Spruce Siding Road

A Friday off of school! A perfect day to head out and see what there is to be seen during February in Mani-snow-ba. The day was mild and clear, and relatively windless; one can't ask for more in the dead of winter. I decided to make the most of this weather and my free time by heading out to a certain road in Sandilands Provincial Forest; Spruce Siding Road. This forestry road and access to the village of Spruce Siding is a decent stretch of mixed woodland, swamp, conifer stands (both alive and dead), and grassy clearings; a perfect place to observe winter birds of all kinds! The day did not disappoint. I was expecting some Pine Grosbeaks, Crossbills, and Canada Jays and got all of the above and more. I recorded eight FOYs on this trip with including two lifers!

I spent the ride memorizing the calls of winter finches found in the area so that I would have the best chance at identifying the birds by ear even if I didn't see them. Knowing the calls paid off (as it often does) as I knew what I was hearing and therefore where to look. Crossbills are often found at the very top of conifer trees or on the road where they like to peck at the salty gravel. Here are a couple shots of a number of individuals.

Male White-winged Crossbill

Male White-winged Crossbill

Female White-winged Crossbill

Male White-winged Crossbill on the road

These birds presented themselves often and were not too shy, often allowing me to creep up to right beneath the tree where they were perched. Pine Siskins (a close relative of American Goldfinches), on the other hand, are a little more elusive and were flitting around too fast for me to take any photos that I am proud to be share, but here is one nonetheless.

Pine Siskin that sat still long enough for me to get a non-blurry picture.

Another highlight of the day was some Canada Jays (formerly called Grey Jays). These birds, to me, are symbols of wilderness and their inquisitiveness, effortless flight, and quiet melodic whistles make them one of my favorite birds to observe. Here are some shots of one perched atop a pine tree.

Canada Jay

Canada Jay

When I first stepped out of the van in the morning to do an aural scan of the area, I heard the familiar chickadee calls from Black-capped Chickadees, but mixed among them were some chickadee-like calls, just slightly more nasal which I assumed to be just a different type of call (Black-capped Chickadees do make a wide variety of sounds). But I wasn't fully convinced and was not letting the possibility of the presence of Boreal Chickadees go. Later in the day my suspicion was confirmed when a number of individuals popped out of the bush beside the road and actually stood still long enough for me to capture some picture of them! (This is extremely rare as chickadees are normally flitting around and moving constantly making them difficult subjects to photograph.)

Boreal Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee

Notice the brown head and brownish back which sets these elusive little bundles of energy apart from the much more common Black-capped Chickadees.

I was hoping to see some Red Crossbills (as they would be lifers) but was not able to spot them while on the road. As soon as I turned back onto the highway to head home three males flew close in front of my van (distinguished from White-wings by the lack of wing bars and richer red color) and into the bush. Just a brief glimpse, but a lifer nonetheless! Further down the highway I was able to see my first Snow Buntings of 2020 as well. It was a successful day by my standards for sure. Two lifers on the same day in the winter sure ain't bad, neither is eight FOYs in one day, nor is 11 species in one checklist!

Thanks for following along once again.


Till next time,

Joel G.

Ducks In February!?

Yup, you read that right. Ducks in February. This winter at the bend in the river near the corner of the Perimeter Hwy. and St. Mary's Rd., a number of ducks and geese were keeping the water open for themselves and braving the cold to avoid having to migrate. Anxious to see some birds other than the regular winter residents (Ravens, Chickadees, House Sparrows, etc.) I decided to grab my camera and head over and check the reports out for myself. My travel and time was well worth it.

First cool thing was the sheer numbers with nearly 150 Mallards chilling together (quite literally). The wind was whipping down the river and I had tears pouring down my face from the wind in my eyes as I counted the birds through my binoculars. Here is a shot of the group which was packed together to rest.

Mallards resting beside the patch of open water

Who doesn't love to see Canada Geese in the winter? Whether they were early migrants or others braving the winter didn't matter... geese are geese.

Canada Geese

Another cool part of the trip was a female Common Goldeneye who was hanging out with the Mallards. I apologize for the heavily cropped picture.

Female Common Goldeneye

The personal highlight was an American Black Duck (a lifer for me) which was also part of the gang. Whoever first spotted it had a sharp eye as it blends in pretty well with the female Mallards.

