Leslie Spit - April 7 - 10-4 - Big Day in the Wet Woods

[rickeckley]

Early migration was in full swing today at the Spit.  Highlights included:

Trumpeter Swan
Red-Tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Snipe
Woodcock
Sapsucker
Flicker
Phoebe
Kingbird
Creeper
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Mockingbird
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow (it seems impossibly early, but I got several long looks for the ID)
Brown-Headed Cowbird

All of these were in the Wet Woods, many of them on the path behind the parking lot nearest to Unwin Ave.

If i get more time, I can respond to specific questions about where I found each one.

[Reuven_M]

Are you absolutely sure about the kingbird? This would be a ridiculously early sighting (they winter in South America and don't usually show up until the very end of April)

[rickeckley]

I chased down the bird for about 45-minutes around the open fields south of the wet woods trying to get a positive ID.  Kingbird was my call after a number of sightings and querying other birders, but it's true, Rueven, I wasn't completely sold myself.  Still, I did try to rule out the other possibilities or I wouldn't have posted it.  In the end, I'm happy to ere on the side of caution and hope someone else can either confirm or offer another possibility.  I appreciate you keeping me on my game and questioning myself.  Another forum member was shooting a lot pf photos much of the time I was out there today.  Perhaps he can shed light on this with a pic.


Rick

[Reuven_M]

Obviously you know what a phoebe looks like, but that is by far the most likely possibility. They can look surprising dark and bicoloured at times (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eDsYe_W-c-E/R ... _0029b.jpg)

The easiest way to distinguish the two is probably the white tip to a kingbird's tail. If you didn't see this in 45 minutes, it was most likely not a kingbird.
The calls of these two species are also very different - phoebe's have a pretty nondescript chip note while the metallic calls of Eastern Kingbird are very distinctive

Reuven

[Rotarran]

I was the photographer that rickeckley is likely referring to.  In my pictures I only managed to capture the Phoebe.

[rickeckley]

Hi Rueven,

Everything you said makes sense.  This was most likely a mis-ID on my part. I never heard a call, so that can't help in this case, but your posted picture and my own subsequent research helps me see how dark and contrast-y some Phoebe's can indeed look - not what I'm used to and likely the main reason for my mistake. Thanks for your assistance.

Rick

[Reuven_M]

No problem! I made a very similar mistake when I started birding (I thought a Kingbird was a Black Phoebe), and didn't realise for a long time because I didn't have anyone to tell me that black phoebe isn't found in Ontario.

[rickeckley]

...still, even without the Kingbird, it was a marvelous early migration day on the Spit.  Seeing a Kinglet means the Spring Migration Show is really on the road...hopefully you can get out soon and enjoy some more of the early fun...