Netitishi Day 5

Introductory Post
Day 1 and 2 - October 24 and 25, 2013
Day 3 and 4 - October 26 and 27, 2013
Day 5 - October 28, 2013
Day 6 - October 29, 2013
Day 7 - October 30, 2013
Day 8 - October 31, 2013
Day 9 - November 1, 2013
Day 10 and 11 - November 2 and 3, 2013

October 28, 2013
Weather: between -2 and -10, mostly overcast with no precipitation, winds NW to WSW, 30-60 km/h
38 species
Ebird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15555925

We finally received the winds we were hoping for! The wind began in the morning out of the NW at a moderate strength and continued to increase in velocity throughout the day, shifting more to the WSW. Northwest winds have a history of producing good birds at Netitishi, and the only bird of the trip that was rare enough to require documentation to the Ontario Bird Record Committee was seen on this day!

First off, here is a photo of Alan seawatching by the coast. This photo was actually taken on the 26th, during a nice calm warm day.

Alan looking for shorebirds

With the winds a-howlin' though today, sitting out in the open like that simply wasn't possible and so we nestled back further in the spruces, partially sheltered by the wind. Alan took it upon himself to begin construction of a new wind shelter.

With the northwest winds, the waterfowl were flying and a good variety was seen. We had 4 new waterfowl species for the trip list - American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, and the highlight - a Harlequin Duck!

Alan first spotted the bird as it cruised by heading the wrong way (east to west) right at the tide line. It was a sub-adult male, and I decided to forgo attempting shitty record shots of the bird in favour of zooming in to 60x with my scope and having a nice, satisfying look. 15 seconds later, the bird was gone, out of view to the west. Things happen quickly at Netitishi.

There are three previous records of Harlequin Duck for Cochrane District, though two of those were birds that Alan and I saw on last year's trip. Interestingly enough, both of those birds were also flying by at very close range. One bird nearly flew right into the shelter! We could have had Harlequin Duck for dinner.

Other waterbird highlights for today included 700 Mallards, 1100 Northern Pintails, 400 American Black Ducks, 1500 Brants, a Purple Sandpiper, and 2 Hudsonian Godwits.

Last year around the same time, we had similar conditions which instigated a gigantic waterbird flight. It was the most exciting day I have spent sea or lake-watching ever, and this is what we saw.We hardly left the coast for even a coffee break, instead staring through our scopes from dawn til dusk (For those of you not inclined to click the link, we had 24,100 Brant, 6,600 Northern Pintail, and huge numbers of other ducks. Oh yeah, and a fulmar).

So while the waterbird flight was the best we had seen all trip, it was a far cry from the goodies of yesteryear. Maybe most of the waterfowl had already left? Maybe the conditions were such that waterbirds were leaving the bay gradually this year, and not in one big push like last year?

The big story of the day was one little Red Fox that appeared while we were sitting there, scanning the coast.

Red Fox - Netitishi Point

On the 2011 autumn Netitishi trip, the crew befriended and over the coarse of a few days tamed a Red Fox. Foxy was nowhere to be seen during our trip last year, but this year Foxy (or Foxy II) was around! Many more photos to come, but here is a teaser...

Red Fox - Netitishi Point

Netitishi days 3 and 4

Introductory Post
Day 1 and 2 - October 24 and 25, 2013
Day 3 and 4 - October 26 and 27, 2013
Day 5 - October 28, 2013
Day 6 - October 29, 2013
Day 7 - October 30, 2013
Day 8 - October 31, 2013
Day 9 - November 1, 2013
Day 10 and 11 - November 2 and 3, 2013

October 26, 2013
Weather: between -4 and 1, sun and clouds + scattered snow squalls, winds ESE to NE 10-20 km/h
43 species
Ebird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15555677

Our third day on the coast started cold and sunny, but as the day wore on the temperatures increased and the wind shifted to the northeast, promoting a big Rough-legged Hawk flight. They began by mid-morning flying way out over the bay, but by noon the hawks were streaming overhead, including several kettles of birds numbering up to 15.

Rough-legged Hawks - Netitishi Point

We ended up with 83 for the day, a really high count, especially when you consider that no other species of migrating raptors were seen that day!

