Neighbourhoud Garden

Northern Bedstraw
American Goldfinch Adult Female Breeding

Jesse planting Cucumbers

me planting Pumpkins

Jesse raking

Jesse raking

dad shoveling

A few weeks ago we found a neighbourhood garden and we were welcomed to join, so we went shopping today at "Walmart". We bought several seeds and a few plants; consisting of mostly vegetables and some wildflowers and fruit. Although most packages of seeds are usually only $1.79 we spent about $50.00 including tax just on seeds alone! When we came home, we brought all of our gardening tools and rode our bicycles to our garden. We moved the grass, tilled the dirt, leveled it out and planted the seeds for about 3 hours and we got almost half the amount of work done! Despite the time, we got a lot done.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Point Pelee National Park

Painted Turtle
Canada Goose Common Goslings (left) Adult Male (center) Adult Female (right)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Adult Male Breeding

Magnolia Warbler Adult Female Breeding

Canada Anemone

Chestnut-sided Warbler 1st Summer Male

Yellow Warbler Adult Male Eastern

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Adult Male Breeding

Common Yellowthroat Adult Male

Painted Turtle

Barn Swallow Adult Female

Yellow Warbler Adult Female

Wild Turkey Adult Male Eastern In Display

Wild Turkey Adult Male Eastern

Indigo Bunting Adult Male Breeding

Last Saturday we packed our supplies and started driving to Leamington, Ontario. We arrived there after four hours, unpacked at Pelee Days Inn and drove to Point Pelee National Park. We paid and stopped at the lookout. There was seven Great Blue Herons stalking the shallow marsh. We drove a little bit further and saw a bright flash of blue. We quickly stopped and heard a descending gobble from ahead. We turned around to see a Wild Turkey displaying at the vehicles. Then I saw the Indigo Bunting foraging on the tall grass. We then drove to the visitor center and took the "train" to the Tip Trail. It was about a fifteen minute drive, but it was worth it because we were welcomed by Barn Swallows in the ceiling of the gazebo. We started walking and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird flew by me. Then my mom spotted a Eastern Kingbird perched in the tree. Then various warblers filled the rest of the trail until we came to the tip. There I saw Double-crested Cormorants flying across Lake Erie. I also noticed various gulls and terns in the background, but they were to far away even with binoculars to identify. We took the "train" back and drove to the Marsh Boardwalk. There Jesse and I climbed a tree and got our picture taken. Then we saw Barn Swallows building nests and a pair of Canada Geese defending their goslings. Soon we came to the boardwalk, but we didn't see anything unusual until we came to the middle. There it was filled with common wetland-animals such as Black Terns, Common Yellowthroats, Painted Turtles, Bluegill Sunfish, etc. Although we didn't see and Wood Ducks or Northern Watersnakes. It was late evening we we finished the boardwalk so we ate dinner and went swimming, played pool, air hockey and arcade games. The next morning we woke up early, went swimming, ate breakfast and went back to Point Pelee National Park. We drove in and we were welcomed by the sound of warblers, tanagers and orioles singing proudly. We stopped at one of the trails and saw a Scarlet Tanager singing, in the treetop. Unfortunately the Visitor Center parking lot was full so parked at the West Beach Footpath. We got out, brought our cameras, binoculars and snacks and started hiking. We accidentally flushed a Yellow Warbler from its nest but it was back a few minutes later. The footpath was directly beside Lake Erie there were constant flocks of cormorants flying over head. After hiking for about 2 kilometers the trail started to lead away from lake Erie and there was less bird activity so we turned back. I noticed a unfamiliar warbler for me so I took a photo of it and remembered the song it was singing. We walked to the Visitor Center and I showed the manager my photo, described the the appearance and song and after about 10 minutes of researching we discovered it was a Magnolia Warbler. Then we went into the gift shop and bought Ruth (Body, soul and spirit) a Checklist of Birds of Point Pelee National Park. Then we checked the sightings map and the most current bird activity was in the Tilden Woods Trail. (I was still repeating the song from the Magnolia Warbler in my head, in case I heard it again.) Sure enough I did and as soon as we entered the trail too, along with our wood-warblers, icterids and mimids. I identified most of them but it was very difficult since very few of them were visible. Anyway the habitat changed from a dense canopy to a wooded swamp along with the bird species (grosbeaks, cardinals and vireos.) Then we finished the trail at about noon so we went to the Marsh Boardwalk again in search for the Wood Duck. Lots of fish were resting under lily pads and the wetland-birds were becoming more active. We spotted much more such as; sparrows, wrens and martins. Although we didn't see Wood Ducks we did see some species we'd never seen before. Then we drove home and edited our pictures on the way. Despite we didn't break our record of sixty-four species on this annual trip we still had lots of fun. Thank you mom and dad for making this possible and for your time and money.

