Northern trip - boreal woodpeckers, Northern Hawk Owls galore

We were met with another cold and crisp morning, around -25 this time, as I recall, but with only a slight breeze meaning the windchill had trouble getting below -30. Downright balmy!

Todd and Mark left the hotel about half an hour before Jeremy and I, with a plan to meet up at the burn. We came across another Northern Hawk Owl as we backtracked from Longlac towards the burn. Our third of the trip - we couldn't believe our luck...

Northern Hawk Owl - east of Longlac, Thunder Bay District

No other wildlife species delayed us on the drive and by mid-morning the four of us set out on foot to explore the Hearst 4 burn.

Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

The snowpack was a good meter in depth but a warm spell in late February had melted enough of the snow that the surface was hard and crusty, making for easy walking. No snowshoes necessary!

Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

The Hearst 4 burn was active in the summer of 2016 and at its maximum size was approximately 475 hectares. The reason for our interest in exploring the burn was a pair of boreal woodpecker species, the American Three-toed Woodpecker and the Black-backed Woodpecker. These species often congregate in burned areas as recently killed trees attract high densities of bark beetles (Scolytinae) and wood-boring beetles (Cerambycidae and Buprestidae), a favored food source for these woodpeckers.

Woodpecker evidence - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

Woodpecker evidence - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

Within minutes of our arrival we had tracked down a Black-backed Woodpecker, flaking the bark off of a spruce. The irregular tapping which can be heard from a surprising distance in calm conditions is one of my favorite sounds of the boreal forest.

Black-backed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

It did not take long until I located the first American Three-toed Woodpecker of the trip, a female that was quite approachable as she busily fed. I called the other guys over who soaked in the views of this infrequently seen species. Jeremy in particular was happy to see one as it was one of the few missing boreal species he needed for his Ontario Big Year.

Not far from the first American Three-toed Woodpecker we came across some interesting tracks in the freshly fallen centimeter of snow that lay over the hard-crusted layer below. Mark figured that they belonged to a Fisher, the second largest Mustelid (weasel) species that can be found in Ontario. The largest of course being the Wolverine, a species that very few have seen in the wild in Ontario. Fishers are common in the boreal forest though rarely seen.

Fisher tracks - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

Our focus returned back to the woodpeckers, a rare opportunity for a bunch of southern Ontario boys. Black-backed Woodpeckers were incredibly abundant and quite confiding at times, though with the bright sunlight and abundance of small twigs and sticks on their favored trees, it was difficult obtaining a clear photo! Even though the weather would have us feeling otherwise, evidently the woodpeckers felt that spring was imminent and territorial drumming and rattling calls provided the soundtrack to the morning.

Black-backed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

Black-backed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

 One big highlight for me was watching a pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers feeding within sight of each other, only a few meters from where I was standing. Eventually the male called and took to the air to find a new tree, and she was not far behind him. But first she landed on a snag less than one meter from my face, curiously looking me over for well over a minute.

Mark exploring the Hearst 4 burn, Cochrane District

Later in the morning, Mark, Todd and I came across a pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers feeding low on some trees, providing a great opportunity for us to study and photograph them. Like the Black-backeds, these individuals were incredibly tolerant of our approach; gorging themselves was a bigger priority for them.

American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

 American Three-toed Woodpeckers, while superficially similar in appearance to Black-backed Woodpecker, actually appear quite different when one has a good look at one. The main difference that everyone cites is the white-marked back on the American Three-toed (can you guess what color back a Black-backed Woodpecker has?). American Three-toed Woodpeckers are also noticeably smaller and squatter, with a slightly shorter bill. I find that they appear more black and white in general, while Black-backed Woodpeckers have a bit more of a blueish sheen to their plumage.

American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

Mark (left) and Todd (right) watching the American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

These next two photos were my favorite of the bunch because of the visible explosions of wood chips.

American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

American Three-toed Woodpecker - Hearst 4 Burn, Cochrane District

Soon it was time to leave as we were thoroughly satisfied with our experience at the burn and other sites beckoned. A Boreal Chickadee came by to check us out as we were walking out to the cars, another new bird for our trip.

