Leslie Street Spit

[AlvanBuckley]

Today I birded the spit with Mira Furgoch and although we didn't see the King Eiders or anything totally unexpected we still had a great day with beautiful weather and a good variety of birds with a count of 58 species.

Some of the highlights:

Trumpeter Swan (1), Wood Duck (2), American Wigeon (4), Green-winged Teal (4), Canvasback (18!), Common Loon (2), Black-crowned Night-Heron (7), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1), Northern Flicker (4), Eastern Phoebe (10!), Tree Swallow (15), Winter Wren (3), Hermit Thrush (1), Golden-crowned Kinglet (10).

The Night-Herons were all right here (along the point in the trees): 43.629366,-79.339378
About 5 Eastern Phoebes were here: 43.624489,-79.335086

Good luck and happy spring birding

Alvan

[AlvanBuckley]

There must have been a wave of migrants push through last night because within one hour of searching the baselands this morning (around 10:30) there were 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers , 2 Fox Sparrows, 4 Hermit Thrushes, 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet and at least 6 Eastern Phoebes.

[Andreas Jonsson]

Out on peninsula D (bird banding station) we had a good day today before the rains started in the late morning. Some highlights (including many firsts of the year)
are listed below (note, these are my personal observations, not the station totals):

6   Gadwall
2   American Wigeon
4   American Black Duck
1   Green-winged Teal
2   Canvasback
2   Redhead
170   Greater Scaup
30   Lesser Scaup
5   White-winged Scoter
5   Black-crowned Night-Heron
2   American Woodcock
1   Belted Kingfisher
1   Northern Flicker
3   Eastern Phoebe
2   Tree Swallow
1   Brown Creeper
1   Winter Wren
2   Golden-crowned Kinglet
1   Hermit Thrush
2   American Tree Sparrow
1   Fox Sparrow
4   Song Sparrow
15   Dark-eyed Junco
200   Red-winged Blackbird
100   blackbird sp.
6   Common Grackle
3   Brown-headed Cowbird

[AlvanBuckley]

A cold day at the spit this morning. I managed to find 50 species within the 2 hours I was there including 8 sparrow species!

Highlights:

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     2
Eastern Towhee     1
American Tree Sparrow     8
Chipping Sparrow     1
Fox Sparrow     3
Song Sparrow     30
Swamp Sparrow     4
White-throated Sparrow     15 (and probably more, they were everywhere!)
Dark-eyed Junco     20
Rusty Blackbird     2

Looking forward to the next warm front!

[AlvanBuckley]

I couldn't resist the temptation to go down to the Spit for a quick hour of birding after work and found some pretty good stuff!

Belted Kingfisher     1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)     5
Blue-headed Vireo     3
Red-breasted Nuthatch     1
Brown Creeper     4
Winter Wren     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     20
Hermit Thrush     40
Northern Mockingbird     1
Yellow Warbler     2!
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     80 ............ and probably more
Pine Warbler     5
Palm Warbler     1
Black-and-white Warbler     3
Louisiana Waterthrush     1! heard only though
Field Sparrow     1
Fox Sparrow     3
Song Sparrow     10
Swamp Sparrow     5
White-throated Sparrow     40
Dark-eyed Junco     10+
Rusty Blackbird     12!
Purple Finch     6

[mr.sharp-photo]

I couldn't resist the temptation to go down to the Spit for a quick hour of birding after work and found some pretty good stuff!

Belted Kingfisher     1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)     5
Blue-headed Vireo     3
Red-breasted Nuthatch     1
Brown Creeper     4
Winter Wren     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     20
Hermit Thrush     40
Northern Mockingbird     1
Yellow Warbler     2!
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     80 ............ and probably more
Pine Warbler     5
Palm Warbler     1
Black-and-white Warbler     3
Louisiana Waterthrush     1! heard only though
Field Sparrow     1
Fox Sparrow     3
Song Sparrow     10
Swamp Sparrow     5
White-throated Sparrow     40
Dark-eyed Junco     10+
Rusty Blackbird     12!
Purple Finch     6

you must own the following:

rubber boots
warm coat
gloves

I don't think this year will be a good year for the galloshes-less like me to enter the wet woods.

