Birdathon 2023 – Yukon Edition

The Yukon Bird Club hosts an annual Birdathon on the last weekend of May and as this timing worked well for me I decided to join the other local birders for this event. Traditionally, the Yukon Birdathon is done from 5pm Friday to 5pm Saturday rather than the more typical single calendar day. I rather prefer this method as it is not quite as hectic, with the birding spread over two days.

Savannah Sparrow

However, I was returning from a two night birding trip to Watson Lake with a couple friends on Friday afternoon so I ended up postponing my Birdathon a few hours. Shortly after 8pm I rolled in to my first stop, the Quartz Road Marsh in downtown Whitehorse. This little bay of the Yukon River and the gravel bars further out can be a real gold mine with various rare shorebirds and gulls gracing it over the years. Could it deliver on the Birdathon? Time would tell.

As I put my binos to my eyes I noted the pair of Snow Geese that had been hanging around, off and on, for the past week or more. A great start as I wouldn’t see them again. One individual of the pair of Ring-billed Gulls that similarly have set up residence here was on show while a Rusty Blackbird flew up off the muddy shore of one of the side channels. Raptors are always nice to pick up on a Birdathon so I was please to note a Merlin perched in a snag. My first birding stop was rounds out by my only American Crow and House Sparrow of the Birdathon, birds that are only likely to be found right around downtown.

Next up was the overlook at the mouth of McIntyre Creek. This is a site that I have only visited a couple times but looks to have similar potential to Quartz Road Marsh. I picked up several species of waterfowl as well as a few swallows but the only notable sighting was an interesting hybrid male Mallard x Northern Pintail.

Red-winged Blackbird

My final stop of the evening was at Versluce Meadows in the neighbourhood of Porter Creek. This was my first visit to the meadow this spring and I was hoping for calling Sora which are present around the pond. Alas, a feature of the whole Birdathon was strong southwesterly winds and these would play a big role causing a marked decrease in bird vocalizations throughout. The expected Ruddy Ducks were present along with a lone Blue-winged Teal and a couple Red-winged Blackbirds.

A quick stop in at the section of the McIntyre Creek Wetland at the base of our road provided my first of many Western Wood-pewees to round out the evening.

The following morning I noted my first Varied Thrush and only Red Crossbill of the Birdathon before leaving home. I opted to go up the Fish Lake Road to see if I could rustle up a calling Dusky Flycatcher on a tip I had received. En route I again stopped at the McIntyre Creek wetland not far from home and got a nice selection of wetland birds like a winnowing Wilson’s Snipe, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Waterthrush and a Belted Kingfisher exiting its nest in a hole in the bank over the road. A surprise was a calling Black-billed Magpie which was a new bird for me at this site – part of my local “patch” that I bird regularly from home.

I made an impromptu decision to stop off at the Pumphouse Pond a bit further up the road. I was hoping to maybe find an American Dipper on the creek below the pond but alas, it was not to be. However, I did get several new birds for the day including Hammond’s Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo as well as Red-necked Grebe, Common Merganser (my only ones of the Birdathon), Bufflehead and Spotted Sandpiper on the pond.

The rest of the drive up to the viewpoint where I had hoped to pick up Dusky Flycatcher was uneventful. The strong wind was keeping any Flycatchers around quiet but I did get a consolation Hermit Thrush, singing its ethereal song. I spotted a couple Swainson’s Thrush cavorting at the roadside as I drove back down.

Returning down the road halfway I turned off at the Copper Haul Road and spent the next hour birding the upper McIntyre Creek area. This is a very productive section of wetlands, ponds and adjacent forest that is one of the few local migrant traps of sorts for songbirds. I heard and then saw a fine looking male Yellow Warbler while in the lower section there was a large flock of Swallows foraging that included the 5 expected species. While watching the Swallows I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk soaring overhead. While the bushes in the lower section held a host of Wilson’s Warbler and some Yellow-rumpeds, the hoped for Blackpoll Warbler was not to be found.

