Monday 22 April 2013

Rarity round-up

Well it might be safe to say that spring migration has finally arrived in southern Ontario bringing with it some nice rarities in the past week. I'm happy to say I got in on it today with a really nice Worm-eating Warbler! A fine selection of other birds this past week in Ontario:

Little Blue Heron in Ottawa

Snowy Egret in Northumberland

Blue Grosbeak in Toronto and Windsor

Say's Phoebe in Toronto

Worm-eating Warbler in Point Pelee and Peterborough
-video by Simon Dodsworth:


White-eyed Vireo in Toronto, Rondeau, and Long Point (Pelee too?)


Swallow-tailed Kite in Pickering!!!

Chuck-will's-widow at Long Point

 "Oregon" Junco at Presqu'ile

Yellow-throated Warblers back at Rondeau

Fish Crow(s) back in Bronte

Continuing Western Grebe in Toronto

Avocets, Willet and Hudsonian Godwit...plus some freakishly early stuff and all sorts of other things I haven't mentioned!  Check out the eBird Ontario rare bird alert for much more!

That's a pretty nice week any way you slice it, and looking at the weather forecast it looks like the next week should be pretty good too, so what are you waiting for?

4 comments:

  1. Definitely a nice assortment of birds - haven't been able to find much around Guelph though...

    There was also an Oregon Junco in the Sault - nice male photographed! http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/saultbirds/message/235

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  2. I got a Brewer`s Blackbird in Brockville, but for some reason the post didn`t go through on Ontbirds. It has been submitted to Ebird though. I got recordings of it singing, but the wind wouldn`t die down enough to stop the reeds from moving to get a good picture with my ipod, let alone my hand from being buffeted.

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  3. Hi, thanks for linking to our Swallow-tailed Kite sighting, we (my husband and I) were pretty excited about seeing it! I also noticed on the Toronto e-bird alert it was spotted again about a half-hour after we saw it spiraling away. Nice to know others got to see it, too!
    Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus 1 Apr 22, 2013 14:30 Checklist 140 Chestnut crescent Map Toronto Ontario, Canada Maria Hayes
    The markings are very clear so it was fairly easy to identify. Confirmed by a colleague.

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  4. Dear Mike,

    I am not at all your average bird watcher, because of certain of life"s physical limitations,,, and a lifetime of sports,, and fractures.. But ever since, Old age and retirement has taught me the joys of gentle birdwatching..
    In 2011,an`irruption`` of Redpolls,,,, Now I am hooked,, and this year,,,they came to my little yard in HUGE NUMBERS.(1200).. How did they remember my address....To me it is like winning the lottery,,,
    I may not be able to identify birds,,, but after they left my soul was sad,,,, and then the little slate grey guys, dipped in cream came along...(junkos) I may never know the names of birds, but the poetic description,, stays forever in my memory,,,,
    The red-capped-like-leaves--dropping from the trees-- and their tweets.... will always be my common Redpolls ....as they fed on shelled sunflower.. what a delight.. Andree birds carbonari dubreuil on facebook..

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