American Black Duck with Mallards

Just so it's clear, the American Black Duck is the one with the yellow bill and dark eyeline. This picture makes it seem like it should be easy to differentiate as it came out pretty dark, but in reality, when viewing with your eyes it appears a lot similar in color to the female Mallards. The biggest difference is that female MALLs have an orange bill while ABDU's have yellow ones. For more information on American Black Ducks follow this link.

Overall, this little excursion produced four FOYs as well as one lifer... and it fired me up for migration; geese start returning in March and Mallards aren't too far behind. By the time the Mallards in migrating in force, everything else starts migrating too and things explode with life. Looking forward to that time!

Thanks for checking in!

Joel G.

Northern Hawk Owl

As I was scouting the area around my place for Red-tailed Hawks I came across this beauty of a bird; the uncommon and threatened Northern Hawk Owl. This was a lifer for me and was an experience I'll not soon forget. It was hunting from telephone wires and was quite obliging for photos, occasionally getting annoyed at me or frustrated with the lack of prey and flying a little farther down. I got a few good looks at it fortunately and here are some of my photos.

Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl

A neat surprise lifer in a place I'd never expect to see one of these birds... a power line near my own home surrounded by fields. These birds are very rarely seen outside the boreal forest, perched atop dead trees, except in migration where apparently they are not confined to their regular woodland haunts... and I'm glad for that.

Global Birding Big Day 2019

Global Birding Big Day fell on a Sunday this year so I didn't really have the time to go out anywhere Not that it was all that bad... I could just walk down to the pond. Here are some highlights of the outing.

First highlight: a Gadwall! These guys make some interesting sounds; I think it's supposed to be a quack but it's very nasal and distorted. Not the most visually appealing ducks, but they're neat to observe.

Gadwall (left) with Male Mallard

Gadwall

You're bound to find at least one type of Scaup at the pond in May, whether they be Redheads, Canvasbacks, Ring-necked Ducks, or Lesser or Greater Scaups. This particular outing provided one male Ring-necked Duck and three Lesser Scaups (pictured below).

Lesser Scaups in flight

Yellow-rumped Warblers are abundant around this time of year as they migrate.

Female Yellow-rumped Warbler

Shorebirds begin showing up again at this time too! This particular checklist included five Wilson's Phalaropes, three Spotted Sandpipers, one Solitary Sandpiper, one Lesser Yellowlegs, and three Greater Yellowlegs.

Three Greater Yellowlegs (two in flight) and a male Wilson's Phalarope

Female Yellow-rumped Warbler

Possibly the show-stoppers of the day, these Trumpeter Swans showed up and dwarfed all of the other birds on or near the water. Even the Canada Geese looked miniature beside these monsters! It is pretty rare to see Trumpeters at this time of year. Generally if you see a swan in May it'll be a Tundra Swan which is almost identical. You distinguish the two primarily by looking at the shape of the bill; Trumpeter Swans' bills slope down in a straight line whereas the Tundra Swan's upper mandible is bent slightly.

Trumpeter Swans

Yet another shot of a Yellow-rumped Warbler... this time a male!

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

Always a joy to hear these birds sing! Here is a Western Meadowlark:

Western Meadowlark

A few Wilson's Phalaropes were hanging around (as mentioned before). Here is a shot of a female with a Yellow-rumped Warbler photo-bombing.

Female Wilson's Phalarope and Yellow-rumped Warbler

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

Some Blue-winged Teals were present as well! I love the swan just staring them (or maybe me) down.

Blue-winged Teals with Trumpeter Swan

Blue-winged Teals

On the way back I was fortunate to discover a number of Harris Sparrows foraging amongst some White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows. These are quite uncommon and always exciting to see.

Harris Sparrow (bottom) foraging with a White-crowned Sparrow

It was a pretty big birding day on Global Birding Big Day and I have no regrets about staying home and birding around my own neighborhood! Looking forward to Big Day 2020 (May 9) and the opportunities that day will present!

Joel G.

Busy Pond

A Sunday evening stroll to the pond turned into a checklist with nearly 30 species! After already recording four FOYs earlier in the day (Wood Duck, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and American Redstart), I was able to record 7 more at the pond! These seven species were Black Tern, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, and an American Pipit! Additionally, the Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and American Pipit were all lifers!