Rough-legged Hawk - Netitishi Point

Some of the specialty northern birds that people often visit Algonquin to see were the most common species around the cabins. These included Gray Jays, Boreal Chickadees, White-winged Crossbills, and Spruce Grouse. We ended up seeing Spruce Grouse almost daily, including this male that was sitting in a spruce tree near the wind shelter.

Spruce Grouse - Netitishi Point

It was a warm afternoon so I walked in the woods near the cabins, looking for songbirds. Throughout the walk I saw several species that may have been "reverse migrants" from the southwest winds we had experienced over the previous few days, including a group of Dark-eyed Juncos, a White-throated Sparrow, and some American Robins. A Brown Creeper exploring some of the largest spruces may be a bird that overwinters at Netitishi, since they have been seen regularly here late into the autumn.

Shorebirds included 16 Pectoral Sandpipers and a Semipalmated Sandpiper with a bad leg - record late for southern James Bay. Normally this species is mostly gone from even southern Ontario by early October. A group of 4 Black-bellied Plovers were also on the flats.

Black-bellied Plover - Netitishi Point

Seawatching was mostly a bust again, despite the winds shifting to the northeast for the afternoon. Our only Surf Scoter of the trip flew by, but even Brant and Long-tailed Duck were in reduced numbers. Some gulls lingered on the mudflats but few were flying by, with highlights being our only Iceland Gull of the trip and a juvenile Glaucous. We added 11 new birds to the trip list, bringing it up to 60.

October 27, 2013
Weather: between 0 and -5, mostly overcast with scattered snow squalls and heavy snow at dusk, winds SW 5-10 km/h 
35 species
Ebird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15555798 

By this point of the trip I was beginning to be really frustrated in the weather. The winds continued to lack a northerly component and we had a fourth day in a row with rather unexciting waterbird highlights. However, we did have a flock of 11 very vocal Snow Geese flying overhead first thing in the morning, a species that is never really common this time of year at Netitishi.

Alan looking (unsuccessfully) for waterbirds

One of the most interesting birds of the day was an adult American Golden-plover in alternate plumage in the grassy meadows east of the point. This is another species that should be gone by now, especially an adult bird as juveniles are the age class to migrate last in the autumn. If you click on the photos to see them full size you may see why this bird is hanging on this late into October...

American Golden-Plover - Netitishi Point

American Golden-Plover - Netitishi Point

One of the highlights for me was finding a Golden Eagle traveling slowly eastward over the tide line in the afternoon. It was a juvenile bird and the first one that I had ever seen in northern Ontario.

Later in the afternoon, as Alan and I cut through the ridge of spruces on the way back from the meadow, we stumbled upon a group of Boreal Chickadees. This species is often considered quite secretive, but I think that is more due to their nature of clinging to the depths of the spruce bogs. When you are in the realm of the Boreal Chickaee, they can actually be quite inquisitive at times, such as these birds which came as close as a few meters from us!

Boreal Chickadee - Netitishi Point

Boreal Chickadee - Netitishi Point

We also discovered an interesting peep that was with the group of Dunlin on the mudflats. It appeared to be a Semipalmated Sandpiper, albeit one with a very small, thin bill. Unfortunately though everything else about this bird makes it appear to be a fairly typical juvenile/1st winter Semipalmated Sandpiper, unlike the hoped for Little Stint! This bird smashed the record late date for this species by one day, previously set on October 26, 2013.

Semipalmated Sandpiper - Netitishi Point

Semipalmated Sandpiper - Netitishi Point

That evening the snow began and by dusk several inches were covering the ground. Just a typical mid October snowstorm...

cabins at Netitishi Point

Each day of the trip had continued to be interesting with several highlights along the way, and there was still a full week left to find some really rare birds!