White-winged Crossbill

Making a few stops along the Copper Haul Road I got a few new birds such as my only Townsend’s Warbler, White-winged Crossbills and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Dropping back down towards town I made a stop in at Shwatka Lake, above the dam. This can be a good location for Scoters, loons and other waterfowl a bit earlier in the spring but with all the ice gone and the local floatplane traffic it was quiet for me. I did scrounge up my only Common Loon and Long-tailed Duck of the day though, so it was worth the stop!

The local sewage lagoons are always worth a visit and I was anticipating this to be my best shot at Scoters, shorebirds and the Eared Grebes that breed here and nowhere else around Whitehorse. I got a bonus Northern Harrier on the drive in after which I started out scanning the waterfowl, picking out a few Greater Scaup among the numerous Lessers. I soon noted a small group of Surf Scoters which were followed in short order by a group of White-winged Scoters. Just as I was about to head around to the upper ponds I noted an Eared Grebe swimming out from an out-of-sight bay; success!

Lesser Yellowlegs at the sewage lagoons

Moving to the upper ponds I spied an Olive-sided Flycatcher. One of these ponds in particular I was counting on to be my best bet for any late migrant shorebirds but it proved to be completely empty, other than a couple Mallards and Short-billed Gulls. One of the other cells of the lagoons, that is typically quite good for waterfowl, held a flock of Canvasback as well as a couple Redhead which were some consolation for the lack of shorebirds.

Back in town, I stopped in at the Centennial Bridge, just below the dam in the hope of getting the two Harlequin Ducks that had been seen there recently. I was in luck and they were visible along the rocks just upstream. Meanwhile, downstream I noted a couple Arctic Terns that presumably nest on the rocky islets of the Yukon River.

Harlequin Duck

A second quick stop in at Quartz Road Marsh was unproductive as I headed home for a quick lunch.

Refreshed, I headed north of town to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. This area has extensive open habitats, flooded fields, ponds and aspen groves which have many species that I wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere on this day. As I was leaving the parking lot I heard a calling Hairy Woodpecker. One of the first areas is the Bison pen and I noted a locally scarce (though somewhat regular at this site) Brown-headed Cowbird atop one of the Bison. There were Wilson’s Warblers everywhere here and there seemed to be a bit of a mini fallout of them and Western Wood-pewees here.

Further along I noted a couple birds of open farmland; Mountain Bluebird and Say’s Phoebe. Passing a patch of Aspen I heard the diagnostic “che-beck” of a Least Flycatcher. Poking my head into the grove I soon picked it out as it sallied for insects.

In the Moose enclosure there is a large pond where numerous pairs of Horned Grebes breed along with a few pairs of American Coots. Noting these among a variety of other waterfowl, I turned my attention across the road to a different set of ponds. As anticipated, the Red-necked Phalarope pair that always seem to be there were present! I was happy to note a skulking Solitary Sandpiper nearby as well.

Horned Grebe

Unfortunately, I was becoming pressed for time as the Reserve closes at 5pm. I had to dash back and as I neared the parking lot I got a message on the local “Bird Chatter” whatsapp group. Cameron and Lena had found a Black-legged Kittiwake at Quartz Road Marsh! My intentions of carrying on to the agricultural areas and Lake Laberge further north of the Wildlife Preserve were immediately put on the back burner as I headed back to town, hoping beyond hope that the Kittiwake would stick around. Kittiwakes are a marine species of gull and the last one in Whitehorse was back in the 90’s. Needless to say, there was already a bit of a crowd of birders (by Yukon standards!) present when I pulled in and I was able to immediately view it in Cameron’s scope. It ended up putting on a bit of a show, flying around and even coming in and circling right in front of us as well as loafing among the other gulls out on the gravel bars. Surprisingly, it has stuck around and is still present as I write this a week later!

