Frontenac Park

Doe Lake Trail, Frontenac Park

Doe Lake Trail, Frontenac Park

Doe Lake, Frontenac Park

Arab Lake Gorge, Frontenac Park

It was a beautiful, warm, late fall day at Frontenac Park. Birds and wildlife were scarce but it was a feast for the eyes nevertheless. I did see some Cedar Waxwings, a lone Raven, and later, in the swamp, a Brown Creeper.

Yellow-Orange Fly Agaric

Frontenac Park

The bulb at the top was huge but the cap was missing. I can only imagine how big the cap must have been.

Cedar Waxwing

Frontenac Park

What up with that??

Amherst Island

It was cool and cloudy this morning when I caught the 8:30 AM ferry over to the Island. My first stop was the KFN property at the east end of the island. There was a raft of Red Breasted Mergansers, a Northern Harrier Hawk hunting the open fields, a lone Red-winged Blackbird, and a few Starlings. I was unable to find the Lapland Longspur. I did see a sparrow sized bird flying away from me with a mostly white back (not sure what it was).

In Owl Woods I found a Barred Owl, Fox Sparrows, White Throated Sparrows, and in the Owl Woods proper 3 Long Eared Owls. Some frustration was experienced with Chickadees (who were running most of the activity on the walk in) and Blue Jays who had taken control of Owl Woods and announced my arrival everywhere despite trying to be as quiet as possible. Does anyone have a good recipe for Chickadee?

White-breasted Nuthatch

Amherst Island, Owl Woods

I couldn't crop this picture without making a mess of it but wanted to share this shot of him enjoying his free lunch.

Barred Owl

Amherst Island, Owl Woods

On the walk in to Owl Woods I spooked this owl (fitting reversal of roles) and watched him fly up to this perch. If I hadn't followed his flight I would never have seen him, he was so well hidden. After I set up the scope I had to search the tree carefully to pick him up again. It was mid-morning, cloudy and cool. I was able to observe him until some other birds began to put up a racket and he flew off.

Especially when the October wind

Especially when the October wind

With frosty fingers punishes my hair,

Caught by the crabbing sun I walk on fire
And cast a shadow crab upon the land,
By the sea's side, hearing the noise of birds,
Hearing the raven cough in winter sticks,
My busy heart who shudders as she talks
Sheds the syllabic blood and drains her words.

Dylan Thomas

I'm back and I've got issues

Fine, my binoculars are waterproof ... but they fog up. My eyes must be overheating.

1. The Point is so familiar to me I've seen everything a million times, yet I have the sense that I'm missing so much because I haven't really learned to "see" yet. Of course there is always the excitement of seeing something unfamiliar amidst the ordinary. I saw a Fox Sparrow and this was a first for me both at the Point and on my life list. It was the reddest sparrow I've ever seen. Sitting on a small tree right on the edge of a big clump of thick brushy bushes. I came up quietly and saw it before it noticed me. I got my binoculars on it and then it was gone, right down into the thick brush. I waited for a long time but it never reappeared.

2. Nature does not "present" itself. It is evasive and warry. The birds I did see today didn't stick around to get aquainted. The sightings happened quickly and were few in number. I saw a Hermit Thrush in the low branches of a small tree in a thicket. It was watching me and I was watching it until it decided it didn't want to be watched. I saw what I thought was an owl (never seen an owl at the point before), it wasn't far from me. It was gliding just above the tops of the small trees and brush, all gray on the back. But was it an owl?

3. The Point always feels empty and abandoned this time of year. What am I missing?

My binoculars are waterproof

Its cold, grey, and windy...its wet...but my binoculars are waterproof! What am I doing in the house? To the woods! Meet nature on its own terms! Not for me the hot chocolate, warm comforter, television entertainment! The real world awaits, raw, unretouched, refusing to cater to my desire for comfort and convenience. Celebrate the gift of this day ... my binoculars are waterproof!

