Kitchener Waterloo & Area Birding: Blog commentary on my, (Bill McDonald) birding and wildlife sightings & observations
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November 29th 2014

29/11/2014

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Saturday Morning - dull, with Sunny spells - Temp -4C (at 8:00am) 
Location: Sedgewick Forest in Oakville
Surprisingly quiet when I first arrived. The usual spots were empty- a few House Finches here & there but disappointing. I met a few birders hoping to see the reported Nashville & Tennessee Warbler that had been reported earlier in the week. After an hour or so, as the sun peaked through the clouds  there was a sudden burst of action, with White-throated and Song Sparrows, several Cardinals, a few Winter & House Wrens, but as the sun drifted behind the clouds again the activity faded with it. Other birders were able to tell me that they had seen both the Tennessee, a few Yellow-rumped, and the Nashville Warbler earlier, but they remained elusive. I was about to give up when I spotted a Winter Wren that every now and then would pop into the open, and then along came what I thought was a Tennessee, but after a forum request for ID, it turns out to be an Orange-crowned Warbler ... still good !!

November 15th 2014

PictureCouple of male House Finches
Just back from a family visit to Scotland on Thursday afternoon, and returned to wintry conditions - A fact emphasized by the Flight Captain when we pulled into the gate in Toronto as he sang " Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow" ... sadist! After checking local conditions I decided that a visit to Sedgewick Park in Oakville might be reasonably successful. Sedgewick has an interesting environment next to a Sewage Treatment plant that produces a food source for over-wintering & late travelers. It was a cool morning, and with good light not scheduled until after 10am, so I had a late start. Sightings were OK, with lots of Waxwings, Downy's, House Finches, Goldfinches, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Fox & White-throated Sparrows. A couple of friends that I met at this location mentioned that they had spotted Pine Siskins, but I missed them !!
On the way back  to KW I swung around by Woodland Cemetery in Hamilton to see if the well documented Eastern Screech Owl was in residence ... which he was - sitting in the same tree as he always seems to be. 

November 1st & 2nd 2014

PicturePileated Woodpecker
Saturday: November arrived with a blast of winter - Minus 1C when I headed out at 7:00am to head to Luther Marsh, just north of Fergus. Several Hundred Rusty Blackbirds had been sighted on Thursday on their southern migration, so thought that a few stragglers may still be around (I was wrong - none around). Anyways, I headed into the Conservation area to find that deer hunting season opened today and the park was full of high powered rifles, so I made sense to make a strategic withdrawal and basically call it a day. I did however spot a flock of Cedar Waxwings (pic below) on the north end of the marsh by the side of the road

Sunday: Still cold (-3C). Had planned to go to Hamilton to check out the local hotspots, but on a whim I headed to Riverside Park instead, which turned out pretty good as I came across a Pileated Woodpecker along the boardwalk. I've seen lots of these in the past, but always too far away to get any decent shots, but today lady luck was with me.

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    Pretty much all my life I have had an interest in nature photography albeit in, off and on, phases of interest. Around 13/14 years ago, I found myself, again, getting that nature bug, and I am now, especially since I retired just over 6 years ago, very passionate about  wildlife & wildlife photography.

    ​Enough about me ...             I hope that you enjoy my ramblings and the occasional  decent  image.

                       Bill McDonald

    “In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” 
    ― Robert Lynd
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