Annual Visit to Thickson's Woods

09 May 2017

     It's always a treat to visit Thickson's Woods in Whitby, ON where a prime day during spring migration can deliver a birding experience that is hard to beat.

     Instead of our usual complement of eight, we were just six in our party, both Mary and Judy being otherwise occupied.  They missed a grand experience! 

    Even walking down the road to the entrance to the reserve the birds were prolific and we notched almost twenty species before even getting into the woods, including Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

 Along the way we found this tree interesting. We have narrowed it down a species of Yew, but have been unable to nail down its specific identity. 

     A botanist friend of mine says that it resembles Taxus canadensis but the berries don't look quite right.

     We had not gone far along the paths before Jim Huffman spotted a bird skulking in the vegetation. Miriam was able to get this picture of a Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina, a species that one sees far less frequently than in times past as it faces threats to its habitat both in North America and on its wintering grounds in Central and South America.

     Myrtle Warbler Setophaga coronata can at times ubiquitous in spring, but it merits a close look on every occasion.

      Blue-grey Gnatcatchers Polioptila caerulea can be hard to spot as this tiny bird flits around in the trees, ever more hidden by emergent foliage, but Franc managed this shot.

     Thickson's Woods sits right on the shore of Lake Ontario and this is the view out across the lake.

     As I stood there looking across the water I started to reflect on the number of years I have been visiting this area - and it is over forty! Am I getting old? I think so!

     There were many Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator on the lake with a few Common Mergansers Mergus merganser also.

     A Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina is a common species from spring through fall; it is delicate and beautiful, always a joy to see.

     Trillium Trillium grandiflorum is Ontario's provincial emblem and the forest floor was carpeted with them. They bloom for such a short period in spring but it always fills me with contentment to see them. It somehow imports permanence and the sense of belonging to this wonderful Great Lakes Country in which we are privileged to live. 

     

     Marsh Marigolds Caltha paulstris bloomed prolifically in every wet spot in the forest, and in the borderlands alongside the marsh. 

     Again, it brought back memories. I used to pick these flowers for my grandmother oh so many years ago when I was just a little boy, and she would put them in an empty jam jar on the window sill. I loved them then and I love them now. Is nostalgia a feature of getting old? I suppose it is.

     We saw several Hermit Thrushes Catharus guttatus, pumping their rufous tail in characteristic fashion. It is such a delicate little thrush, one of my favourites to be sure.

     Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis is a common resident species and this handsome male was searching for a mate. How could any female resist?

     We saw but one Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheuticus ludovicianus, a member of the same family as Northern Cardinal, but it was a stunning male.

     Just as we we were leaving to go to Whitby Harbour to have lunch we spotted a small flock of Wild Turkeys Meleagris gallopavo foraging in the grass. This species had been extirpated in Ontario and was reintroduced by stocking birds from Michigan. It has done spectacularly well and is now a common sight, sometimes even showing up at bird feeders in suburban areas.

     It was a cool day and with the wind blowing across the frigid water at the harbour we decided to stay in our vehicles to eat lunch. About thirty Caspian Terns Hydroprogne caspia were ranged along the breakwater, with a couple of Common Terns Sterno hirundo, Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis and a few sub adult American Herring Gulls Larus smithsonianus.

     Franc managed to capture this individual as it zoomed by.

     There was not much in the way of waterfowl in the inner harbour but a few Gadwall Anas strepera were interesting to watch as we munched on our sandwiches.

     Having eaten, we returned to Thickson's Woods to see what else we could find.

     A couple of Ovenbirds Seiurus auricapillus were especially elusive and despite patient stalking and waiting we were never able to get a complete body shot.

     A Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens was eminently more cooperative.

     We saw fourteen species of warbler, but photographs were hard to come by. 

     Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca quickly became Francine's favourite and she could barely take her binoculars off it. It is really too bad she doesn't converse in fluent warblerspeak for she was constantly talking to it, extolling its beauty!

     Not as gaudy (I say that in the nicest way!) as a Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens doesn't take a back seat to anyone!

     Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum was frequently seen, pumping its tail in the manner for which it is renowned.

     American Yellow Warbler Setophaga aestiva was not as common as one might have expected but this male first attracted us with its song.

     The weather was decidedly cool for the time of year, and the light not always up to par, but we had a wonderful day of birding, as we always do. I am sure we will make a return visit next spring to renew our excitement at the spectacle of spring migration, when Ontario birding is at its very best.Take note all you world birders. May in Ontario is as good as it gets!

All species: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Gadwall, Mallard, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Wild Turkey, Double-crested Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Sand Martin, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, House Wren, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Grey Catbird, Common Starling, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Nashville Warbler,Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, American Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Pine Warbler, Myrtle Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch.

Total: 67 species.

Kitchener-Waterloo Naturalists Field Trip

Trip Report

Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists' Outing

Reesor Pond, Little Reesor Pond, Cranberry Marsh

Raptor Watch, Whitby Harbour, Lunde Shores C.A.

28 September 2013

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

KWFN Members: Betty Brechun, Peter McLaren, Carol Nussli

Guest: John Lichty

Reesor Pond, Markham 08:40 – 09:33

Of late, there have been reports of both Snow Geese and a Ross'Goose at this location and these were our target birds. Upon arrival we chatted to a local birder who advised that the Ross'Goose had not been seen for a few days, that the Snow Geese had been regulars, but left the pond at the crack of dawn only to return near dusk.

There was much of interest, however. One of the first things to attract our attention was a Canada Goose, very much bloodied around the bill and face, also on the breast. It appeared that it might have been the victim of an attack by a coyote or other such predator, and had managed to escape, albeit seriously injured. Given the condition of the bird we doubted that it could survive.

There was a Great Egret glistening pristinely in the early morning sun, a Great Blue Heron for contrast, and no less than four juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons. There was a great congregation of Killdeer, numbering around fifty by my estimate, and they squabbled and scurried and fed providing great entertainment for us. We saw both Blue and Green-winged Teal and the sun glinting off the speculum of the Green-winged Teal was simply breathtaking.

Waterfowl are beginning to arrive from their northern breeding grounds and we saw both Northern Shoveler and American Wigeon.

The most spectacular exhibition was provided when a Merlin swooped low over the Killdeer, all of which immediately took to the air shrieking. What was most amazing, was that as the Merlin began the process of segregating its quarry from the flock, the Ring-billed Gulls all arose in unison and attacked the Merlin, finally driving it off to a tree on the far shore where it perched. Incredibly a second Merlin cruised by in front of us, but it appeared not to be hunting.

All species at Reesor Pond (not in taxonomic sequence) – Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Blue-winged Teal, Double-crested Cormorant, Killdeer, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Canada Goose, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Merlin, Red-winged Blackbird.

Little Reesor Pond, Toronto 09:41 – 10:05

There is a small wetland at the end of Old Reesor Road, near Finch Avenue, which has come to be commonly called Little Reesor Pond, although I believe it has no formal name. The area is quite small, barely a hectare I would say, but is sometimes very productive.

A single, untagged, Trumpeter Swan was the first bird we saw, followed by a female Wood Duck. Several passerines were flitting around, some flycatching, including a juvenile Eastern Phoebe, so lovely in the yellow plumage it sports at this time of year. A couple of empidonax flycatchers were impossible to identify as to species. Two Swamp Sparrows moved back and forth from one section of the marsh to another.

All species at Little Reesor Pond (not in taxonomic sequence) – Trumpeter Swan, Wood Duck, Mallard, Accipiter sp., Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Empidonax flycatcher sp., Blue Jay.

Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, Whitby 10:30 – 11:30

A visit to the hawk watch had been the focal point of this trip and we were hoping for a miserable day's weather with northwest winds. Instead, we were treated to as benign a September day as one could possibly wish for, with bright sunshine, a high of 22 degrees and barely a breath of wind! It was, to say the least, not classic raptor-watching weather.

Despite this we spent a fine hour on the viewing platform with other hopefuls, renewing old acquaintances and enjoying a few raptors and a wide variety of birds on the marsh.