Rusty Blackbird

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

Ready to Go

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

Saw more than a dozen Robins flocking together and getting ready to move to more comfortable conditions. These three males and a female were joined by a Rusty Blackbird. A little better day over at the Point with lots of sunshine. A quick walk in the evening revealed the usual array of Robins, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, White Throated Sparrows, Canada Geese, etc. AND the Rusty Blackbird, which is a new one for my Lemoine viewing and my life list!

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

This little bird was very cooperative, let me take all the pictures I wanted. Later I found a small group of Golden Crowned Kinglets moving about the leaves on the forest floor. Much to my disappointment they were chased away by a gathering of Dark Eyed Juncos, who were in turn dispersed by a foraging squirrel.

The weather has not been very cooperative lately, lots of rain, cloud, and strong winds. I had a couple of hours this morning and then the rain was back.

Herring Gull

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

His head is still very light. I expect he will develop much more streaking as it moves into its non-breeding plummage. I'm trying to work on my Gull identification and have made up a little key for identifying adult non-breeding gulls as a start. One of the keys I had in mind for this one was the brown streaking on head and neck.

Great Blue Heron

Creek at Taylor Kidd and Collins Bay Road
Kingston, Ontario

Coming back from a disappointing (very windy) visit to the Amherstview Lagoon I spotted this Great Blue Heron sitting quietly by the creek.

A Rare Sighting

Not This

Not This

A new birder on his first outing!

Its not every day that you add seven new species to your life list: Black Capped Chickadee, Ring Billed Gull, Mallard Duck, White Breasted Nuthatch, Dark-Eyed Junco, White Crowned Sparrow,
Ruby Crowned Kinglet.

Bird Watching or Bird Spotting

Bird Food

The more birding I do the more I sense a certain tension between "watching" (as in prolonged observation) and "spotting" (as in grab the field marks and add to life list). Binoculars, Scopes, Cameras, all lend to spotting, to loss of context. These tools narrow the field of view so much that the bird is virtually removed from its context and simply becomes a field guide representation of its species. I feel the excitement of growing my list but today as I walked around Lemoine and watched some of the common birds (Dark Eyed Juncos, Yellow Rumped Warblers, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, even Ring Billed Gulls and Mallards) I realized that with a prolonged and quiet observation questions about these birds begin to take shape. You begin to wonder about individual members of the species and their behaviors, begin to sense personalities, see what they're up to, why they've chosen the particular environment they are in, etc.

I must remember to put down the scope, camera, and even binoculars, and watch the birds in a broader field of view for a longer period of time. It is an attempt to understand the bird's world and to recognize individuals within a species. Behaviors are what the bird is all about, not field marks.

This made me think in broader terms about life itself. How much of my interaction with people and events is about "spotting" as opposed to "watching?" Do I really make an effort to enter into the full context of the world around me? Our relationships become superficial when we are content with name, job, education, basic elements of the resume, and make no attempt to understand behavior and what it is saying to us about the inner life of those we love.

This may seem a divergence from the purpose of this blog but what good is a hobby if it is only an obsession or an escape. Shouldn't our most intense interests make us better human beings, shouldn't they inform the whole of our life. Shouldn't we be better people when we return from our "watching?"

Eastern Phoebe

Amherst Island

Hairy Woodpecker

Amherst Island

I've change my identification of this bird from Downy to Hairy. I initially chose Downy because I thought I saw the "conspicuous tuft of nasal bristles" that Sibley mentions in his guide. I missed the lack of black marks on the tail feathers and the proportion of the bill. When I first saw it I thought it was a Hairy because it seemed larger than I expected for a Downy. Even identifying a common bird requires observing as many details as possible and not giving too much weight to any one factor. Thanks to Nathan for helping with this ID.

