LOOKING BACK on 2017
Back, just before Xmas last year, I suffered a serious heart infection that meant that I had to have open-heart surgery to replace a damaged heart valve. Which, of course, meant that I had a very sickly start to the year. I was unable for most of January to get out much at all and in fact due to the fact I was unable to drive (Docs orders) I had to rely on my wife to take me to some local spots to get my birding "fix". However, albeit slowly, I did recover to pretty much 100% of what I was prior, and back out in the field doing what I love (other my wife and family) most in life .... bird and wildlife photography.
Over the next few months I was able to get out more often, and travel further afield, in search of subjects and opportunities.
Birding highlights of the year for me were generally the times I was able to leave the Province in search of "new blood" so to speak (lifer birds). First trip of the year was in early April - a week long trip to South East Arizona (near Tucson), that was very successful with photographs of several new species to add to that all-important life list. Highlights were Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, Grace's Warbler, Verdin and Yellow-eyed Junco. I think I was able to add 60 or new species to my list during the week. The big miss was a Red-faced Warbler, so this will be top of my list on the next trip to that area.
A few weeks later in early May, along with a friend, we headed over the border again (this time we drove) to an area south of Ohio and Shawnee State Forest which is just this side of the Kentucky border. We only spent a few days here, but boy they were good days ... The area was teaming with several great songbird species including Yellow-throated Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-eyed Vireo, Kentucky Warbler and Prairie Warblers. I missed out on decent photographs of the Worm-eating and the Chat, but hey gives me a good reason to head back in 2018. On the way north from Shawnee we stopped off for a few hours at Lake Hope. This area has a great reputation for being a Warbler hotspot but in the short time we were there it was a little quiet. We did, however, find and photograph a very cooperative Louisiana Waterthrush, so that made of for the Warbler shortfall (almost LOL)
After dropping off my birding "partner" near Toledo (some people have work to go to unfortunately) I headed to a spot I had been a few times to in previous years and is known as the Warbler Capital of the World .. a very grand title, but Magee Marsh has earned that title most deservedly. It is not unusual, over a period of a few days in early May, to accumulate a Warbler count of around 30 species and which doesn't include the other songbird species (Thrushes, Vireos, Tanagers etc). I spent a week here and my list was somewhat down from previous years but I still managed a good count of 24 Warblers. Birding is not limited to Magee - there are several locations in that same general area that can provide good birding days.. Two of my other favorite spots are Maumee Bay State Park & Oak Openings Metropark. I spent the better part of two days at Oak Openings and was able to see and photograph a few of my favorite birds including Summer Tanager, Lark Sparrow and Red-headed Woodpecker. I had hoped to find a local "specialty" but the Blue Grosbeak never made it to my memory card. On my 2018 trip this bird will definately be high on my list.
My next and last birding trip of the year, was a combined family vacation and birding trip, to visit family in the country I was born and lived for the first 35 years of my life. My wife and I arrived in late November to reasonably fine weather (not that common in SW Scotland at this time of year, I may add) and for the next 10 days there was almost no rain and most days sunny. Most days I headed out to a few different spots along the Nith Estuary and along the adjacent salt flats.It's not too often I get a life bird in the UK, but on this trip I did .. a Brambling - not that uncommon, but a species that has always eluded me in the past.
Throughout the year and along with a few friends at different times we managed a few 2-3 day trips to Algonquin, Bruce Peninsula and a few spots in and around Sunridge. The summer trips were generally in search of Warblers and songbirds and for the most part we had a good year. The highlight birds were Canada Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue and Green Warblers, Norther Parulas, Black & White Warblers and Nashville Warblers.
Locally I traveled to many of the local hotspots and I had some good days and unfortunately quite a few days that weren't too succesful. But like life in general I won't dwell on the bad days. Best birds that I had in my viewfinder were Brewsters Warbler up near Mulmar, a Golden-winged Warbler near Milton, a Dickcissal (a lifer for me) north of Toronto, a Canada Warbler in Flamborough and a Yellow-throated Vireo near Glen Morris.There was probably several other noteworthy captures but my old brain can't recall them at the moment.
I'm not too concerned about life lists or year lists, and generally don't keep track, but of the low 200 species I did manage in Ontario, and maybe another 100 or so out of Province (in 2017), I missed out on several "easy to find" species .. Not that they are common per-say, I just would normally see them a few times throughout the year - Cliff Swallow, Cave Swallow, Boreal Chickadee, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Redpolls, Lapland Longspur, King Eider, Sora, Eared Grebe, Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin to name but a few. Lets hope 2018 can fill those gaps, and maybe provide a few lifer birds. I have a Bucket List item - to see and preferably photograph all of the Warblers that can be found in the Eastern US. Of the 43 Warbler species, listed by OFO I am still waiting to find three species - Swainson's, Townshend's & Hermit Warblers and although not officially listed by OFO, the Lawrence's Warbler as well. Maybe 2018 is my year <fingers crossed> LOL
Here are some of the good and some of the not so good images from through the year ...