Chief among the great pleasures of this stop was a sensational show put on by a Peregrine Falcon as it patrolled low over the water. Everyone was able to have superb views of this bird, certainly among the apex predators of the avian world. Later we were treated to a second Peregrine Falcon. Rayfield Pye and I were reminiscing about many how many years we had been watching hawks together at that location (well over thirty!) and back in those days, when the Peregrine Falcon was barely beginning its recovery from the dark days of organochloride pesticide contamination, the sighting of a peregrine was cause for great celebration.

A local Northern Harrier was joined by a migratory bird and the two of them coursed briefly over the marsh together. We saw eight Turkey Vultures, but they, like everyone else, seemed to be content to simply enjoy the good weather, and certainly didn't press on with their migration.

A source of great pleasure was derived from a Sharp-shinned Hawk which passed low right over our heads, and gave a textbook display of flight techniques, enabling everyone to see how skillfully it used its tail as a rudder. Everyone was enthralled with this “demonstration flight.”

Rusty Blackbirds are at the peak of their period of migration and numerous birds were seen, as well as a variety of ducks.

Great Egrets dotted the marsh; it is quite remarkable how common this species has become in recent years.

All species at Cranberry Marsh (not in taxonomic sequence) – Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Great Egret, Mute Swan, Rusty Blackbird, Peregrine Falcon, American Crow, Mallard, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Red-winged Blackbird, Wood Duck, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier, Mourning Dove, American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal.

Whitby Harbour 12:00 – 12:50

We moved over to Whitby Harbour to enjoy our lunch in the very pleasant ambiance of the boardwalk, with a few birds to keep us company, and even a Monarch butterfly, exceedingly rare this year. It made one feel good to be alive, basking in the sun, enjoying good fellowship and food which always tastes better when consumed al fresco.

Among the birds we did see was a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan as shown in the picture below, and a remarkable thirty-seven Mute Swans.

Great Blue Heron and Ring-billed Gulls

Mute Swans, Trumpeter Swan (K21), Canada Goose, Ring-billed Gulls

                                    

Mute Swans, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gulls

Mute Swans, Trumpeter Swan, Herring Gull

All species at Whitby Harbour (not in taxonomic sequence) – Double-crested Cormorant, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Trumpeter Swan, Mute Swan, Turkey Vulture, Great Blue Heron, Mourning Dove.

Lynde Shores C.A., Whitby 12:56 – 14:49

We ambled along the road searching for a small marsh where we were told a Long-billed Dowitcher was present. Unfortunately, even with five people looking, we did not find the marsh!

During a walk through the woodlot we were both surprised and pleased at the numbers of people out enjoying nature with their children. The paths through the wood have been well provisioned with bird feeders supplied by local schools and children are encouraged to feed the birds, principally chickadees that are renowned for their confiding nature, and willingly take food from the hand. While some purists might argue that this kind of behaviour is not de rigeur I could not help feeling very reassured that some of those children, based on their encounter with wild creatures, will form the next generation of naturalists. It was quite lovely to see grandparents, parents and children all enjoying nature together, with not a tablet or Iphone in sight!

Even three Wild Turkeys seem to have been well habituated to throngs of people surrounding them.

The entrance to the woodlot was populated by large numbers of Common Grackles and the noise was almost deafening. At one of the feeders we saw two White-breasted Nuthatches, our only nuthatches of the day. We also spotted our first White-throated Sparrow of the fall.

All species at Lynde Shores C.A. (not in taxonomic sequence) – Great Egret, Blue Jay, Ring-billed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Mute Swan, Lesser Yellowlegs, Rusty Blackbird, Blue Jay, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Grackle, Mallard, Wild Turkey, Mourning Dove, White-throated Sparrow, House Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch.

Lake Ontario Shore, Whitby 15:00 – 15:20

The lake was noteworthy for its paucity of species! We saw only Double-crested Cormorants and Ring-billed Gulls.

General Comment

I am very grateful to the people who joined this trip. We had a great time together and I will look forward to birding with each of them again.