Northern Flicker

Amherst Island, Owl Woods

Amherst Island

I had a very nice day over at Amherst Island today. When I looked at the Weather Network it said Drizzle all day but when I looked at the radar it showed very little chance of precipitation. General rule of thumb: When birding always take the most favourable weather report as the most likely scenario! I didn't add anything to my list today but really enjoyed the excursion. First observation was a Red-Tailed Hawk down the end of the island near the KFN property. I was hoping on the drive around to see the Lapland Longspur but couldn't find it. Heading back towards the Ferry I spotted a Northern Harrier, flying low along a field, white spot on the rump, hunting away. I was able to get out of the car and set up the Scope and watch him for quite a while. Then I drove to the Owl Woods site and got some pictures of an Eastern Phoebe and a Downy Woodpecker. In the Owl Woods themselves I found a Northern Flicker but nothing else of interest. On the way out I was able to stop the car and watch another Northern Harrier through the scope while he hunted the field beside the road. A short time after he left a Great Blue Heron came in quite low across the field, which I thought was strange - was he trying to get in under the radar of the hawk?
Back to work tomorrow, once again the employer wins out over the birder - but the weekend is coming!

Pectoral Sandpiper

Amherstview Sewage Lagoons, Amherstview, Ontario

Eared Grebe

Amherstview Sewage Lagoons, Amherstview, Ontario

This is the Eared Grebe on the right. It was an accidental capture. I was just trying to take as many pictures as I could so that I could identify them later with the help of Sibley. It was only later that two experienced birders pointed him out to me and I was able to observe him. I had already taken this shot but didn't know what I had.

Bufflehead

Amherstview Sewage Lagoons, Amherstview, Ontario

Bonaparte's Gull

Amherstview Sewage Lagoon, Amherstview, Ontario

Amherstview Sewage Lagoons

This was my first visit to the Lagoons thanks to a heads up from Bruce Ripley on ONTBIRDS. I added three new birds to my life list. A couple of experienced birders helped me find and view the Eared Grebe that has been at the lagoon for a couple of weeks. I also added Green Winged Teal and Lesser Scaup. Present, as well were Bonaparte's Gulls, Ring Necked Ducks, Pectoral Sandpipers and Bufflehead. I was told there were Pipits as well but I didn't see them.

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

The birding was definitely not as good today, cool and windy. Saw Hermit Thrush, White Crowned Sparrow, Palm Warbler, Red Tailed Hawk, Ruby Crowned Kinglet.

Lemoine Point Today

Observations at the Point today:

Blue Headed Vireo, Red Eyed Vireo, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Golden Crowned Kinglet, Yellow Rumped Warbler, Black Throated Green Warbler, Black Throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Blackburnian Warbler, White Crowned Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Veery, Sharp Shinned Hawk, Red Tailed Hawk.

The observations in italics are new observations for Lemoine.

Yellow Billed Cuckoo

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

I added two birds to my list yesterday so it was quite an exciting day. I have seen Black Billed Cuckoos at the Point before but never a Yellow Billed. The interesting thing was that I took these pictures and believed I had taken pictures of the Black Billed. It wasn't until I put them up on the computer that I realized what I had. This was a good lesson for me. It helped me to realize that I see what I expect to see and when something slightly different comes along I can miss it. If I hadn't taken the pictures I would have missed it. This is a good lesson in life as well: something new and different comes along but we miss it because we can only see what we expect to see. I need to cultivate more of a sense of expectation as I look out on the world.

The second bird I added to my list yesterday was the Blue Headed Vireo, a striking little bird and a pleasure to watch.

Lemoine Point Dragonfly List

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has seen other Odonates at Lemoine.