Over the next few months I was able to get out more often, and travel further afield, in search of subjects and opportunities.
Birding highlights of the year for me were generally the times I was able to leave the Province in search of "new blood" so to speak (lifer birds). First trip of the year was in early April - a week long trip to South East Arizona (near Tucson), that was very successful with photographs of several new species to add to that all-important life list. Highlights were Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, Grace's Warbler, Verdin and Yellow-eyed Junco. I think I was able to add 60 or new species to my list during the week. The big miss was a Red-faced Warbler, so this will be top of my list on the next trip to that area.
A few weeks later in early May, along with a friend, we headed over the border again (this time we drove) to an area south of Ohio and Shawnee State Forest which is just this side of the Kentucky border. We only spent a few days here, but boy they were good days ... The area was teaming with several great songbird species including Yellow-throated Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-eyed Vireo, Kentucky Warbler and Prairie Warblers. I missed out on decent photographs of the Worm-eating and the Chat, but hey gives me a good reason to head back in 2018. On the way north from Shawnee we stopped off for a few hours at Lake Hope. This area has a great reputation for being a Warbler hotspot but in the short time we were there it was a little quiet. We did, however, find and photograph a very cooperative Louisiana Waterthrush, so that made of for the Warbler shortfall (almost LOL)
After dropping off my birding "partner" near Toledo (some people have work to go to unfortunately) I headed to a spot I had been a few times to in previous years and is known as the Warbler Capital of the World .. a very grand title, but Magee Marsh has earned that title most deservedly. It is not unusual, over a period of a few days in early May, to accumulate a Warbler count of around 30 species and which doesn't include the other songbird species (Thrushes, Vireos, Tanagers etc). I spent a week here and my list was somewhat down from previous years but I still managed a good count of 24 Warblers. Birding is not limited to Magee - there are several locations in that same general area that can provide good birding days.. Two of my other favorite spots are Maumee Bay State Park & Oak Openings Metropark. I spent the better part of two days at Oak Openings and was able to see and photograph a few of my favorite birds including Summer Tanager, Lark Sparrow and Red-headed Woodpecker. I had hoped to find a local "specialty" but the Blue Grosbeak never made it to my memory card. On my 2018 trip this bird will definately be high on my list.
My next and last birding trip of the year, was a combined family vacation and birding trip, to visit family in the country I was born and lived for the first 35 years of my life. My wife and I arrived in late November to reasonably fine weather (not that common in SW Scotland at this time of year, I may add) and for the next 10 days there was almost no rain and most days sunny. Most days I headed out to a few different spots along the Nith Estuary and along the adjacent salt flats.It's not too often I get a life bird in the UK, but on this trip I did .. a Brambling - not that uncommon, but a species that has always eluded me in the past.
Throughout the year and along with a few friends at different times we managed a few 2-3 day trips to Algonquin, Bruce Peninsula and a few spots in and around Sunridge. The summer trips were generally in search of Warblers and songbirds and for the most part we had a good year. The highlight birds were Canada Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue and Green Warblers, Norther Parulas, Black & White Warblers and Nashville Warblers.
Locally I traveled to many of the local hotspots and I had some good days and unfortunately quite a few days that weren't too succesful. But like life in general I won't dwell on the bad days. Best birds that I had in my viewfinder were Brewsters Warbler up near Mulmar, a Golden-winged Warbler near Milton, a Dickcissal (a lifer for me) north of Toronto, a Canada Warbler in Flamborough and a Yellow-throated Vireo near Glen Morris.There was probably several other noteworthy captures but my old brain can't recall them at the moment.
I'm not too concerned about life lists or year lists, and generally don't keep track, but of the low 200 species I did manage in Ontario, and maybe another 100 or so out of Province (in 2017), I missed out on several "easy to find" species .. Not that they are common per-say, I just would normally see them a few times throughout the year - Cliff Swallow, Cave Swallow, Boreal Chickadee, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Redpolls, Lapland Longspur, King Eider, Sora, Eared Grebe, Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin to name but a few. Lets hope 2018 can fill those gaps, and maybe provide a few lifer birds. I have a Bucket List item - to see and preferably photograph all of the Warblers that can be found in the Eastern US. Of the 43 Warbler species, listed by OFO I am still waiting to find three species - Swainson's, Townshend's & Hermit Warblers and although not officially listed by OFO, the Lawrence's Warbler as well. Maybe 2018 is my year <fingers crossed> LOL
Here are some of the good and some of the not so good images from through the year ...