Netitishi Days 1 and 2

Introductory Post
Day 1 and 2 - October 24 and 25, 2013
Day 3 and 4 - October 26 and 27, 2013
Day 5 - October 28, 2013
Day 6 - October 29, 2013
Day 7 - October 30, 2013
Day 8 - October 31, 2013
Day 9 - November 1, 2013
Day 10 and 11 - November 2 and 3, 2013

October 24, 2013
Weather: between -3 and 3 Celsius, overcast with brief periods of sun, winds WNW 20-40 km/h.
37 species
Ebird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15555364

We were finally able to get out of the coast after being stuck in Moosonee for two extra nights. There was just enough of a break in the weather for us to fly, and by mid morning we were on the coast for the first time in a year.

After setting up camp, we headed to the coast and watched a decent flight of waterbirds including 3500 Brant, Long-tailed Ducks, scoters, several puddle ducks, and one relatively rare bird in a Horned Grebe. Out of the several thousand Dunlin, we also saw several Black-bellied Plovers including an adult in mostly full breeding plumage!

Black-bellied Plover - Netitishi Point

It certainly continued to feel like the autumn of the Pectoral, as we saw several juveniles out near the creek west of the point ("the lagoon"). I had previously seen Pectorals on several of my stops on the drive to Cochrane, and we had seen some in Moosonee as well.

Pectoral Sandpiper - Netitishi Point

Our first Thayer's Gull was seen, and I also had an interesting gull flying west along the shore. It had the right mantle shade for a California Gull (slightly darker than the nearby Ring-billed Gulls) and appeared the right size. I thought I could see red on the bill but wasn't sure, and the bird was soon to the west and out of view. Hard to say for sure what it was!

We finished before dusk, made up camp and cooked a sphaghetti dinner on the one-burner. We were excited for our first full day of seawatching...

October 25, 2013
Weather: between 3 and -4 Celsius, mostly overcast with several snow flurries, winds WNW to SW 10-30 km/h.
Ebird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15555539

The wind was still southwest, preventing ducks from migrating past, visible from Netitishi. Numbers of waterbirds were disappointing, but we did have several interesting birds including a juvenile Goshawk soaring overhead. We ended up seeing the goshawk almost daily throughout the course of the trip, sometimes at very close range. Most of the looks were brief, of a big brown and white bird flying past us into a stand of spruce trees chasing a bird.

Northern Goshawk - Netitishi Point

At one point we noticed a dark bird flapping along way out over the bay. It took us a few seconds to figure out what it was, but it was finally obvious that it was a Short-eared Owl, flying with a distinctive, erratic flight. This was the first one I had ever seen in Cochrane District.

I chased some Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, and Dunlins around in the afternoon at the lagoon.

Sanderling - Netitishi Point

Another interesting sighting was watching a Northern Shrike and Red Squirrel interact. The squirrel was on the ground, and the Shrike was only a few feet above it, sitting in a tree. Every time that the squirrel moved, the shrike would follow. It almost seemed like it was playing a game with it, but there was probably a reason for the behavior.

That night, two Great Horned Owls were hooting in the woods near the cabins as we sat around the campfire while the temperature dropped. It had been a good two days, even without any rarities. There were still 9 days in the trip left!

Back from Netitishi point - 2013 edition!

Introductory Post
Day 1 and 2 - October 24 and 25, 2013
Day 3 and 4 - October 26 and 27, 2013
Day 5 - October 28, 2013
Day 6 - October 29, 2013
Day 7 - October 30, 2013
Day 8 - October 31, 2013
Day 9 - November 1, 2013
Day 10 and 11 - November 2 and 3, 2013

This afternoon our helicopter arrived right on time, and within an hour we were at the hotel room. It always is a bit of a surprise to return back to civilization, to eat non-camp food, to see other people, and to not have to build a fire if you need to warm up.I must admit, it is kind of nice to be sitting here in the warmth of the motel room, but it won't be long until I will be missing the northern woods and James Bay coast. But anyways, on to the sightings!

Unlike last year where we seemed to hit the jackpot with rarities, this trip was a bit of a letdown. Additionally, numbers of migrating waterbirds were way down compared to last year, apparently with many species having already migrated through. However, as is always the case for Netitishi Point, we had some noteworthy sightings!