At this point I had to make a decision whether to go back to my plan of going up to Lake Laberge or ending my Birdathon two hours early in order to go to the Birdathon after party potluck at a nearby park. You can probably guess that I chose the former option and used my remaining time to try to rustle up something new in the agricultural fields along Burma Road (sadly, no Kestrel) or waterfowl/shorebird up at Jackfish Bay on lake Laberge. I’ve seen both Ruffed and Spruce Grouse previously on the drive in to Jackfish Bay but with the wind it was improbable that I would hear a Ruffed drumming and a short jaunt through the spruce forest where I had seen the eponymous grouse was also fruitless.

Upon arrival at Jackfish Bay, I heard a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drumming. While I gave the bay a good, hard scan I couldn’t turn up anything new other than a Black bear along the far shore so the Sapsucker would end up being my last bird of the day.

After submitting the last of my eBird lists I was surprised to see my tally for the Birdathon had been 91 species – the exact same count as my Birdathon last year! With the high wind, the odd shower and even a few snow flakes in the morning (!) I had expected that I would be well short of my last attempt but birding can be unpredictable and in this case, in my favour.

A full bird list for my Birdathon can be found at the following eBird Trip Report link Whitehorse Birdathon 2023

An obliging White-crowned Sparrow by the Centennial Bridge

As in previous years, my Birdathon is a fundraiser for the Talatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory. This year I am pleased to be joined on the “Wandering Tatlers” Birdathon team by Sachi Dell (current TLBO Bander) and previous Bander-in-charge, Steve ogle who both conducted their Birdathons in the Kootenays of BC! We are aiming to raise $3000 and as I write this our team is just over halfway to our goal, so still a long way to go! There are two ways to make donations to the TLBO, for donations under $250 we ask that you donate through our Birdathon and these funds will go towards our 2024 program. For larger donations please consider contacting us by email at tatlayokobirds@hotmail.com for instructions on how to donate directly (via cheque or etransfer) to the Tatlayoko Field Station Society as these funds will be immediately available for use in 2023. All donations will receive a tax receipt.

To make a donation via the Birdathon you can visit our team page at: Avery’s Yukon Birdathon 2023

The TLBO has had a few homes over the years but is now a project of the Tatlayoko Field Station Society. We are eternally grateful to Nature Conservancy of Canada for their continued support and access to their Tatlayoko Lake Ranch property where the TLBO operates. Thank you for your generosity and we look forward to August when we undertake our 17^th season of operation!

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Birdathon 2022: Yukon Edition

Having recently moved back to Canada, to a new adventure in the northern wilderness city of Whitehorse, I was even more excited than usual to do my Birdathon this year. I was away on a birding trip to Alaska the last week of May so I missed out on the annual Yukon Birdathon event. My first opportunity to do my Birdathon therefor came June 1. The last week of May is probably the best time to hit peak diversity and being slightly past that I was curious to see if there would be many lingering migrant shorebirds and waterfowl around.

At 5:15 I was up and after packing myself up some breakfast and a thermos of tea I headed to the nearby Versluce Meadows in my local neighbourhood of Porter Creek. The expected Sora was calling as I stepped out of the car and Lincoln’s, Fox and White-crowned Sparrows, Yellow Warbler and Common Yellowthroat added to the soundscape. On the little pond were two male Ruddy Ducks and a pair of nesting Horned Grebes.

One of many Wilson’s Snipes at MacIntyre Marsh

Driving up Fish Lake Road I hoped to spot a Grouse or two on the roadside and perhaps an American Three-toed Woodpecker. Alas, I would have to make do with the expected regulars such as winnowing Wilson’s Snipe and rollicking Lesser Yellowlegs while many Orange-crowned, Wilson’s and Yellow-rumped Warblers were in full song.

