Loon or Grebe

This picture was taken at the edge of Lake Ontario in Hamilton on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at about 1 0'clock pm. For elevation ask Ruth (Body, soul and spirit.) I previously said it was a Western Grebe, but it also may have been a Red-throated Loon. I'm still comparing the two species but because it was continually diving, I could only get one, slightly poor photograph of this mystery bird. If any of can are able to contact a experienced birder (preferably David Allen Sibley) and ask him to check this out it would be greatly appreciated. I've narrowed it down to the Red-throated Loon and the Western Grebe because it had a; yellow-black, slightly upturned long bill, gray-black crown, bright red eye, black eye-ring, gray supercillium, brown-rufos neck, brown back, white undertail. It may have been a hybrid but that would be unlikely, but if it was the female would have to be a Western Grebe and the male, a Red-throated Loon because it had more grebe plumage features than a loon. It dived for about 1-2 minutes at a time without looking down first and always came up a different spot then would go in alert posture and dive again, repeatedly. It was solitary and away from any other waterfowl, very close to shore and it was silent. Any bird that considered flying where it was would leave immediately as soon as it saw this mystery bird.

If you or anyone you know may have an idea what this is, please comment ON THIS POST or e-mail me at swpsnook@live.ca .

Goodbye,

Birdman

Bird of The Week: Blackburnian Warbler

ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM "BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA"
Common Name: Blackburnian Warbler
Scientific Name: Dendroica fusca
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Juvenile Perched: N/A
Juvenile Flight: N/A
Imature Perched: N/A
Imature Flight: N/A
Adult Female Nonbreeding Perched: more subdued facial pattern, orange throat and breast, white wing bars, black streaks on flanks
Adult Female Nonbreeding Flight: N/A
Adult Female Breeding Perched: more subdued facial pattern, orange throat and breast, white wing bars, black streaks on flanks
Adult Female Breeding Flight: N/A
Adult Male Nonbreeding Perched: pale orange line center of crown, complex black and-orange face pattern, white streaks on black back, white patch on wing, brilliant orange throat, black streaks on breast and belly, white belly
Adult Male Nonbreeding Flight: white edges to outer tail feathers, bold white wing patches
Adult Male Breeding Perched: pale orange line in center of crown, complex black-and-orange face pattern, white streaks on black back, brilliant orange throat, black streaks on breast and belly, white belly
Adult Male Breeding Flight: white edges to outer tail feathers, bold white wing patches
Voice: Call a slightly husky chik; flight-call a high, thin zzee; song variable, but always high-pitched; swirling series of lisps, spiraling upward to end in an almost inaudible trill.
Nesting: Fine cup in conifer on horizontal branch away from trunk, usually high in tree; 4-5 eggs; 1 brood; May-July.
Feeding: Gleans arthropods, such as spiders, worms, and beetles; also friut.
Occurrence: Breeds in coniferous and mixed forests from Alberta east through the North Great Lakes to Newfoundland and south into the Appalachians of Georgia; migrants found in wooded, shrubby, or forest edge habitats. Winters in wet forests in Costa Rica and Panama, and southward as far as Peru.
Length: 13cm
Wingspan: 21cm
Weight: 9-12g
Social: Winter flocks
Lifespan: Up to 8 years
Status: Secure
Flight: fast, slightly undulating, and direct with rapid wing beats.
Other: This fiery beacon of the treetops is considered one of the most beautiful mambers of its family; its orange throat is unique among the North American warblers. The Blackburnian Warbler co-exists with many other Dendroica warblers in the coniferous and mixed woods of the north and east, but is able to do so by exploiting a slightly different niche for foraging-in this case the treetops. It also seeks the highest trees for nesting
Distinguishing Features: The female is like a dull adult male, but with two wing bars and no black on the face.
Avian Firefly: This male in breeding plumage glows when seen against a dark forest background.
ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS FROM "BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA"
For more information about the Blackburian Warbler go to birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/Blackburnian_Warbler.html/

Preparing for Move

We're packing so I'm unable to write a blog post for a few days. Also the Bird of the Week post (I'm starting it every Monday) will be postponed.