[bosh]

Biked out on the Spit today and saw 42 species. No huge revelations but a few interesting sightings. Nearly got eaten alive by ants in the wet woods.

Highlights:   
1    American Wigeon       
7    Canvasback    
1    White-winged Scoter    
2    Black-crowned Night-Heron    
1    Killdeer    
1    Spotted Sandpiper    
1    Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)       
2    Barn Swallow (American)    
1    Ruby-crowned Kinglet    
1    Hermit Thrush    
1    Northern Mockingbird    
24    Yellow-rumped Warbler    
9    Palm Warbler    
1    Black-and-white Warbler    
1    Eastern Towhee    
1    Field Sparrow    
1    Dark-eyed Junco    
2    Rusty Blackbird       
18    Brown-headed Cowbird    
5    American Goldfinch

[AlvanBuckley]

During the OFO trip we recorded about 84 species of birds. We had 18 species of warbler, high counts of Chimney Swifts, Philadelphia Vireo and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. Here are some highlights:

Black-bellied Plover     1
Solitary Sandpiper     2
Whimbrel     12
Semipalmated Sandpiper     2
Bonaparte's Gull     10
Great Black-backed Gull     1
Common Nighthawk     1
Chimney Swift     150, huge mob!
Eastern Wood-Pewee     5
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher     3!
Willow Flycatcher     10
Least Flycatcher     2
Blue-headed Vireo     1
Warbling Vireo     20
Philadelphia Vireo     20!
Red-eyed Vireo     10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     20
Purple Martin     1
Tree Swallow     50
Bank Swallow     5
Barn Swallow     50
Veery     1
Gray-cheeked Thrush     1
Swainson's Thrush     2
Cedar Waxwing     20
Tennessee Warbler     5
Nashville Warbler     1
Northern Parula     1
Yellow Warbler     20
Chestnut-sided Warbler     5
Magnolia Warbler     5
Black-throated Blue Warbler     1
Black-throated Green Warbler     5
Blackburnian Warbler     5
Bay-breasted Warbler     2
Blackpoll Warbler     10
Black-and-white Warbler     2
American Redstart     20
Northern Waterthrush     2
Mourning Warbler     3
Common Yellowthroat     5
Wilson's Warbler     5
Canada Warbler     5
Savannah Sparrow     2
Lincoln's Sparrow     5
White-crowned Sparrow     1
Scarlet Tanager     2
Orchard Oriole     5

+ a Blanding's Turtle

good birding,
Alvan

[Andreas Jonsson]

Hi Alvan, where did you have the shorebirds? I am heading down there tomorrow.

[AlvanBuckley]

Sorry for the slow reply,
The Whimbrels, Plover and peeps were all on the east coast just east of the road that goes to the banding station. They were in the exact same spot on the exact same date last year!!!
The 2 Solitary Sandpipers were in the "shorebird cell". Which is also on the east coast, about 1 km North of the light house.

Hope you had a good day out there!

[AlvanBuckley]

Yesterday I spent a few hours at the Spit. The only semi-unexpected bird was a male Bobolink along the East beach.
A female Peregrine Falcon was hunting nearby as well.

Many butterflies out with 18 Monarchs being my first ones for the year + ten other species.

Alvan

[dbellilo]

Hi there,
I too was at the Spit yesterday and was happy to see 4 Bohemian Waxwings towards the northerly beginnings of the park, along the walking trail, lakeside. Also, a juvenile orchard oriole, which was quite a treat! It took me a while to ID the bird, but there you have it...
David

[AlvanBuckley]

Hi David,
You likely saw Cedar Waxwings instead of Bohemian Waxwings. They can be very difficult to distinguish and I have made the mistake many times before! Bohemian Waxwings are here typically during the winter (if at all) and during the summer they are much further North.
Nice find with the Orchard Oriole!

take care,
Alvan

[dbellilo]

Hmmm

[Reuven_M]

Can you post them? Would be a very significant find