Saturday, August 07, 2010

Today's Impromptu/Summer Series of Birding Trip to Ile Bizard

Three birders met for our "fill-in" Summer Series of Birding Trip to Ile Bizard Nature Park today. We were greeted with cool and pleasant morning temperatures of 13 - 18C and bright sunny skies.

A leisurely stroll on the boardwalk and later out to the point produced very few songbirds but marsh birds and raptors were cooperative. Bird of the day was a least bittern within four feet of the boardwalk which seemed oblivious to the gathering of photographers it had attracted and were happily snapping away. Either that or it was doing its best Lindsay Lohan impersonation posing for the cameras while trying to look bored. (See below). Runners-up in the bird of the day category were a Virginia Rail at close range with black chicks in tow.

our list of 43 species included: Wood Duck - 5, American Black Duck - 1, Mallard - 25, Pied-billed Grebe - 4, Least Bittern - 1, Great Blue Heron - 4, Green Heron - 7, Sharp-shinned hawk - 1, Cooper's hawk - 1, Merlin - 2, Virginia Rail - 1 adult + 2 or 3 young, Common Moorhen - 10, Spotted Sandpiper - 1, Least Sandpiper - 2, Ring-billed Gull - 24, Great Black-backed Gull - 3, Common Tern - 5, Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1, Belted Kingfisher - 3, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 2, Northern Flicker - 2, Eastern Kingbird - 4, Red-eyed Vireo - 3, Blue Jay - 2, American Crow - 6, Purple Martin - 5, Tree Swallow - 2, Bank Swallow - 1, Barn Swallow - 6, Black-capped Chickadee - 12, House Wren - 1, Marsh Wren - 1, American Robin - 30, Gray Catbird - 6, Cedar Waxwing - 2, Yellow Warbler - 1, American Redstart - 2, Song Sparrow - 2, Swamp Sparrow - 1, Northern Cardinal - 1, Red-winged Blackbird - 1, Common Grackle - 6, American Goldfinch - 12

Sidebar: What do you call a group of well behaved bird photographers? In a look back at the good old days I'm going to nominate "a film of photagraphers." Any other suggestions? - Wayne

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