Not long after leaving the burn, our progress down Highway 11 was halted with the sighting of yet another Northern Hawk Owl, our fourth in 24 hours. This is a species that I never tire of!

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

This bird was actively hunting while we watched. I was fortunate to have my camera ready when it locked in on a target and dropped from the peak of the spruce.

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

Eventually the Northern Hawk Owl flew a few dozen meters into the treeline, alighting on a branch deep in the forest. I have always associated this species with perching on conspicuous locations such as at the top of a spruce or on a utility post. It seemed a little foreign to observe one acting like a Barred Owl.

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

The owl paid us no mind and went about its business, listening and acutely aware of the slightest scurryings on the forest floor. It flew directly over our heads on occasion to switch perches. Jeremy and I were just blown away by this bird.

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

We continued driving east, birding along the way. We were hoping for Great Gray Owls but it was not to be, despite checking some good looking fields in the area. This Northern Shrike near Mattice was great to watch, however.

Northern Shrike - Mattice, Cochrane District

Yet another Northern Hawk Owl made an appearance, though this was one of the repeat birds from the previous day.

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Opasatika, Cochrane District

The rest of the day was relatively slow - mostly we were just trying to put kilometers behind us on Highway 11. We spent an hour around dusk north of Cochrane checking some fields, though some Ruffed Grouse were some of the only birds we noticed. Instead of staying the night in Cochrane we decided to keep driving, pulling into New Liskeard several hours later to share a hotel room with Mark and Todd.

The following day Jeremy and I finished the drive home, skipping out on birding in Algonquin so that we could beat rush hour traffic in Toronto. Let's be honest, after all of the excitement of Northern Hawk Owls, boreal woodpeckers, and all the other highlights of the trip, the prospect of a couple of hours along Highway 60 in Algonquin just did not have the same appeal.

It was a great trip with three great guys - thanks to Jeremy, Todd and Mark for joining me. I can't wait til my next trip to the boreal forest.

From left to right: Jeremy, Josh, Mark, and Todd - Opasatika, Cochrane District (photo taken by Jeremy Bensette's camera)

Northern trip - Owl and mammal encounters

After our extended redpoll photo session at Hilliardton Marsh the four of us hopped back into our vehicles to start driving northwest towards Cochrane and beyond. We weren't sure how far we would make it that night, perhaps we would be arriving at the burn near Hearst in the late afternoon, or it might be something we would postpone until the following morning.

It was another beautiful day - sunny with not a cloud in the sky - though the temperature hovered around the -20 mark. We kept an eye out of the truck windows while we drove, in hopes of seeing birds, but as expected very little was around. It is a poor winter for finches in this part of Ontario, and large swathes of the boreal forest can be practically devoid of birds during the winter. We had hoped to see a Northern Hawk Owl or two as higher than usual numbers had been reported along Highway 11, but it was not to be.

After gassing up and grabbing a few groceries in Cochrane, Jeremy and I drove north to investigate some agricultural fields, while Todd and Mark headed northeast from Cochrane, checking a few other roads. It was here that I had one of the most memorable mammal experiences that I have ever had. We approached a dead end road and decided to turn onto a different road, when at the last second decided that we might as well drive to the end of the dead end road anyways. You never know what could be down there! Just as Jeremy was backing the truck up, a white flash appeared on the shoulder of the road. Jeremy let out some choice words just as I saw what was happening. A Short-tailed Weasel was trotting alongside the shoulder of the road right towards us!!

What happened next was seemingly unreal, and though the entire encounter lasted about 30 seconds, it felt like it was ten times as long. The weasel quickly dove into the roadside snowbank and pulled out a vole, which I think is a Meadow Vole. In a matter of seconds it had pierced the back of the skull, swiftly killing the vole, then took off running along the roadside and into a nearby field, proudly carrying its prey. A few seconds later and it had ducked into a hole along the side of a snow pile.

