I have recently been on a sabbatical from birding. This isn't really by choice but instead largely due to the end of the Fall term, several over-lapping proposal deadlines, and other somewhat trivial, time-consuming job related responsibilities. Despite all of that, I have been able to continue my birding activities, albeit with a lower intensity.
As this lull coincides with the onset of the long Canadian winter, my birding results have been somewhat sparse. In the past two months, I managed to see only 2 new species. One was a warbler flitting through the treetops in early October before all of the warblers left by the end of that month. The other bird was a Common Gallinule (or as previously referred to- the moorhen) which was seen on Lake Ontario during a short road trip with my parents.
Since that time, I have made several trips out to Loggerhead Marsh, down to Beavermead Park, and over to the Lakefield Sewage Lagoon. The number and diversity of birds seen has been declining every week; no more blackbirds, grackles, warblers, kingfishers, herons, swallows. Gone are most of the sparrows and, now that the marsh is frozen, I have stopped seeing waterfowl. My new hope is that we will start seeing more northerly birds like grosbeaks, redpolls, and Bohemian Waxwings. I guess there are always birds to see and that you just have to take what will fly by.
261 Black-throated Blue Warbler 10/5/2013 McGlaughin Wildlife Reserve, Oshawa, ON
262 Common Gallinule 10/20/2013 Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Lake Ontario, Ontario
As this lull coincides with the onset of the long Canadian winter, my birding results have been somewhat sparse. In the past two months, I managed to see only 2 new species. One was a warbler flitting through the treetops in early October before all of the warblers left by the end of that month. The other bird was a Common Gallinule (or as previously referred to- the moorhen) which was seen on Lake Ontario during a short road trip with my parents.
Since that time, I have made several trips out to Loggerhead Marsh, down to Beavermead Park, and over to the Lakefield Sewage Lagoon. The number and diversity of birds seen has been declining every week; no more blackbirds, grackles, warblers, kingfishers, herons, swallows. Gone are most of the sparrows and, now that the marsh is frozen, I have stopped seeing waterfowl. My new hope is that we will start seeing more northerly birds like grosbeaks, redpolls, and Bohemian Waxwings. I guess there are always birds to see and that you just have to take what will fly by.
261 Black-throated Blue Warbler 10/5/2013 McGlaughin Wildlife Reserve, Oshawa, ON
262 Common Gallinule 10/20/2013 Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Lake Ontario, Ontario
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