April 25th 2023
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Cool again, but some sun |
Almost every day now we see a new arrival .. almost anyways. Today my new First of Season (FOS) was the Northern Waterthrush that I found on Beke Road. It was just after 7:00am so the light was fierce and so I wasn't overly happy with the photo result, but very happy finding this beauty.
Tip of the Day: Now that migration is under way there are lots of birds hanging around, but to be able to capture them appropriately you have to use a few tricks to get them where you want them (they don't read your mind). a) I personally use Merlin to recognize that a certain species is in the area, then b) look for a spot nearby that would work in a photo. Next c) use a bird call of that species to draw them in, and hopefully land on a perch you have pre-chosen. Good luck, but do not overdo the calls ...it can be stressful for the birds
April 23rd 2023
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Sun and cloud, but cool |
Nice to get out today - the winds were light, the light was good, but it was a little cool. My targets today were to see if I could find some songbirds, and it ended up being pretty good, with 3 Warbler species (Pine, Palm and Yellow-rumped), and as a bonus I also spotted a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 3 of the 4 of these were First of Season, so I was pretty happy.
April 19th 2023
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Mainly cloudy and chilly (+4C) |
 Vesper Sparrow | Not a bad morning, other than it starting off at -1C - In fact I was quite surprised that the birds were reasonably active. I took a run around the usual spots in or close to North Dumfries .. including the Grass Lake area, which was a little quiet, with only the one sighting of a a Savannah Sparrow and no sightings at all of the Eastern Meadowlarks. On the plus side I was hearing a Virginia Rail out in the swamp, and an Osprey was hanging out on the nesting platform ... Quite a few Blue Herons sitting around alongside small creeks at a few different spots. Highlight of the day was the number of Sparrow species that I either heard or saw .. incl Swamp, Song, Vesper, Field, Chipping, Savannah, White-throated and of course the House Sparrow |
April 17th 2023
| LOCATION: In and around Guelph Line | WEATHER: Much cooler - mainly cloudy |
Nice to get out withy Steve today .. it had been a while.
We started off at Robertson, but other than the Pine Warbler it was quite uneventful, with none of the ones we had anticipated - we had hoped for Kinglets, maybe a Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and maybe a Towhee, but ... nada !!
On the way home I cruised a back road or two and found the Pileated ... so it ended up being a bit of a saver.
We started off at Robertson, but other than the Pine Warbler it was quite uneventful, with none of the ones we had anticipated - we had hoped for Kinglets, maybe a Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and maybe a Towhee, but ... nada !!
On the way home I cruised a back road or two and found the Pileated ... so it ended up being a bit of a saver.
April 16th 2023
| LOCATION: Around Ayr | WEATHER: Sun and a little cloud, and hot |
I started off going along Reidsville Road, which has good marshy habitat at different spots and I spotted a few birds as below, and also per Merlin a few others too ... including Pine Warbler.
April 14th - 15th 2023
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Unseasonably hot !! |
Spent an hour or two both days in and around Grass Lake.
Day1: It was a Sparrow kind of day - with good sightings of Song, Field and Chipping Sparrows along the side of the road. I had hoped for maybe a Vesper, but no such luck.
Day2: The Savannah Sparrows were out in force - I saw at least 8 along the side of the road. Unfortunately the Eastern Meadowlarks were keeping a low profile - I never saw one, but Merlin did pick up a couple. It was also the first day I saw an Osprey back on their usual nesting spot
Day1: It was a Sparrow kind of day - with good sightings of Song, Field and Chipping Sparrows along the side of the road. I had hoped for maybe a Vesper, but no such luck.
Day2: The Savannah Sparrows were out in force - I saw at least 8 along the side of the road. Unfortunately the Eastern Meadowlarks were keeping a low profile - I never saw one, but Merlin did pick up a couple. It was also the first day I saw an Osprey back on their usual nesting spot
April 13th 2023
| LOCATION: Puslinch Lake area | WEATHER: Sunny and very warm |
A short drive around the Puslinch area was marginally successful. The Pine Warbler situation is every expanding with lots of calls and related sightings. I had a Yellow-rumped call on Merlin, but it didn't show, even with a bird call encourager. Oh well the nature of the beast I suppose. The White -throated Sparrow was a nice find ...
April 12th 2023
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Sunny and getting even warmer |
As the weather improves, the influx of migrants heading north also gets better. Today I was delighted to photograph my first Warbler of the year .. a Pine Warbler. Over the years I generally see one a bit earlier than this (usually the first week of April for me)
Using Merlin I was pleased to pick up the calls of several other species (but never managed a photo) ... Catbird, Vesper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Phoebe, and a couple of others.
Using Merlin I was pleased to pick up the calls of several other species (but never managed a photo) ... Catbird, Vesper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Phoebe, and a couple of others.
April 10th & 11th 2023
| LOCATION: Guelph area | WEATHER: Sunny and getting warmer |
| Over the last few days a fair sized flock of Waxwings have been foraging on the the crab apples around the University of Guelph campus ... Both Bohemian Waxwings and Cedar Waxwings, but mainly Bohemian. |  Cedar & Bohemian Waxwings |
March 26th - April 8th 2023
| LOCATION: SW Scotland | WEATHER: Some rain and some sun |
A few of the images I managed during my trip to UK for a family wedding
