Train Tracks- Ptbo South End

[zx003]

The following is a report from July 21, 19:15-20:25 walking along the train tracks that cross Airport Road just a couple minutes bike ride from my house. Sightings mostly from a wetland area ~200m from the road. Proves you don't have to go far to see some interesting sightings, even in the summer!  


Total- 43 species

60 Canada Goose
3  Mallard
1  Green-winged Teal
1  Great Blue Heron
4  Green Heron
3  Red-tailed Hawk- 2 immatures
2  Virginia Rail
5  Spotted Sandpiper
6  Solitary Sandpiper
1  Short-billed Dowitcher
2  Ring-billed Gull
3  Mourning Dove
1  Black-billed Cuckoo
1  Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1  Belted Kingfisher
3  Downy Woodpecker
3  Northern Flicker
1  Alder Flycatcher
1  Eastern Pheobe
1  Great Crested Flycatcher
2  Eastern Kingbird
3  Blue Jay
3  American Crow
9  Barn Swallow
7  Black-capped Chickadee
1  White-breasted Nuthatch
35 American Robin
8  Grey Catbird
100 European Starling
14 Cedar Waxwing
1  Northern Waterthrush
3  Common Yellowthroat
3  Yellow Warbler
6  Song Sparrow
2  Lincoln's Sparrow
3  Swamp Sparrow
1  Northern Cardinal
2  Rose-breasted Grosbeak
20 Red-winged Blackbird
1  Eastern Meadowlark
140 Common Grackle
1  Purple Finch
13 American Goldfinch

Happy Summer Birding!

[zx003]

Just went back to the same location, saw a few different birds including Great Egret!



Airport Road- Train Tracks, Peterborough, CA-ON
Jul 27, 2012 4:30 PM - 5:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 kilometer(s)
Comments:     with Braeden
31 species
 
Wood Duck  8
Great Egret  1     Flushed out of the wetland area; black legs yellow bill, flew past at close range and to the east
Green Heron  2     flyovers, alighted atop a deciduous tree behind wetland
Virginia Rail  1     metallic churring call heard
Killdeer  3
Spotted Sandpiper  3
Ring-billed Gull  45     soaring over field in large group
Mourning Dove  4
Belted Kingfisher  1     flyover, landed on dead branch overhanging wetland
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  3     1 seen on the train tracks
Alder Flycatcher  2     together in dead tree briefly, 1 calling
Willow Flycatcher  1     "Wit" call heard, faint yellow on front
Eastern Phoebe  2
Great Crested Flycatcher  4
Eastern Kingbird  4
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  6
Black-capped Chickadee  3
American Robin  5
Grey Catbird  4
Common Starling  230
Cedar Waxwing  3
Common Yellowthroat  1
Yellow Warbler  2
Song Sparrow  5     1 juvenile seen
Swamp Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Common Grackle  1
American Goldfinch  15

[zx003]

Went back again, got another few interesting birds including excellent views of the usually reclusive Sora and Virginia Rail  

Airport Road- Train Tracks, Peterborough, CA-ON
Jul 30, 2012 6:30 AM - 7:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 kilometer(s)
47 species
 
Canada Goose  43     flyovers
Wood Duck  19     12 adults 7 babies
Mallard  3
Green-winged Teal  1     sitting next to MALL, difference in size and head shape & colour very obvious
Wild Turkey  1     on train tracks
Great Blue Heron  1     flew into wetland, landing just beside SORA, demonstrating massive size difference!
Green Heron  2
Virginia Rail  3     2 heard calling, 1 briefly seen running past SORA
Sora  2     1 seen standing on short dead tree in wetland, seconds later a 2nd individual seen foraging on far shore.
Killdeer  1     flyover, calling
Spotted Sandpiper  5     2 flyovers, 3 in marsh
Ring-billed Gull  1
Rock Dove  2     flyovers
Mourning Dove  4
Belted Kingfisher  1     flyover
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1     immature
Downy Woodpecker  2     1 heard calling, 1 seen in birch
Northern Flicker  1     calling
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2     calling
Eastern Phoebe  1     flycatching in marsh
Great Crested Flycatcher  2     actively foraging in trees to west side of wetland
Eastern Kingbird  5
Warbling Vireo  3     all seen foraging/singing at close range in small trees close to tracks
Red-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  5
American Crow  6
Barn Swallow  5
Black-capped Chickadee  7
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1     calling to north
American Robin  8     half immatures
Grey Catbird  4
Common Starling  55
Cedar Waxwing  10
Northern Waterthrush  2     calling from within marsh, seen very briefly when flushed to far side of wetland
Nashville Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  3     2 singing, 1 immature responding to pishing
Yellow Warbler  6
Chipping Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  16     at least 7 juveniles
Swamp Sparrow  5     2 singing, 3 immatures seen in reeds
Northern Cardinal  2     singing
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1     adult male seen in low bush on east side of wetland
Red-winged Blackbird  2     1 male in marsh, 1 female flyover
Common Grackle  5
Baltimore Oriole  3     50 feet from road, seen together
American Goldfinch  16
House Sparrow  1     calling to the east

[zx003]

Decided to go back what with migration warbler migration picking up, did not see many but excellent views of one yearbird: Magnolia Warbler.  Also was surprised to see a mixed group of 10 species sitting on one 15' stretch of rail road track.

Airport Road- Train Tracks, Peterborough, CA-ON
Aug 15, 2012 6:17 PM - 7:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 kilometer(s)
33 species
 
Canada Goose  X
Wood Duck  1     flyover
Mallard  4
Great Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  1
Virginia Rail  4
Ring-billed Gull  1
Mourning Dove  20     1 of many birds feeding in group on train tracks
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  3     also feeding in mixed group on train tracks
Alder Flycatcher  2
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  2
Blue Jay  3     2 individuals feeding on tracks
American Crow  4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  3
Barn Swallow  8
Black-capped Chickadee  15
American Robin  6     several immatures with group on tracks
Grey Catbird  7     3 immatures, 1 adult on tracks, flycatching
Common Starling  500     multiple flocks containing 80-130 birds, 2 individuals part of group on rail road tracks
Cedar Waxwing  6
Common Yellowthroat  4
Magnolia Warbler  1     black streaks on sides, white eye ring, grey neck, yellow rump (only clearly visible when wings extended). Literally had to stand back to focus on this bird.
Yellow Warbler  1     also briefly part of mixed flock on RR tracks
Song Sparrow  8     1 foraging on tracks with mixed group
Northern Cardinal  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  2     male and female in the group on train tracks
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Common Grackle  10     several in mix on tracks
American Goldfinch  7