Townsend's Solitaire - October 31, 2013
As we were eating lunch one day, I was surprised to see a medium-sized bird land at the top of a Tamarack at the far end of the marsh. A few quick record shots and a brief look through the binoculars confirmed my suspicions - a Townsend's Solitaire! Alan and I had only a few seconds to view it before it disappeared, but we re-found it about half an hour later and were treated to great looks from only a few meters away. This is the first record for the Southern James Bay Region, and also the first record for Cochrane District. Photos to come!

Harlequin Duck - October 28, 2013
An immature male first spotted by Alan moving west right along the shoreline. There are only three previous records of Harlequin Ducks for Cochrane District, however two of those records involved birds that Alan and I saw last year!

Late shorebirds
We had several notable records of late shorebirds, including the following:
-12 Hudsonian Godwits were seen between October 28 and October 30
-a Semipalmated Sandpiper with a bad leg was out on the mud flats on October 26, 2013. Crazy late! To top that, we had a different SESA the following day.
-an adult American Golden-plover in breeding plumage was around on October 27, and we continued seeing juveniles until November 1
-an adult Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage was last seen on October 28
-two Least Sandpipers were seen on October 29

Gyrfalcons 
One of the most spectacular wildlife experiences that I have experienced in a while occurred when a white morph Gyrfalcon buzzed us on October 30. It ended up making several passes at us, and alighted on a spruce twice, allowing prolonged views. The lighting was perfect, the bird was immaculate, and I was stoked to finally nail down some photos of my #1 wanted bird! Here is one "teaser" photo - lots more to come. It looks better full size!

Red Phalarope, Golden Eagle, Short-eared Owl
All three of these species are tough to come by in Southern James Bay, and all three were new species for my Southern James Bay list!

Typical northern birds
Some of the more common birds around the camp were Spruce Grouse, White-winged Crossbill, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Pine Grosbeak. One of the things I love about Netitishi...

Photo shoot - White-winged Crossbill

Back in late September on the Moosonee trip with Alan Wormington and Jeremy Bensette, we had a great opportunity to get some killer looks at White-winged Crossbills. Crossbills are notoriously hard to see well - most observations involve black specks flying against an overcast sky, with a few "jit jit jit" calls the only clue to the identity of the birds. Occasionally, if you get lucky, you may get some half-assed looks at a flock foraging on cones at the very top of a Spruce tree.

As we were walking down the railroad tracks just out of town, I stopped suddenly, noticing movement in a shrub a few feet off of the ground. Given the odd location, it took my brain a few seconds for it to register that this was a female White-winged Crossbill! A second later, Alan noticed a male on the tracks, only a few meters from our feet! Though the lighting was kind of dark and dreary, we were able to get some awesome looks and photos.

Photo shoot - American Golden-plover

September 29 was a great day of photography in Moosonee. Alan Wormington, Jeremy Bensette and I had traveled all the way up to this part of Ontario in the hopes of finding a rare bird or two. We did have some decent finds for northern Ontario (Lesser Black-backed Gull, Dickcissels) but those were on our last days of the trip, back in the "near south". Most of our time at Moosonee was spent walking the dusty streets, hoping to see something interesting but generally just seeing dogs and starlings.

Fortunately when you are into photography as well as birding, even a day without any really notable finds can still be rewarding, as was the case on this day. We had amazingly close photo opportunities with 3 species - Mourning Dove, White-winged Crossbill (more on that later) and American Golden-Plover.

We first noticed an American Golden-plover when we were doing a riverwatch near the Polar Bear Lodge in "downtown" Moosonee, overlooking the Moose River. It was an adult bird - a strange late date for one this far north. It eventually flew, but we caught up with it (and a handful of juvenile goldens) on a lawn near the train station later in the morning.

Using a bit of stealth and a lot of luck, we were able to slowly inch closer to them and obtain some full-frame photos.

The plovers were somewhat wary of us at first, giving us their full attention.

But eventually they returned to feeding. It was obvious why they had picked this lawn - it was full of earthworms! The plovers would keep a sharp eye out for the appetizing Annelids, then quickly pull one up out of the ground. Once a plover grabbed a worm, it was a matter of milliseconds until it was down the hatch! Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough to get any good action shots.