Update

March 28th-Moving back to Oshawa, Ontario

April 18-25th-Setting Up New Bird Garden

April 11th-Trip to Ottawa, Ontario

Possible Wing Injury

Today, unfortunately as my dad was driving me to school, he had hit a hawk. He had slammed the breaks but we still hit it. It was very young so it was a weak flier, so it couldn't fly over the car fast enough. We pray that it wasn't injured or killed, as we came home we looked around but there was no sign of it. We both feel horrible for our accident, hopefully it only got hit on the edge of it's wing so it wont be injured as severely as it would if we hit a different part of it's body.

Goodbye,

Birdman

River Bank Trail

Fresh Adult Eastern Black-capped Chickadee Eating Seeds of Cattail
Adult Male Eastern Northern Cardinal Searching for Seeds

Fresh Adult Eastern Black-capped Chickadee Being Territorial

Pair of Purple Finches Perched

This morning I woke up and found sparrows feeding on my platform feeder, then my dad came down and we went to River Bank Trail. On the way there my dad had drove into a dead end and was just about to turn around until I said "Stop, look". A silhouette of a bird that had a plump body and a short tail was perched in a tree nearby, so I got the binoculars and looked at it. It was a meadowlark, I had realised that I had seen that same silhouette earlier before so that wasn't the only one I saw. There must a lot of meadowlarks in the neighbourhood. My dad and I were very excited but it flew away before I could get a picture of it and it didn't sing so it is was very difficult to identify what type it was, it was an eastern because of the white malar. Anyway my dad kept driving and as soon as we arrived there someone started walking their dog. They didn't even clean up after it! We let them walk ahead of us. We sat down preparing for a hike, we entered the meadow part, there was a Purple Finch and a Brown Thrasher which was of course "thrashing" leaves under a bush. Next we walked under a canopy forest, Northern Parulas and Black-throated Blue Warblers were singing. Also, when we came out from under the canopy forest I heard an American Woodcock repeating it's call, but there was something else calling in the background. I got the binoculars and searched, it was a gull-like bird with brownish wings. Now that I've identified it, it was a Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid 1st winter. Next my dad pointed out than a birder behind us was trying to get pictures to get a picture of the woodcock I spotted, I mumbled sarcastically "good luck with that". Of course he didn't get a picture of it. Next I heard a B-bee gun shot, and a goose flew up in a tree! Then I heard it again and flew away. Later I saw a goose NOT walking properly, someone had shot it's wing! WHY DO PEOPLE SHOT BIRDS FOR NO REASON!!! Anyway, we moved on because there was nothing we could do about it. The same birder from before was feeding chickadees and cardinals. That was the end of the trail so we hiked back and drove home.

Total Names of Birds Seen:

Red-winged Blackbird

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Crow

Mourning Dove

Purple Finch

Canada Goose

Common Grackle

Glaucous x Herring Gull (Check for Life List)

Ring-billed Gull

Cooper's Hawk (Check for 2009)

Blue Jay

Mallard

Eastern Meadowlark (Check for 2009)

Northern Parula (Check for 2009)

Feral Pigeon

American Robin

American Tree Sparrow

Chipping sparrow

House Sparrow

Song Sparrow

European Starling

Brown Thrasher (Check for 2009)

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Check for 2009)

American Wodcock

Downy Woodpecker

Total Number of Birds Seen: 28 species

Goodbye,

Birdman

Victoria Park/Wings of Paradise: Butterfly Conservatory

Zebra Finch in Alert Posture
Blue Morpho Sunbathing
Zebra Finch Perched

Ring-billed Gull, Canada Geese, Mallard

Mallards

Chipper Feeding

Mallards

Today my mom asked if we could go birding. She drove to Victoria Park, there were only a few waterfowl species but I watched an Adult Female Domestic Mallard and an Adult Male Mallard x Domestic Mallard hybrid or intergrade court and mate. We soon got a little bored just watching ducks and geese so we went to Wings of Paradise Museum. We paid and went in the Butterfly Conservatory. At first it was very humid, and my camera took very poor pictures because to camera lens had fogged up. But after a few moments it was clear. After that we realised there was several other animals other than butterflies in the conservatory such as birds, fish and turtles. We had a great time, thank you mom for taking me.