Black Saddlebags
Calico Pennant
Common Green Darner
Dot Tailed Whiteface
Eastern Amberwing
Four Spotted Skimmer
Halloween Pennant
Lake Darner
Lance Tipped Darner
Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk
Twelve Spotted Skimmer
White Faced Meadowhawk

Dragonfly Life List

Dragonfly Count: 42

American Emerald
Beaverpond Baskettail
Black Saddlebags
Black-Shouldered Spinyleg
Black Tipped Darner
Blue Dasher
Calico Pennant
Canada Darner
Chalk-Fronted Corporal
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
Common Baskettail
Common Green Darner
Common Whitetail
Crimson-Ringed Whiteface
Dot-Tailed Whiteface
Dragonhunter
Dusky Clubtail
Eastern Amberwing
Eastern Pondhawk
Ebony Boghaunter
Fawn Darner
Four Spotted Skimmer
Frosted Whiteface
Halloween Pennant
Harlequin Darner
Hudsonian Whiteface
Illinois River Cruiser
Lake Darner
Lance Tipped Darner
Lancet Clubtail
Lilypad Clubtail
Prince Baskettail
Rackettailed Emerald
Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk
Slaty Skimmer
Stream Cruiser
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
Twin Spotted Spiketail
Variable Darner
White-Faced Meadowhawk
Widow Skimmer
Yellow Legged Meadowhawk

Birding Life List

Bird Count: 244

American Bittern
American Black Duck
American Coot
American Crow
American Golden Plover
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Pippit
American Redstart
American Robin
American Tree Sparrow
American Wigeon
Baird's Sandpiper
Bald Eagle
Baltimore Oriole
Bank Swallow
Barred Owl
Barn Owl
Barn Swallow
Baybreasted Warbler
Belted Kingfisher
Black and White Warbler
Black-bellied Plover
Black Capped Chickadee
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Tern
Black Throated Blue Warbler
Black Throated Green Warbler
Black-Billed Cuckoo
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Blue Headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Blue-winged Teal
Bobolink
Bonapartes Gull
Boreal Owl
Brant
Broad Winged Hawk
Brown Creeper
Brown Pelican
Brown Thrasher
Brownheaded Cowbird
Canada Goose
Canada Warbler
Caspian Tern
Cedar Waxwing
Cerulean Warbler
Chestnut Sided Warbler
Cliff Swallow
Common Goldeneye
Common Grackle
Common Loon
Common Merganser
Common Moorhen
Common Raven
Common Redpole
Common Tern
Common Yellow Throat
Cooper's Hawk
Double Crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Dunlin
Eared Grebe
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Wood Pewee
European Starling
Evening Grosbeak
Fox Sparrow
Gadwall
Glaucous Gull
Goldern-Crowned Kinglet
Golden-winged Warbler
Grasshopper Sparrow
Gray Catbird
Gray Cheeked Thrush
Gray Jay
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Great Crested Flycatcher
Great Egret
Great Gray Owl
Great Horned Owl
Greater Scaup
Greater Yellowlegs
Green Heron
Green Winged Teal
Hairy Woodpecker
Hermit Thrush
Herring Gull
Hooded Merganser
Horned Lark
House Finch
House Sparrow
House Wren
Hudsonian Godwit
Indigo Bunting
Killdeer
Least Flycatcher
Least Sandpiper
Lesser Scaup
Lesser Yellowlegs
Lincoln Sparrow
Long Eared Owl
Long-tailed Duck
Magnolia Warbler
Mallard
Merlin
Mourning Dove
Mute Swan
Nashville Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Northern Goshawk
Northern Harrier
Northern Parula
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveller
Northern Shrike
Northern Waterthrush
Orchard Oriole
Osprey
Oven Bird
Palm Warbler
Pectoral Sandpiper
Philadelphia Vireo
Pied-Billed Grebe
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Grosbeak
Pine Warbler
Purple Finch
Red Breasted Merganser
Red Breasted Nuthatch
Red Eyed Vireo
Redhead
Red Knot
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk
Ring-Billed Gull
Ring-necked Duck
Rock Dove
Rose Breasted Grosbeak
Rough Legged Hawk
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Ruddy Turnstone
Rusty Blackbird
Sanderling
Savannah Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Sedge Wren
Semi-palmated Plover
Semi-palmated Sandpiper
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Short-billed Dowitcher
Snow Bunting
Snowy Owl
Spotted Sandpiper
Summer Tanager
Swainson's Thrush
Swamp Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Tundra Swan
Turkey Vulture
Upland Sandpiper
Warbling Vireo
Western Sandpiper
Whimbrel
White Breasted Nuthatch
White Crowned Sparrow
White Rumped Sandpiper
White Throated Sparrow
Wild Turkey
Wilson's Phalarope
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Warbler
Winter Wren
Wood Duck
Wood Thrush
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Yellow Warbler