It often seems that there is a dichotomy between "birders" and "photographers" - you are either one or the other. Some birders get annoyed with photographers, and vise versa. I consider myself a hybrid between the two, and this experience with the plovers was a perfect example. Because I was trying to take photos of them, I ended up crawling on my belly until I was a few feet from them and enjoyed half an hour of watching their behavior from up close. Being a photographer put me in a position to see some really awesome behavior that I wouldn't have seen otherwise!

Occasionally, the plovers would hunker down in the grass, presumably due to some perceived threat (like a raptor in the sky). It was surprisingly difficult to spot them like this - obviously a great evolutionary adaptation to avoid predators.

My favorite photo from the whole sequence...

Rare birds that could show up at Netitishi

Just for fun, I've decided to go through and come up with some ideas of rare birds that could show up at Netitishi. The usual caveats apply (i.e. we probably won't see any of these species), but what the heck!
I guess you could say this is a wish list. This is a pre-written post. Hopefully by the time this is published we have been on the coast for a few days and seen some kick-ass birds!

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Actually possible birds:

Ivory Gull - Doug McRae found one on one of the first Netitshi trips (November 13, 1981). I actually think that Ivory Gulls are fairly regular along the Hudson's and James Bay coasts in late autumn and winter, but no one is up there looking. We may be on the early side to run into an Ivory Gull, but than again you never know.

Dovekie - Brandon and Alan saw two separate Dovekies on their 2010 Netitishi trip, and last November Andrew Keaveney reported one when he went up there. All three of these records were in November, and these constitute the only records for northern Ontario. Clearly Netitishi is a very special place that already has a history of getting Dovekies (albeit in a very small sample size). Again, we may be on the early side, but you never know. Especially if we hit the jackpot with cold, north winds.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - long overdue for the southern James Bay region! The area around Netitishi Point seems like a magnet for rare flycatchers. The habitat is perfect with  forest edge and lots of elevated perches (dead trees etc). With us standing out at the coast 9+ hours a day, almost any flycatcher that flops on by would be seen by us, especially something obvious like a Scissor-tailed! The Western Kingbird last year was on November 1st, so clearly our trip this year won't be too late in the year for insect eating birds like flycatchers.

Thick-billed Murre - Ah, the infamous "large Alcid sp.". They probably had one in 1981. Last autumn I may have had one. It sure looked OK but the views were extremely brief before the bird disappeared behind the massive swells caused by 80+ km/h north winds. Thick-billed Murres breed directly north of Netitishi in the Arctic, but the trouble would be to separate it from the similar Common Murre and Razorbill.

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Would be crazy, but not unheard of:

Yellow-billed Loon - Ontario has several records of this species, and considering the breeding range of Yellow-billed Loon (pretty much the entire Canadian Arctic) it's really surprising that it has never been recorded before on the Hudson's or James Bay coast. Then again, this is probably because birders have spent a total of maybe 4 months combined on the James Bay coast in October and November. Netitishi sees a lot of loons migrate past though most are quite distant. The trick would be to find the loon holding a banana in it's mouth.

Ash-throated Flycatcher - this is a species that typically shows up in the northeast in November. Ontario has  accepted records of Ash-throated Flycatcher including 5 records from October 27 until November 24. Again, Netitshi looks great for flycatchers! Say's Phoebe is another candidate. It is a hardy flycatcher (breeds all the way up in northern Alaska!) and prone to vagrancy.

Great Shearwater - this would be a MEGA mega. Only one previous Ontario record (a bird found in a weakened state in Toronto in August) , would make it seem like an incredibly unlikely bird to get at Netitishi in October/November. The only thing is that Great Shearwaters range all the way up to Greenland and the southeast coast of Baffin Island. There are several records from the west shore of Hudson's Bay. One could easily end up lost and be pushed down into James Bay.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - the group who went to Netitishi in 2010 may have seen one of these, but the bird flew down the coast never to be seen again. This is a Eurasian species that is prone to vagrancy and that has shown up in Ontario on three previous occasions.

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Absolutely insane birds (this is really wishful thinking!):

White Wagtail - they like hanging out with pipits. Netitishi Point often has a lot of pipits. They are prone to vagrancy. There are several records directly adjacent to Ontario, including 3(!) for Michigan and a recent one in Quebec.