This Least Sandpiper was quite obliging for some photos!

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

The Wilson's Phalarope is an interesting species of bird. First, the females are more brightly colored than the males who adopt a more drab, brownish plumage. This is confusing to many birders and I often find myself calling certain individuals by the wrong pronoun. Also, their feeding technique is a spectacle to watch. These little birds spin around and around in the water, presumably stirring up food from the bottom and snatching the choice morsels out of the water. Watching a number of these in the water will keep you entertained for a long time. It also helps that they look stunning (at least the females do).

Female Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope Pair

Palm Warblers were abundant along the shoreline! Not a very common warbler to see, so I was happy to be able to get a couple pictures of some. Here is one:

Palm Warbler

Couldn't resist taking another photo of these Phalaropes!

Wilson's Phalarope pair

Savannah Sparrows are a common sight in my area, and they buzzy song is what really makes me feel like summer is back. The Meadowlark singing is my sign of spring, and the Savannah Sparrow is the sign of summer.

Savannah Sparrow

These Phalaropes... I think I'm addicted

Female Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope pair

The American Pipit was certainly the highlight of the day! I wasn't sure what it was until I went home and checked by photos with a field guide in front of me. Definitely glad I took some pictures of this otherwise drab looking bird.

American Pipit

And last but not least, a Brown-headed Cowbird stopping by for a drink. Some see these birds as nuisances but I quite enjoy their calls and watching the males interact while fighting for a female's attention.

Male Brown-headed Cowbird

Hope you enjoyed this post! Make sure to get outside and see what birds are in your area! May is the time to find birds that aren't normally seen in your area... make the most of it!

Fort Whyte Alive

Global Birding Big Day 2018. Here are some highlights from a trip I took to Fort Whyte Alive with my dad to see what there was to see. Big Day was on May 5 this year so most waterfowl species were back in numbers and songbird migration was gearing up. The day provided 50 species (21 FOYs and four lifers). Check out the eBird checklist here. My lifers were a Red-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, Forster's Tern, and Ovenbird. Let's get into some pictures.

Canada Geese are quite approachable here as they are quite used to having people walking around them.

Canada Goose chilling on a nest.

I always love seeing Blue-winged Teals. Watching these birds fly is incredible. Some of our fastest flying ducks, Blue-winged Teals zip across the sky at around 80km/h twisting and turning as they go. They are spectacular ducks both in the water and in the air!

Blue-winged Teal pair with Canada Goose

Another Blue-winged Teal pair with a Yellow-rumped Warbler out of focus

Grebes are not very common to see and are pretty skittish making them pretty hard to photograph close-up (hence the blurriness due to heavy cropping). I got a decent picture of this Pied-billed grebe, but nothing good of the Red-necked Grebes, Eared Grebe, and Western Grebe that were also present.

Pied-billed Grebe

Here is a shot of a Horned Grebe that was cool enough to hang out pretty close to me. I rely on birds hanging close to me for the camera that I use does not have a great zoom capability nor high photo quality, so anything far away will be extremely cropped to be able to actually see the bird.

Horned Grebe

A bunch of American Coots could be found around the marsh as well!

American Coot

Another bird that, to me, means summer is upon us is the Tree Swallow. These birds require lots of open water above which they can fly around, acrobatically snatching insects out of the air on the wing.

Tree Swallow

The last photo I have for you today is this shot of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. These guys were all over the place. The peak of their migration occurs around this time, and there was no shortage of them. This little fellow posed perfectly for me above water and sat still long enough to let me get a good look at him.

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

I was able to identify an Ovenbird by song, which was a cool lifer for me! Gulls were there in incredible numbers. I didn't even try to count the Franklin's Gulls, simply marking an "X" by them in the checklist. There were so many. 50 species in just under two hours of birding is a pretty good rate of seeing birds I'd say!

Fort Whyte Alive most certainly is one of the best places to bird inside the city limits here in Winnipeg. So many birds rely on this location as a rest stop during migration and a home throughout the breeding season. I would definitely recommend this as a top birding destination for anyone living in or passing through Winnipeg!

Joel G.