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory on September 30, 2010.

Alan Wormington informed me that this is only the fourth Canadian record for this species, whose breeding and wintering ranges extend throughout much of the Neotropics, as far north as southernmost Arizona and New Mexico. The first occurrence, also in Ontario, was on September 28, 1986 at Presqu'ile Provincial Park. Since then, one fatally struck a window in Oakville (Nov. 6, 2009) and another turned up in Newfoundland.

Other interesting vagrants have turned up at Thunder Cape in past Septembers and Octobers, among them: Yellow-billed Loon, Violet-green Swallow (Ontario's first) and Bell's Vireo.


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An odd bird in the yard

For some time I've wanted to write something about our encounters with Wilson's Snipe. We see them regularly in migration and, more interestingly, in the middle of winter. Indeed one or two individuals have been tallied on six of the last eight Christmas bird counts. Evidently these birds find sufficient food and shelter along a small, densely vegetated creek in Peninsula Harbour, not far from the mill. The phenomenon of snipe overwintering in northern Ontario is so unusual that the regional compiler of the CBC simply didn't believe the first report back in 2002.

The Snipe Seep in Autumn

Until today I had put off profiling our ice snipe as I had yet to get a decent photo of one. Just about all of our snipe sightings involve brief views of fast-flying birds we've flushed.

The Snipe Seep in Winter

This morning, I looked out our kitchen window expecting to see the usual Rusty Blackbirds, Common Grackles and White-crowned Sparrows, and I did...in the company of a Wilson's Snipe! The bird was fairly active, foraging over a patch of turf where I had been scattering mixed seed - not acceptable snipe fare, evidently.

Certainly an unusual bird to observe from one's kitchen window.

Grousing in Pukaskwa

I came upon both grouse species - a pair of each - in the front country campground of Pukaskwa this weekend. The two male Spruce Grouse were involved in a very lengthy border dispute that involved much strutting and clucking.

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Harris's Sparrows passing through (updated Sept 23)

The Harris's Sparrow is something of a novelty to birders in southern Ontario where the species is very rarely seen. According to Alan Wormington, the species is a regular autumn migrant from Marathon westwards.

Yesterday, two were found in Marathon. One was (and remains) in our yard in the company of a loose flock of 100+ sparrows (White-crowned, White-throated, Chipping, Clay-colored & Lincoln's). Our friend Nolan also found one in his yard. Gary Emms reported another, a beautifully marked adult, at his feeder in Longlac.




Adult in Longlac, Sept 20. Photo courtesy of Gary Emms.

Juvenile in our yard in Marathon, Sept. 20.

Update: Sept 23

The juvenile, present at our feeder since September 19, was joined today by a more boldly marked adult. 

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Adult and juvenile in our yard, Sept 23.

Some autumn colour

This is Viburnum edule (Michx.), also known as squashberry, mooseberry, lowbush cranberry or pimbina. It occurs at higher latitudes than its congeners and is said to be tastier than the other viburnums - sweeter after the first frost.

Learn more about this plant from Natural Resources Canada.

Migration continues

A tailless Clay-colored Sparrow joined the throng of White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows in our yard yesterday. Also present are single Lincoln's, Song and Savannah Sparrows.

From the post office parking lot this morning I heard/saw three Sandhill Cranes flying south, out over the big lake.

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Clay-coloured Sparrow

American Golden Plover and Sanderling in Peninsula Harbour

Some Superior birds

There was a good mix of birds in Peninsula Harbour this morning. Horned Larks and Rusty Blackbirds were new arrivals. The only shorebird present was a Semipalmated Plover.

As I photographed a flock of Horned Larks, a young Sharp-shinned Hawk scattered the group and engaged one bird in an erratic, twisting chase just off shore. The Horned Lark eluded the accipter, which flew back to shore and landed about 6 m. from where I was sitting. Nice.

There also were several high-flying, southbound flock of Canada Geese, totaling ~120 birds. A lone Snow Ross's Goose accompanied one of the "V"s (thank you, Alan Wormington, for the correction).

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Western Kingbird at Marathon

I swung by the boat launch in Jellicoe cove this afternoon to look for shorebirds. While I panned my binoculars across the open water a songbird flew across my field of view and landed about 50 m. away.

Western Kingbird! My first in Ontario.

It flitted about on the wind-buffeted rocks and shrubs for about ten minutes before it flew northwards along the rocky shoreline.

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More shorebirds

As seen at Penn Lake and in Peninsula Harbour on Sept 5th and 6th

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Buff-breasted Sandpiper (one of four birds present)

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (one of four birds present)

Least Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs at Penn Lake

Baird's Sandpiper

Sunrise at the mouth of the Pic River

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