Long-billed Murrelet - Ontario has one record of Long-billed Murrelet, a record of a bird found by Bruce DiLabio in Cornwall. This species is prone to wandering, and Netitishi Point is a great spot to see lost alcids! Quite a few of the 20 or so records for inland North America are from October and November.

Tufted Puffin - sure, why not?

Steller's Eider - they breed in Alaska/Siberia, yet some winter in Scandinavia, and there are records for the Canadian Arctic...

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Now don't get me wrong, even if we do not see any rarities it will still be a kick-ass trip. There is nothing quite like living out of a rustic cabin with no internet, no phone, and no other people for two weeks straight. That alone will make the trip worth it for me and it will be a much needed break from my office and living in the Greater Toronto Area! The James Bay coastline is a beautiful and rugged place in late autumn. Watching the weather unfold in front of you here can be an amazing experience, and it is easy to see the direct relationship between weather and bird migration. On certain days an astounding amount of visible migration takes place. And this is what got me into the crazy hobby of birding in the first place - the game of birding/rarity-finding and experiencing nature go hand in hand and I'm not sure which is more important to me. Plus of course, even if we are stuck with south winds and a lack of birds all trip, we will probably still see things like Black Guillemot, Gyrfalcon, Purple Sandpiper, and other sweet northern birds.

But really, the chance at seeing a rarity is the driving force that brings me up to Netitishi! And our two weeks at Netitishi will give Alan and I as good a chance as any to see a mega.

Netitishi day one - Moosonee edition

So day one at Netitshi has come...the trouble is, the weather is great for finding rarities at the coast, but poor for flying helicopters. As a result, we are stuck in Moosonee for another day waiting for the weather to sort its shit out.

This is an exact repeat of last year. The only difference: last year we were delayed because of a fog bank. This year we are delayed because of freezing rain, strong winds, a low cloud ceiling, and of course, the fog bank over the bay. The chances of us getting out tomorrow aren't looking great either.

Birds are few and far between here in Moosonee this time of year. The only migrant songbirds in town that we found included American Tree Sparrows and the odd American Robin. Dark-eyed Juncos, a familiar winter species to many people in southern Ontario, are nowhere to be found up here having already completed their autumn migration through the area.

Oh and the other migrant species around is Barn Swallow.

Barn Swallow - Moosonee (Oct 22, 2013)

Around lunchtime as we were waiting around in the lounge at the Polar Bear Lodge a small bird zipped on by. It was a Barn Swallow! We ran outside and watched it scouring the edges of the buildings along the waterfront, hoping to find something to eat.

This was a strange record to say the least! Later on in the afternoon I was standing at the waterfront scanning the ducks and shorebirds when I noticed the swallow coming on by again. It was looking cold and grumpy, trying to gain warmth from the side of a building.

Barn Swallow - Moosonee (Oct 22, 2013)

Barn Swallow - Moosonee (Oct 22, 2013)

This was a very bizarre record. Barn Swallows have already finished their migration out of Ontario with the bulk of the birds having left by mid to late September. The latest record for the southern James Bay region is October 2, where both a Barn Swallow and a Cliff Swallow were seen. For this far north those are pretty notable records. So to get one on October 22 is just insane! It is surprising that this swallow has survived this long, as they have high metabolisms and require a lot of insects to eat. Last night was around 0 degrees Celsius with strong (cold!) winds and freezing rain.

Barn Swallow - Moosonee (Oct 22, 2013)

We have seen the swallow at least 4 times this afternoon making the rounds. It seems to know what it's doing with its foraging methods but that will only work for so long until the temperatures get too cold.

Other interesting birds in town include quite a few Pectoral Sandpipers. Last year we did not see any on the Netitishi trip, yet this year I've seen them at nearly every single stop on the way up. We came across at least five Pectoral Sandpipers including this individual on someone's lawn. Anyways, hopefully the weather clears up soon and we can get out of here.

Pectoral Sandpiper - Moosonee (Oct 22, 2013)

Off to Netitishi in the morning!

