2018 has come and gone - where did the time go? Below are some of my highlights of the year from a naturalist's perspective.
January/February
Most of January and was spent in Ontario and I stayed close to home for many of my excursions. A pair of Ross's Geese were a new one for my Niagara list, while I also twitched the Lincoln's Sparrows that Reuven Martin had found in Mississauga, a good winter record. In late January, Laura and I escaped winter for a few weeks, traveling south to Guyana and Trinidad/Tobago for our honeymoon. This trip was probably the highlight of the whole year for me; being immersed in nature and being able to share it all with Laura.
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| American Wigeon - Fort Erie, Niagara Region |
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| Lincoln's Sparrow - Missisauga, Peel Region |
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| Ross's Geese - Grimsby, Niagara Region |
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| Giant Anteater - Rupununi savanna, Guyana |
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| Black Nunbird - Rupununi savanna, Guyana |
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| Sunbittern - Karanambu River, Guyana |
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| Jabiru - Karanambu River, Guyana |
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| Lined Ground Snake - Annai, Guyana |
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| Racket-tailed Coquette - Atta Lodge, Guyana |
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| Black Currasow - Atta Lodge, Guyana |
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| White Witch - Atta Lodge, Guyana |
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| Scarlet Macaws - Atta Lodge, Guyana |
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| Highway near Atta Lodge, Guyana |
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| Spectacled Owl - Atta Lodge, Guyana |
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| Dainty Blind Snake - Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
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| Yellow-headed Poison Frog - Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
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| Aesculapian False Coral Snake - Surama Ecolodge, Guyana |
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| Wattled Jacana - Georgetown, Guyana |
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| White-bellied Piculet - Georgetown, Guyana |
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| Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock - Georgetown, Guyana |
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| Laura and I at Kaieteur Falls, Guyana |
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| Hyalinobatrachium orientale - Cuffie River, Tobago |
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| Scarlet Ibis - Caroni Swamp, Trinidad |
March
As March progressed winter slowly released its icy grip on the local landscape in Niagara. I focused my efforts on a number of local spots, especially Port Weller where new migrants filtered through. Marcie Jacklin discovered a Eurasian Wigeon near Stevensville, which cooperated on each of my visits to search for it. A highlight for many Ontario birders was a presumed wild Barnacle Geese that spent a few days with a flock of migrant Canada Geese near Schomberg, my first new species for my Ontario list that I added in 2018. At the end of March I enjoyed a productive weekend in the Point Pelee area where a flood of spring migrants had arrived.
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| Greater White-fronted Goose - near Port Colborne, Niagara Region |
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| Coyote - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Eastern Screech-Owl - near Port Colborne, Niagara Region |
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| Red-tailed Hawk - Niagara Falls, Niagara Region |
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| Eurasian Wigeon - Stevensville, Niagara Region |
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| Barnacle Goose - Schomberg, York Region |
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| Red-tailed Hawk - near Ridgetown, Chatham-Kent |
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| Greater Yellowlegs - Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, Essex County |
April
April was a busy month as spring progressed. Every outing seemed to turn up something new, whether it was another newly arriving bird species, a wildflower appearing, or a frog species calling for the first time of the year. My efforts at Port Weller paid off with several good finds and new additions, including a Common Gallinule on April 20, Virginia Rail and Common Raven on April 23, Fish Crow on April 25 and Snowy Owl on April 27. During the last few days of the month I returned to Point Pelee and area with Todd Hagedorn. Despite the cold weather many new migrants were seen, including a flock of 56 Willets, as well as some herps including a pair of mating Blanding's Turtles at Hillman Marsh.
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| Northern Cardinal - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Red-throated Loon - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Golden-crowned Kinglet - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Eastern Cottontail - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Belted Kingfisher - Niagara Shores CA, Niagara Region |
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| Savannah Sparrow - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Snowy Owl - Port Weller, Niagara Region |
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| Laura and I exploring the Wainfleet Bog, Niagara Region |
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| Willets - Wheatley Harbour, Chatham-Kent |
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| Hermit Thrush - Point Pelee National Park, Essex County |
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| Black-and-white Warbler - Point Pelee National Park, Essex County |
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| Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Point Pelee National Park, Essex County |
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| Horned Grebe - Point Pelee National Park, Essex County |
The remaining months of the year will be covered in Parts 2 and 3.
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