Total Names of Birds Seen:

Mallard

Canada Goose

Ring-billed Gull

Zebra Finch

Chinese Painted Quail (Check for Life List)

Zebra Dove

Java Finch

Total Number of Birds Seen: 7 species

Goodbye,

Birdman

First Day of Spring

Spring is the best time of year for both nature and the many people that love it. From buds blooming, to birds building their nest, mid-May is the best time of Spring. That's why we go to Point Pelee National Park on the May long weekend to enjoy nature and Pelee at its best. This late march we're moving to Oshawa in a beautiful house with a bare back yard, perfect for starting a bird garden. Our next door neighbours and also very fond of birds, maybe we can have permission to take photos of birs in each others yards. Maybe, we can also "connect" bird gardens. A swampy forest habitat is nearby our house and hopefully my dad and I we be able to bird in it. The photos above are from the cruise we went to last November. Anyway, I'm trying to make this last week in Breslau last by scattering mixed seed on our deck railing, but few birds are coming to check it out, oh well. Lately I've been getting fewer comments so if you read my blog, please comment and spread the word, I love to answer any questions you may have relating to nature. After all that is my blog title.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Major Birding Trip

Adult Male Breeding Greater Scaup Swimming

Trumpeter Swans

Ring-billed Gulls

Red-breasted Mergansers

Adult Male Downy Woodpecker Drumming

Eastern Adult Male White-breasted Nuthatch Storing Seeds

Adult Male Breeding American Wigeon Courting

Adult Male Breeding Ring-necked Duck Swimming

Adult Male Winter Long-tailed Duck Diving

Canada Geese

Yesterday Ruth called me because her leg had an infection and couldn't go to work today, so she asked if she could go birding with me today, I said yes at 11:00am. Today I got ready and Ruth picked me up at 10:49am, we left to Hamilton to go birding by Lake Ontario. We arrived there at 11:47am and many waterfowl were begging for food. We walked to the trail and Trumpeter Swans were begging us for food and if I raised my hand it would lift its bill and if I lowered my hand it lowered its bill. We saw many rare waterfowl there but whenever I told anyone , they didn't seem to care so they must not be rare. Anyway next we went to the forest trail beside the lake and saw woodpeckers and nuthatches, also some chickadees feed out of our hands. Most of them picked peanuts kearnels over black sunflower seeds, interesting. Next we went to a lift bridge that had a recent sighting of a Peregrine Falcon nest, but we didn't see itself or it's nest unfortunately. Then we went to Grindstone Creek, we got out and grackles, blackbirds, sparrows, robins and dove were chearfuly singing. It actually sounded silly with a mixture of chack, put and oooahhh all at the same time. We walked down farther and we saw many birds feathers laying on the ground and a Red-tailed Hawk soaring above. It had obviously captured this unfortunate pigeon. Oh well, hawks have to eat too y'know. It was soon reaching 3 o'clock and Ruth had to put her daughter Rebecca from work so we left.