Short-tailed Weasel and vole sp. - north of Cochrane

Short-tailed Weasel and vole sp. - north of Cochrane

Short-tailed Weasel and vole sp. - north of Cochrane

Short-tailed Weasel and vole sp. - north of Cochrane

Jeremy and I were in shock! This was only the second Short-tailed Weasel that I had ever seen (I think Jeremy had seen two previously), and to not only see it well but to watch it hunt was pretty incredible.

We continued on, getting back on Highway 11 and driving west towards Hearst. Most towns were pretty quiet, bird wise, but wherever we found bird feeders we also discovered small numbers of Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls. Interestingly, the redpolls were mostly Common Redpolls, while at Hilliardton Marsh Hoary Redpoll was the dominant species.

Pine Grosbeak - Moonbeam, Cochrane District

Pine Grosbeak - Moonbeam, Cochrane District

To this point we were kind of surprised that we had not encountered any Northern Hawk Owls, given how many had been reported during the last month. Our luck finally changed near the town of Opasatika as Todd and Mark, driving ahead of us, had spotted one from the highway.

Northern Hawk Owl - east of Opasatika, Cochrane District

Originally the bird was quite distant on the edge of a wetland and just when I was about to look at it through the scope it dropped off its snag and disappeared. Ten seconds later, a black and white, falcon-shaped bird came streaking in, flying directly at us, and came up for a landing on a nearby utility pole. It was the hawk owl! The lighting was terrible where I was standing, but Jeremy managed to grab some great in-flight shots!

A few seconds later the owl re-positioned, landing on the top of a conifer. We enjoyed the few minutes here with the owl before it continued on to a more distant perch at the edge of the marsh. Just incredible!

Northern Hawk Owl - east of Opasatika, Cochrane District

Northern Hawk Owl - east of Opasatika, Cochrane District

Northern Hawk Owl - east of Opasatika, Cochrane District

The flood gates had been opened and only fifteen minutes later Jeremy and I came across another Northern Hawk Owl. Mark and Todd showed up a few minutes later to enjoy this bird as well.

Watching the Northern Hawk Owl (can you spot it?)

Northern Hawk Owl - west of Opasatika, Cochrane District

We were making good time and so decided that we would continue driving west past Hearst towards Longlac to spend the night. The time of day was perfect for owls, though no more would make an appearance for us.

At one point as I was staring diligently out of the window I was shocked to see a Gray Wolf standing in the snow. We quickly turned the truck around; luckily the wolf had remained.

Gray Wolf - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

I've seen occasional Gray Wolves in northern Ontario over the years while doing field work but this was the first one that hung around long enough for good looks and photos. A great way to end the day!

Gray Wolf - west of Hearst, Cochrane District

The following morning we would begin heading back east, stopping at the burn to look for woodpeckers. That will be subject of the next post!

Northern trip - redpolls, redpolls and more redpolls

Friday morning saw Jeremy and I heading north after a quick stop at Port Dalhousie to look for Fish Crows. We saw two crows cross the road in front of our car, and heard what sounded like a single note of a Fish Crow a few minutes later coming from the general area where the crows appeared to be heading, but that was all we would get!

Most of the day was spent driving and as the hours went by the thermometer in Jeremy's truck consistently dropped, one degree at a time. By mid afternoon we had made it to Hilliardton Marsh, located in Timiskaming District and north of New Liskeard (now known as Temiskaming Shores). I have always found it interesting how there are three different spellings in this part of the world: Timiskaming District, Temiskaming Shores, and the town of Temiscaming, located south of here on the Quebec side.

Our plan was to meet up with Todd Hagedorn and Mark Dorriesfield at some point during this trip as they had also driven up in Todd's car. As we approached Hilliardton we noticed two birders leaving the marsh, and were pleasantly surprised to see it was Todd and Mark, bundled up to stave off the -20 degree weather.

Redpolls - Hilliardton Marsh

The four of us returned to the feeders which were occupied by a decent number of redpolls. Historically, redpolls have been treated as three species; two found in both North America and Eurasia (Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll), with an additional species (Lesser Redpoll) limited to Europe. However recent research suggests that each of the three types really aren't that different genetically, which suggests that there is quite a bit of gene flow between the three "species". It seems like only a matter of time until the redpolls are "lumped" back together, but until then birders can enjoy arbitrarily placing birds they see into Hoary, Lesser or Common boxes!