We've made it Moosonee! It's cold, it's windy, but most importantly - the wind is out of the north. Tomorrow afternoon we are scheduled to take a helicopter out to the coast to begin our 13 day seawatching adventure at Ontario's premier seawatching locale - Netitishi Point! After being delayed several times last year due to inclement weather, I am not too optimistic that we will actually get out to the coast tomorrow, but you never know!

For some filler, here is a very tame Lapland Longspur looking somewhat forlorn in the snow squall. I took this shot this morning at the Fraserdale "train station" north of Smooth Rock Falls. Fraserdale is an interesting town. It includes about 5 boarded up buildings, the 50 square foot train station, and that's it.

A quick list of some of the birds I wouldn't mind seeing on this Netitishi trip:

Yellow-billed Loon
Dovekie
Thick-billed Murre
Ross's Gull
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Glaucous-winged Gull
Barnacle Goose

Yep, I'm dreaming big...anyways, hopefully by the time that Alan and I return we will have a decent list of sightings to report!

On the road again - York to Timiskaming

I'm currently sitting at a Tim Horton's in New Liskeard while the rain pours outside.

This morning, I finished my packing for the Netitishi trip and I was on the road by mid morning. I debated whether I should stop at Innisfil and try to get better looks at the Pacific Loon, but I was already running behind schedule and so I continued on.

My first birding stop was the Bracebridge sewage lagoons. This is a set of 4 lagoons that is usually fairly productive and today was no different. While numbers of ducks were less than I expected, there were a few good ones including a Ruddy Duck and a Long-tailed Duck. The Long-tailed in particular was a surprise as they aren't common in this part of Ontario. Funny enough, the Ebird filters didn't think so. The Savannah Sparrows and Ruddy Ducks required confirmation, but not so with the Long-tailed. Here's a crappy digiscoped photo. I really need to start carrying my camera with me...

Long-tailed Duck - Bracebridge lagoons

Next up on the agenda were two lagoons that I had never visited before - Burk's Falls and Sundridge. Burk's Falls was scrapped when I realized that what I thought was the entrance to the lagoons was actually someone's driveway...I wasn't sure if these lagoons were accessible without trespassing so I gave up.

This Common Raven was guarding the entrance.

Common Raven - Burk's Falls

Sundridge was a neat place kind of in the middle of nowhere. Just the usual sewage lagoon ducks were there, though I did spend a few minutes watching a Pileated Woodpecker foraging from only a few feet away! Pretty awesome birds. Here is a photo of one taken last winter in Dundas.

Pileated Woodpecker - Dundas (February 7, 2013)

I pulled up to the Powassan lagoons, a favorite of mine. As I was scoping one of the ponds, a car drove in - it was local North Bay birder, Dick Tafel, and his wife. I've emailed with Dick occasionally but had never run into him before. We came up with a Lapland Longspur along the path, the usual lagoon ducks, and a few shorebirds! Turns out that the north cell had its water levels lowered, creating all kinds of perfect shorebird habitat. It is kind of late in the season though, unfortunately, and the only shorebirds present were 21 Pectoral Sandpipers. I checked them over very thoroughly in the off chance that a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was with them, but no luck (guess I'll have to wait til Netitishi to see one!). A second car drove in, and this time it was a birder from my neck of the woods - John Schmelefske. It's kind of funny how birders will run into each other in random spots in the middle of nowhere! Dick gave me a few locations in the North Bay area to try for waterbirds, then gave me a lift back to my car at the entrance to the lagoons.

The Callander lagoons were next on the agenda. Quite a few geese were on the adjacent golf course, and after a few minutes I noticed a pair of Snows. An adult and a baby.

On Ebird there are 5 other records of Snow Geese for Nipissing District - all of them involving lost birds in Algonquin.

sexy wing flap...

My last stop before running out of light was Sunset Point in North Bay, a place that Dick recommended. In the driving rain I was happy to pick out some Long-tailed Ducks, two Horned Grebes, and a single Surf Scoter. A Horned Lark gave me a bit of a heart attack, acting like a wheatear perching on top of a rock. Nope, just a HOLA....

My next move will be trying to find a place near here where I can park for the night without getting caught. Then tomorrow - birding Lake Timiskaming!