At McIntyre Creek Marsh I spent a productive and enjoyable hour birding the wetlands and forests. Canada Jay, Belted Kingfisher and Chipping Sparrow were detected from the parking area before I headed down to the further ponds. Here there was the usual flurry of activity with a few each of American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Barrow’s Goldeneye and Bufflehead on the water. The Hammond’’s and Alder Flycatchers were both in the same spot as I saw them on my last visit. A couple Blackpoll Warblers were foraging around the edge of the wetland while a male Rusty Blackbird methodically worked the water’s edge, periodically giving its “squeaky gate” song. A pair of Varied Thrush made a brief appearance, my only ones of the day.

A male “Myrtle” Yellow-rumped Warbler

Heading across town I decided to drive as far as I could up Grey Mountain. Having been there for a hike on Sunday I knew I could get nearly to the tree-line where I might pick up a few new species. This proved a good decision as I soon had a foraging female Townsend’s Warbler, a Dusky Flycatcher enthusiastically singing and a shy Golden-crowned Sparrow collecting nesting material. I had expected that all of these targets would be trickier than the Townsend’s Solitaire, which seemed to be everywhere on Sunday. But birding can be like that and I was made to work for my Solitaire, walking over to a nearby bluff where one finally popped up to give a few stanzas of bubbling song. Back at he vehicle I found a Pine Siskin to be calling atop a nearby spruce. This species is at the northern extent of its range here and thus is somewhat infrequent and indeed this was my first in the Yukon.

Golden-crowned Sparrow on Grey Mountain

Next up was the sewage lagoons which help a good variety of waterfowl including both species of Scaup, a pair of Canvasback, Surf and White-winged Scoter, singles of Common Goldeneye and Trumpeter Swan as well as a pair of Red-necked Phalaropes. Driving back towards town an American Kestrel flew over, my only falcon of the day. A quick stop in at Schwatka Lake added my only Red-necked Grebe and first Arctic Tern.

After lunch at home (and the hoped for Red Crossbills in the pines behind our back yard) I had to bring my vehicle into Kal Tire to get my summer tires put on. While an inconvenience, it gave me a chance to bird the nearby Quartz Rd. Marsh along the river downtown. While there were no lingering shorebirds I did get my only American Crows of the day and a lovely singing Purple Finch with a female nearby.

Picking up a couple Samosas for a dinner on the run I headed north of the city to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. Unfortunately, as they close at 6pm I only had an hour to bird here but I made the most of it, walking the loop around the Bison and Deer enclosures. A few open country species such as stunning Mountain Bluebirds and the more subdued Say’s Phoebe were about while my only Barn Swallows of the day flitted about overhead. Good numbers of waterfowl were in the flooded fields and ponds and I was pleased to see a male Blue-winged Teal and American Coot, both somewhat uncommon up here. Another pair of Red-necked Phalaropes were enjoyable to watch but, other than several Lesser Yellowlegs there were no other shorebirds to be found.

A female Yellow Warbler at Jackfish Bay

The last area to bird for the day was Lake Laberge and here I joined up with Cameron Eckert. We started at the south shore where aRuffed Grouse was drumming and a yellow-bellied Sapsucker paid a visit to its wells by the parking lot. I had been out here once with Cameron, a few weeks ago when the lake was still mostly ice-covered and it had been teeming with waterfowl, gulls and a nice diversity of shorebirds. Now that the ice was gone, water levels had risen somewhat and there were markedly less birds. Still, several hundred waterfowl were present and these included a flock of 45 Snow Geese and a lingering male Eurasian Wigeon. Looking south into the mouth of Horse Creek we could see a trip of unidentified Dowitchers along with a larger shorebird; a Hudsonian Godwit! A couple Semipalmated Plovers were the only other shorebirds present. A small group of Bonaparte’s Gulls and a few Common Loons loafed on the lake while my only warbling Vireo sang from the trees behind us.

