Migration Means McGee Marsh: May 2015
I have been trying to hit all the best North American Hot Spots for spring Migration, but had yet to go to the Biggest Week in American Birding in Ohio. This year we finally made the trip. Before heading out, there was the matter of a Kentucky Warbler here at home in Toronto's spring hot spot, Col. Sam Smith Park:
Two days later we were off to the Biggest Week in American Birding, in the areas of Toledo-Oregon, Ohio. And who did we meet along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, but one of the all time kings of Big Year Birding, Greg Miller.
We got very close to most of the birds on the boardwalk
My first photo of a Chuck-will's-widow at Point Pelee. I've only ever heard them at dusk, so seeing one high in a tree during the day was an unexpected bonus for everyone at the park
A distant Upland Sandpiper, hiding in the tall grass:
Two days later we were off to the Biggest Week in American Birding, in the areas of Toledo-Oregon, Ohio. And who did we meet along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, but one of the all time kings of Big Year Birding, Greg Miller.
But the real celebrities were the birds, warblers everywhere! We counted 51 species on our first day along the boardwalk, including 16 species of Wood Warbler.
A Tree Swallow, actually in a tree:
Blackpoll Warbler:
Prothonotary Warbler:
Blackburnian Warbler:
Singing Indigo Bunting:
Finally, got a photo of the very elusive Mourning Warbler:
The next day, we went on a guided tour, the highlight of which was a Lifer for most of us, a distant look at a Henslow's Sparrow,(#638 for the ABA Life List:
That night, we went on an outing to see American Woodcocks, another difficult bird to see, especially after sunset.
We finished off the trip by taking a day at Canadian Migration central, Point Pelee National Park and Hillman Marsh.
American Avocet in Hillman Marsh:
My first photo of a Chuck-will's-widow at Point Pelee. I've only ever heard them at dusk, so seeing one high in a tree during the day was an unexpected bonus for everyone at the park
Not long after returning to Toronto, there was more excitement in the Toronto Birding World, as a Swainson's Warbler had been reported in Tommy Thompson Park, which is another place I spend a lot of time during migration. I missed the bird in the morning, but after work I headed straight back to the park and with a large group of local and some not so local birders, the bird was found and everyone got great photos. It was my third time in four years looking for this hard to find bird, but it was worth the wait!
We were not yet done with the excitement of spring birding. For the first time in a generation, a Piping Plover showed up on a beach on Toronto Island. An entire area had to be fenced off to protect this threatened species. This was one of just about 6,000 remaining Piping Plovers world wide.
And finally, to cap off a great month of birding, we took in Carden Alvar an important birding area east of Toronto. Eastern Bluebirds, Upland Sandpipers, Loggerhead Shrike and Sedge Wrens all breed here.
My first ever photograph of a Sedge Wren!
A distant Upland Sandpiper, hiding in the tall grass:
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