Total Names of Birds Seen:

Canada Goose

Mallard

Wild Turkey

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture (Check for 2009)

Red-tailed Hawk

Ring-billed Gull

Caspian Tern (Check for Life List)

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Check for 2009)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Check for 2009)

White-eyed Vireo (Check for Life List)

Red-eyed Vireo (Check for 2009)

Blue Jay

American Crow

Purple Martin (Check for 2009)

Tree Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Check for 2009)

Bank Swallow (Check for 2009)

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

House Wren

Sedge Wren (Check for 2009)

Marsh Wren

Veery (Check for 2009)

American Robin

Gray Catbird (Check for 2009)

European Starling

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Check for 2009)

Magnolia Warbler (Check for Life List)

Cape May Warbler (Check for Life List)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Check for 2009)

American Redstart

Prothonatary Warbler (Check for 2009)

Common Yellowthroat (Check for 2009)

Canada Warbler (Check for Life List)

Scarlet Tanager (Check for 2009)

Swamp Sparrow (Check for Life List)

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting (Check for 2009)

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orchard Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

House Sparrow

Total Number of Birds Seen: 51 species

Goodbye,

Birdman

Thickson Woods

Last Saturday I went birding with my dad at Thickson Woods. We saw many cars parked beside the conservation area. They were all birders, we got excited thinking they were here because of a rare, recent sighting, but they came because they thought it was a great place to bird. Everyone had the same field guide: A Field Guide to Birds East of the Rockies By: Roger Tory Peterson. First we went to the open field part, there we heard an extremely fast song, I soon recognized as the same bird I saw at my house recently, a House Wren. Also, Tree Swallows filled the area; catching bugs, mating and building nests. The last time I saw Tree Swallows was probably last autumn. Anyway, we walked on to the forest and a group of birders had their binoculars up, pointed at a tree. I looked and saw a small orange figure singing a fimiliar song to a robin. It was a Baltimore Oriole, when the group left an Orchard Oriole came! They have one of the most variable songs, but all birds are unique for something. I soon heard a kinglet in a nearby tree, so I aimed my binoculars and spotted it gleaning insects of branches (common behaviour of kinglets.) The trail lead to another group of birders watching a small thrush, so I came closer and identified it was an Ovenbird. It appeared to be flushed not knowing where to go as it was cornered, not singing just perched on a log. Is this common behaviour of under-leaf scavengers, or was it frightened, submit your ideas in the comment box (below this post.) I walked to the next part of the trail while my dad searched for the Ovenbird. The part of the trail I was now in was filled with warbler songs, they all song at the same time so all I could identify was a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Nashville Warbler. Both very secretive birds always high up in trees. I then met up with dad and we went to the marsh, there we watched a Short-tailed Weasel feed its young, baby rats. Soon other birders came still following the same Baltimore Oriole, but a small brown figure caught my eye in the cattails. I soon recognized the; brown crown, white supercillium (eyeline,) and off white breast from our previous, annual trip to Point Pelee National Park. It was a Marsh Wren and there was also Gadwalls, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds in the background, mixed between a marsh with dead trees and forest-floor-like habitat. This evening I went birding to the same spot with my mom, we parked got and we heard Cooper's Hawks, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a Tennessee Warbler and everything on Saturday too. We didn't stay for long because it was getting dark so we left.

Total Names of Birds Seen:

Red-winged Blackbird

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown Creeper

American Crow

Mourning Dove

Gadwall (Check for 2009)

American Goldfinch

Canada Goose

Common Grackle

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Check for 2009)

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Cooper's Hawk

Blue Jay

Dark-eyed Junco

Killdeer

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Mallard

Baltimore Oriole

Orchard Oriole (Check for 2009)

Ovenbird (Check for 2009)

Feral Pigeon

American Robin

Chipping Sparrow

House Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

European Starling

Tree Swallow (Check for 2009)

Mute Swan

Nashville Warbler (Check for 2009)

Tennessee Warbler (Check for Life List)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Check for 2009)

Hairy Woodpecker (Check for 2009)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Check for 2009)

House Wren

Marsh Wren (Check for 2009)

Total Number of Birds Seen: 42 species

I will show you prof of some of my sighting tomorrow.