A bit further to the North, we checked out Jackfish Bay which I had not visited before. It was immediately evident that this could be a great birding location and we started with my only Hairy Woodpecker of the day. Among a group of Trumpeter Swans was the lone Tundra that Cameron had noted here on previous visits. Redhead and Red-breasted Merganser joined my long list of waterfowl species. A beautiful “Cross” Fox (a term for the partially melanistic Red Foxes that are quite common in the north) stole the show here as it hung out with us for a few minutes, quite unconcerned by our presence.

A Cross Fox that came and lay down next to us at Jackfish Bay

Moving around to East Point we scoped the lake in front of a spectacular backdrop of mountains bathed in the evening light. A trio of Red-throated Loons were among the more numerous Commons and eventually they started giving their blood-curdling calls.

My final stop was at Shallow Bay where I had to walk in a few hundred metres, across the edge of a field and then through a bit of flooded Willows. The bay itself was equally scenic as our previous vantage point and while the only bird I added for the day was a Black-billed Magpie on the walk in it was a perfect place to wrap up an enjoyable day, scoping a variety of ducks in the last of the direct sunlight before the sun dipped behind the mountain.

The final bird of the day, my 91^st species, was a “Harlan’s” Red-tailed Hawk atop the power poles just after I got back on the highways and headed home.

As in previous years, my Birdathon is a fundraiser for the Talatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory. This year I am pleased to be joined on the “Wandering Tatlers” Birdathon team by Sachi Dell (current TLBO Bander) and my friend Dominic Cormier in Nova Scotia! We are aiming to raise $4500 and as I write this our team is at just shy of $1000, so a long way to go! There are two ways to make donations to the TLBO: for donations under $250 we ask that you donate through our Birdathon and these funds will go towards our 2023 program. For larger donations please consider contacting us by email at tatlayokobirds@hotmail.com for instructions on how to donate directly (via cheque or etransfer) to the Tatlayoko Field Station Society as these funds will be immediately available for use in 2022. All donations will receive a tax receipt.

To make a donation via the Birdathon you can visit our team page at: https://www.canadahelps.org/s/ncgDGR

The TLBO has had a few homes over the years but is now a project of the Tatlayoko Field Station Society. We are eternally grateful to Nature Conservancy of Canada for their continued support and access to their Tatlayoko Lake Ranch property where the TLBO operates. Thank you for your generosity and we look forward to August when we undertake our 16^th season of operation!

One more shot of the inquisitive Cross Fox!

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Steve’s Birdathon 2021 Edition

My second annual Great Canadian Birdathon started out a lot more comfortably than the first (when I slept in a rainy, slushy bivouac). This time, I woke up in my own warm bed, which gave me a boost and I was on my way to Kootenay Pass by 5am. During the 50 minute drive I did not see a single vehicle on either of the two major highways, making it feel like some sort of zombie movie or one of those post-apocalyptic thrillers about a deadly pandemic.

Back to reality though…my plan was to drop my car at the pass and embark on foot and pedal, which was only possible because friends Graeme and Keyes were heading to Creston that day and offered to shuttle my vehicle down. Logistical win in my hope for an all human-powered bird count.

The mountains are what makes this worth it. Few birdathons can start as high as 1900 metres on a ridgetop. Unfortunately, the inside joke us Kootenay folk enjoy is that you might be on a mountain, but the alpine is still far away, or in another region. That was the case here and I didn’t get any alpine birds, being in the trees the whole time, but I did get all of my expected targets including Boreal Chickadee, Pine Grosbeak, White-crowned Sparrow, Cassin’s Finch, Fox Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Barrow’s Goldeneye (on Bridal Lake), with an unexpected surprise of a Dusky Grouse scaring me by flushing in front of my feet. The snow was firm with easy travel. Another highlight was a set of not-so-fresh grizzly tracks.

Bridal Lake up at Kootenay Pass. There’s a Bald Eagle in that centre tree

Grizzly tracks in the snow- they hibernate high in the mountains and move down in the spring.