Is this a Hoary or a Common Redpoll? - Hilliardton Marsh, Timiskaming District

We studied the redpolls for about an hour, but it was getting late in the day and the numbers of birds began dropping off. Our plan was to return in the morning for an extended photoshoot. At any rate, we did see a handful of clear cut Hoary examples, so Jeremy could rest easy with his big year :)

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

We spent an hour or so right around sunset cruising some agricultural areas with hopes of crossing paths with a Great Gray Owl but were not in luck. A few Ruffed Grouse just after sunset ended up being the last birds of the day.

Our accommodations in Hilliardton

In the morning we left the warm confines of our accommodations (thanks Bruce!) and braved the -28 weather, which coupled with the wind chill left it feeling about -36 degrees Celsius. We ventured back to the marsh and enjoyed studying the redpolls.

Jeremy Bensette (left) and Mark Dorriesfield at Hilliardton Marsh

Todd Hagedorn at Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary-looking birds are usually quite rare in southern Ontario, with single individuals usually found scattered among the more numerous Common Redpolls, though some winters sees a bigger influx of them. However in northern Ontario Hoary Redpolls are much easier to come by. During some winters redpolls are quite common in the province, and in other years they are virtually absent. This winter, while not one of the extremes, trended towards a poor year for redpolls, but you wouldn't know that based on the activity at Hilliardton Marsh. Below are some of the individuals that fall on the Hoary side of the spectrum.

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpolls are best identified using a suite of characteristics and many individuals are best left unidentified. In general, Hoary Redpolls are a frostier white colour with limited streaking, particularly on the flanks, undertail coverts and rump. Hoary Redpolls often show extensive white along the edges of the flight feathers and coverts, adding to their frosty appearance. The red "poll" on the top of their head is usually smaller than in Common Redpoll, and the bill often appears more pushed in due to the presence of feathers draped over the base of the bill. I haven't really found the last feature to be that obvious in the field, and slight changes in the angle makes the bill's projection appear drastically different. Males have much reduced red on the breast while a male Common Redpoll shows extensive red colour on the breast and even down towards the flanks.

Hoary Redpolls - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpolls - Hilliardton Marsh

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

A few birds were classic Common Redpolls as well, such as the individuals below. Compared to Hoary, Common Redpoll is generally much darker and streakier.

Common Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

The two redpolls on the left hand side of this image are male Common Redpolls, showing the extensive red on the breast.

And a few images of some intermediate looking redpolls.

Redpoll sp. - Hilliardton Marsh

Common Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

Redpoll sp. - Hilliardton Marsh

Redpoll sp. - Hilliardton Marsh

There were few other birds at the feeders, though we did see a couple of Evening Grosbeaks as they flew over.

Evening Grosbeaks - Hilliardton Marsh

Two American Tree Sparrows were also hanging tough, frequently visiting the feeders. This is right around the northern limit of this species' winter distribution.

American Tree Sparrows - Hilliardton Marsh

This redpoll appeared to be a little larger than the other Hoaries and had very minimal streaking, causing us to think that it may be a member of the Hornemann's subspecies, which breeds in Greenland. It is difficult to say, however.

Hoary Redpoll - Hilliardton Marsh

We finished up at Hilliardton by mid-morning on the Saturday and began the long trek north towards Cochrane and west to Hearst, but that will have to be the subject of the next post!

Northern Ontario road trip!

Two days ago, Jeremy Bensette and I decided to drive north for a few hours until we reached the boreal forest. Todd Hagedorn and Mark Dorriesfield met up with us in New Liskeard, and in the day and a half since we have traveled north and then west to Longlac, Ontario. I don't have time right now for a full post, but here are a few "teaser" photos from yesterday! I will write a full report at some point once we return.

This morning we will be checking out a large burn near Hearst with hopes of finding Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers. Should be fun!!