England:

Black-headed Gull
Black Swan
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Coal Tit
Coot (Fulica atra)
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Great Cormorant
Grey Heron
Greylag Goose
Jay
Magpie
Pochard Duck
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Tufted Duck
Wood Pigeon

Kenya:

Common Bulbul
White-Eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Olive Thrush
Speckled Mousebird
Ring-Necked Dove
Red-faced Crombec
White-fronted Bee-Eater
Pied Crow
African Paradise Flycatcher
Hadada Ibis
Baglafecht Weaver
Glossy Ibis
Collared Sunbird
Common Fiscal
Grey-backed Camaroptera
Chin-spot Batis
Cattle Egret
Superb Starling
Glossy Starling
Lesser Flamingo
Greater Flamingo
Helmeted Guinea Fowl
Fish Eagle
Common Ostrich
Speckled Pigeon
European Bee-Eater
African Hoopoe
Northern Anteater Chat
Little Swift
Fork-tailed Drongo
Secretary Bird
Palm-nut Vulture
Lilac-breasted Roller
Black Kite
Silver-cheeked Hornbill
Tropical Boubou
Cape Robin Chat
Streaky Seedeater
White-Browed Sparrow Weaver
Ruppell's Long-tailed Sparrow
Cliff Chat
Blacksmith Lapwing

Lemoine Point Bird List

Bird Count: 100

Here is a list of birds (in alphabetical order) that I've seen over at the Point. I would be interested in hearing of any birds that you have seen there that are not on the list.

American Black Duck
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Redstart
American Robin
American Tree Sparrow
American Woodcock
Baltimore Oriole
Barn Swallow
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Black and White Warbler
Black Billed Cuckoo
Blackburnian Warbler
Black Capped Chickadee
Black Throated Blue Warbler
Black Throated Green Warbler
Blue Headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Bobolink
Brown Headed Cowbird
Brown Thrasher
Bufflehead
Canada Goose
Chestnut Sided Warbler
Common Goldeneye
Common Grackle
Common Loon
Common Tern
Cooper's Hawk
Double Crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Meadowhawk
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
European Starling
Fox Sparrow
Gadwall
Grasshopper Sparrow
Gray Catbird
Great Black Backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Great Crested Flycatcher
Great Horned Owl
Greater Scaup
Greater Yellowlegs
Hairy Woodpecker
Hermit Thrush
Herring Gull
Hooded Merganser
Horned Lark
House Finch
House Sparrow
House Wren
Killdeer
Least Flycatcher
Long-tailed Duck
Magnolia Warbler
Mallard
Merlin
Mourning Dove
Nashville Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Orchard Oriole
Osprey
Palm Warbler
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Martin
Red Breasted Merganser
Red Breasted Nuthatch
Red Eyed Vireo
Red Tailed Hawk
Red Winged Blackbird
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Dove
Rose Breasted Grosbeak
Ruby Crowned Kinglet
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Rusty Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Sharp Shinned Hawk
Song Sparrow
Swainson's Thrush
Swamp Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Tundra Swan
Turkey Vulture
Warbling Vireo
White Breasted Nuthatch
White Crowned Sparrow
Winter Wren
Wood Thrush
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Yellow Warbler

Red Eye Reduction