This is not to say I didn’t get excited about the drop down into the Creston Valley, where a great avian diversity can be found. I saddled up while realizing I had left my helmet in the (now in Creston) car, so I took it easy on the 35km descent, stopping periodically to listen for species that would be difficult lower down. These included: Lincoln’s Sparrow, Townsend’s, MacGillivray’s, Wilson’s, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Steller’s Jay, Varied and Swainson’s Thrush, and some others. The Creston Valley that awaited below is awesome for wetland and open-country birds but it is not easy to find forest species there, and it gets windy and/or hot in the afternoons. Therefore, I had to focus on those during my descent. During the hour or so, I peered over at the adjacent Summit Creek to look for one of our most beautiful species, the Harlequin Duck that winters on the coast but nests beside fast-flowing creeks. Finally, lo-and-behold, a male was sitting on a rock mid-torrent: species 35 or so. I would have a nice picture here if I decided to bring my camera, but with a hot and sunny forecast it doesn’t lend itself to photography (bird pics here are from other forays)- not to mention I had to keep moving, and continue to Golden that night for work. Therefore my day was shorter than last year, but I was off to a good morning.

The four species of Chickadees in BC (clockwise from top left): Chestnut-backed, Boreal, Mountain and Black-capped

Birding is a true pastime, not a sport per se, so when you allocate some kind of objective to it other than simple, meditative nature time, you often come across with a hollow feeling of “What’s the point of all this?” I get that way when hunger sets in. Regardless, I was trying to beat my last year’s total of 118 species, not to mention I had this not-for-profit component, so I shut off my mind and focused on the fact that, by 9am I already had four species of chickadee under my belt. Pastime or not, nobody said I wasn’t competitive.

Spotted Towhee

Now in the valley, I switched to shorts and set off to Leach Lake at a more leisurely pace. This place is exceptional and I recommend a visit here for even non-birders. A month earlier I had spent a night here with the family to experience the marsh before the notorious mosquitos set in. Even at the end of May in a heat wave there were still no mozzies to be found, but by mid-June Creston becomes nearly uninhabitable for mammals.

Song Sparrow

Heading along the dyke I encountered a colony of Bank Swallows in a sandbank that were surely awaiting the mosquito hatch. This species is now listed as threatened because they are on the decline. This fact wouldn’t be known if it wasn’t for all the monitoring conducted at the various bird observatories throughout North America—all part of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network. Anyway, shortly I heard my first Gray Catbirds of the season, and then the symphony of Least Flycatchers that live in the cottonwood groves. Other species along the dyke included: Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Wood-Pewee, American Redstart, Mourning Dove, Eastern Kingbird and others. When I arrived at the open double-track above the wetlands I could finally pull out my scope to look over the marsh.

A Gadwall, better known for its call note than its flamboyance

Over the next couple of hours I bumped around the wetland complex scanning through the increasing heat haze for ducks and other birds. The best of the lot were: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Pied-billed Grebe, Redhead, Red-necked Grebe, Black Tern, American White Pelican, American Bittern (possibly my best species of the day), and Virginia Rail.

Getting the scope on part of Leach Lake

By noon I had to retreat back to the highway, but I had around 95 species under my belt. I was still missing a few, but with a quick visit to the Creston Valley Wildlife Centre I picked up Willow Flycatcher, Barn and Cliff Swallows, Downy Woodpecker, Wild Turkey, and both Rufous and Black-chinned Hummingbirds at the feeder. Now I had a hot 15km ride along the highway to Lower Wynndel Road, which is a nice place to find Western Kingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and sometimes Bobolink (which I did find, thanks to a recent record I saw on eBird).

Bobolink, a grassland bird that doesn’t mix with agriculture well

At this point I was approaching Duck Lake via Channel Road. Some usual forest birds would be difficult to detect during a hot afternoon and I didn’t find Veery or Orange-crowned Warbler on my day, which would be easy in the twilight hours. I was lucky, however, to hear a single Pacific-slope Flycatcher at 3pm.