Total Names of Birds Seem:

Red-winged Blackbird

Canvasback (Check for 2009)

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped chickadee

American Coot (Check for 2009)

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Crow

Mourning Dove

American Black Duck (Check for 2009)

Long-tailed Duck (Check for Life List)

Ring-necked Duck (Check for 2009)

Tufted Duck (Check for 2009)

House Finch

Common Goldeneye (Check for 2009)

American Goldfinch

Canada Goose

Common Grackle

Pied-billed Grebe (Check for 2009)

Western Grebe (Check for Life List)

Great Black-backed Gull (Check for 2009)

Herring Gull (Check for 2009)

Ring-billed Gull

Red-tailed Hawk

Dark-eyed Junco

American Kestrel (Check for 2009)

Killdeer

Mallard

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Total Number of Birds Seen:31 species

Grand River Trail

Red-breasted Mergansers

Adult Male American Robin Courting

Today at 12:00pm, my dad took me to "Tim Hortons". We got 10 "Sour Cream Glazed Timbits" and ate them on the way to a grand river trail. We got out and a European Starling was mimicking various other birds. Notice that they open their beak when they mimic, but they only move their throat feathers when they sing their own calls. Anyway next Canada Geese flew over us honking, followed by robins preparing to court by the male chasing the female robin until she decides to stop. Although I don't know the purpose of flying away. Well, next my dad and I saw our first Song Sparrow and Mallard for 2009. We then went to another part of the trail but there wasn't many birds there so we turned around. Chickadees and goldfinches were fluttering about in a nearby brush pile, and a hawk soaring by the roadside, but what really stunned me was mergansers! Finally, mergansers have come, I've been waiting for a long time. I took a few pictures and just as my dad was about to view them with his binoculars, they dived. I showed him my pictures. Next we discussed the Western Bluebirds we previously saw in Sedona. It was a very exciting moment for both of us. The same year we also saw another new bird for our life list, Eastern Bluebirds. Then we left to pick up Jesse from a friend's house.

Total Species of Birds Seen:

Red-winged Blackbird

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown Creeper (Check for 2009)

Mourning Dove

Long-billed Dowitcher (Check for Life List)

House Finch (Check for 2009)

American Goldfinch

Canada Goose

Common Grackle

Ring-billed Gull

Red-tailed Hawk

Killdeer

Mallard (Check for 2009)

Song Sparrow

European Starling

Total:17 Birds

Spring Break

"Spring Break" is a week long recess in most schools, it is most commonly from March 16-20th. Most teenagers spend their "Spring Break" in Panama City Beach, Florida or South Padre Island, Texas. Some Universities in Japan have their "Spring Break" begin in April. "Spring Break" is also referred to "March Break", "Study Week" or 'Reading "Week.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Horned Larks!

Adult Male Northeast Horned Lark Singing

Today I've seen my second Horned Lark for 2009, when I decided to go birding in my backyard. I grabbed my camera and jacket to go outside, as soon as I opened the back door I heard "reek trik treet tritilititi treet". I'd never heard anything like it. Whatever it was it continuously repeated that phrase several times until I located where the sound was coming from. I put my camera screen on EVF and searched that particular brush pile. I took a picture of it and zoomed in, it was a Horned Lark! Soon I realized it had been calling another lark, so I was a about to get my spotting scope for a better view but I soon heard it's familiar flight call "see tu" and it flew away. Anyway, I still got a good picture of it. "Tune in" tomorrow for a blog post about "March break", unless I'm unable to post tomorrow.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Guelph Lake Nature Center/Riverside Park

Typical Adult Male Red-winged Blackbird Displaying
Adult Male Eastern Northern Cardinal Perched

Adult Female Red-breasted Nuthatch Feeding

Canada Geese

Adult Male Eastern Downy Woodpecker Feeding

Southern Adult Female Common Redpoll Feeding

Today at noon Ruth picked me up and we drove to Guelph Lake Nature Center, we discussed birds we have recently seen. When we arrived there, there was a feeding area with many species of birds feeding like siskins and sparrows and a Red Squirrel. We stayed there for about an hour studying the behaviour of each particular bird. Next we went to Riverside Park, there was also many birds. We brought some seed with us as many birds there are very tame and will feed out of your hand. We started walking on the boardwalk but there weren't many birds there, so we turned around and many birds came. We sat down by a feeding station and watched chickadees, nuthatches and sparrows feed which was very interesting. Anyway it was soon afternoon so Ruth drove me home.

Goodbye,

Birdman