Northern Shoveler

Duck Lake itself is the primo birding hotspot in the Kootenays but now it had high water so there was little chance for finding any lingering shorebirds. If I did this route two weeks earlier I might add a dozen species of shorebirds to my list, but mid-May is too earlier for many songbirds, so it’s a trade-off. The only species I added here were a couple of flyover California Gulls, Western Grebes, and a lone Northern Shoveler, and by 4pm I had to double back to the Wynndel store where my car was parked. Thankfully, the eBird app I use on my phone keeps a fairly decent record of the species for the day, and I had already topped my 2020 tally. I took a minute to think of any more birds that had eluded me, a couple of which would be easy given more time. They included: House Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, Calliope Hummingbird, California Quail, Sandhill Crane, Blue Jay, Townsend’s Solitaire, Wilson’s Phalarope, Forster’s Tern, Mountain Bluebird, Ruddy Duck, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Collared-Dove and any of the accipiter hawks. With the notion that next year I might do even better, I triumphantly climbed the only hill of the day, just before the store, picking up a cooing dove just before the cold beer fridge at the Wynndel Store. I was really happy with the day, my legs were torched and… did I mention the beer fridge?

I ran out of water but found a piece of Hubba Bubba in my pocket

My totals for the day were 125 species observed over exactly 100km of biking.

Thanks everyone for reading and donating, if you did. If not, please feel free to help me get to my total of $1000 to help the efforts at the Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory. Donations are tax deductible. Here is the link: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bird-studies-canada/p2p/birdathon21/team/the-wandering-tatlers/member/steves-birdathon/

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Birding on a Hope and a Prairie -Dom’s Birdathon 2021

*** Thanks to Dominic Cormier for joining The Wandering Tatlers Birdathon team this year, helping us raise funds for the TLBO from from his prairie home in Saskatoon! The below writeup was written by Dom and the accompanying photos are his as well. Enjoy***

Spring on the prairies can be eventful weather-wise. Last week swung from a sweltering 32 degrees on Tuesday, to snowing on Friday. I waited out the cold snap, and with southerly winds overnight Saturday, and a high of 16 for Sunday, I was ready to do my biking birdathon.

I woke up early Sunday to a reading of 1 degree, but stepping outside in my toque and down jacket, spring was clearly in the air. Blackpoll and Tennessee Warbler song hit my ears, and the smell of warm moisture felt just right. A low back tire required some 5:30 am pumping to get the air and blood flowing, but then I was off on my trusty bike, loaded with water, snacks, binoculars, and my equally trusty Kowa scope resting in my pannier.

My first order of business was the nearby President Murray Park. An oasis of White Spruce trees on the prairies, it has a knack for drawing passing boreal migrants, and even nesting crossbills. Migrating Swainson’s Thrush dotted lawns as I biked by. A Veery singing in a nearby alley was a surprise, and I was happy to spot my only Grey-cheeked Thrush of the day among the Swainson’s. The quiet of the city early on a Sunday was rather refreshing. I quickly found the regular cast of common birds, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Magpie, House Finch and the like, and my ears picked up the local White-winged Crossbills in the far corner of the park. My peace was momentarily disturbed by some dude trying to hawk me stolen goods in the otherwise empty park. If you try to assure me something isn’t stolen, make sure the security tag isn’t still attached to the pants you are wearing!

Leaving him behind to plead with the magpies, I headed to the river’s edge, pedaling under towering elms in full leaf-out dripping with singing Tennessee Warblers. More Swainson’s Thrush kept me company as I passed. A slow smile spread across my face. I had picked a good day for a bike-based Birdathon!

Swainson’s Thrush later in the day at President Murray Park

The South Saskatchewan River runs through Saskatoon, and is almost entirely bordered by green space and the Meewasin trail, a well maintained trail network. Kudos to whomever had the foresight and will to make that happen. Big days are a mix of the auditory and visual, and the riparian woods were alive with the song of Yellow Warblers and Least Flycatchers. My ears also picked up the odd Warbling Vireo, American Redstart, and more Blackpoll Warblers. Blackpolls seemed to be at every forested stop I made, as they journeyed from the northern Amazon basin to the Boreal forest. I was jazzed to find an Olive-sided Flycatcher, a scarce spring migrant through town, making a similar journey. After the snow on Friday, I was happy to brush off the odd mosquito and other small flies getting in my face. Along with a singing Northern Waterthrush, a migrating Alder Flycatcher at the water’s edge, and the aforementioned Veery and Olive-sided Flycacther, I knew I was going to have a better birding day than last year. 2020’s 17th of May birdathon was a tad too early for most neotropical migrant birds coming through Saskatoon. The grey and windy conditions that day also didn’t help.

Searching for migrants along the Meewasin Trail

I biked northward on the trail to the locally famous weir along the river, where the always reliable American White Pelicans obliged my birding efforts by being, well, reliable. Nothing like destructive human infrastructure to provide great fishing opportunities for voracious pelicans. Spotted Towhees sang from the now more scubby thickets, and I spotted a lone Double-crested Cormorant resting at the sandy tip of Goose Island. Tucked up against the bank of the island among the geese and common puddle ducks, was a male Hooded Merganser. Not a species I had expected, as most have gone off to breed at beaver ponds far from town.

I crossed the river at one of the many concrete spans, and biked north for many kilometers on open paths cutting through mixed greenspace. I periodically stopped to scan the river, and listened to birds singing from the trees and shrubs at the water’s edge. Grey Catbirds sang their jumbled tunes, and Brown Thrashers did their best bird impressions. Flashy Baltimore Orioles flitted from riverside cottonwoods, and a striking male Rose-breasted Grosbeak ate buds from a flowering crabapple. I was surprised to hear the call of a Western Kingbird atop a hardwood. Two more joined the first, temporary sentinels passing through town.

As I came to the north end of the Meewasin trail, it was time for some species-specific planning to bear fruit. I had previously scouted out a Purple Martin nesting house in a backyard along the trail, and knew a pair of Euraisian Collard-Doves frequented the neighbouring yards. Sure enough, two Purple Martins came soaring into their house just at the right time, and a dove cry drew my eyes and binoculars to its perched form on a rooftop. Passing between houses and a small patch of grassland, Clay-colored and Chipping Sparrows were everywhere, and I finally found my only White-crowned Sparrow of the day mixed in with them. This is a common migrant, but May 23rd is getting late to find them still hanging around town.   

The wild banks of the South Saskatchewan River

Cutting back into the thick riparian forest of the river’s edge, more orioles, grosbeaks, and Yellow Warblers filled the air. An Ovenbird sang from the tangled undergrowth, and two Black-and-white Warblers worked the scraggly trunks above my head, giving me a modest 9 species of warbler for the day. After getting a bit muddy, I emerged back onto the dry open prairie and pedaled hard to a small wetland network just north of town where ducks and other fowl awaited.

For the next hour, I circled cattail ponds looking for Marsh Wren and Nelson’s Sparrow. The cattails and wet verges of the ponds were devoid of both wren and sparrow, but I heard and saw a few Sora, and found a nice Swamp Sparrow. I watched a male Ruddy Duck make its bizarre mating noise, and checked off Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk and Northern Harrier in quick succession. It can be surprisingly easy to miss raptors on a big day, and such would be the case for me as I struck out on Turkey Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, and Osprey by day’s end.

Richardson’s Ground Squirrels are less fond of raptors

With midday approaching, it was time for the proverbial ace-in-the-hole of my birding big day. A nearby lake, part of a natural area called the Northeast Swale, teems with waterfowl and migrating and local shorebirds during spring. The whole area gets its fair share of human traffic, but not this lake because access is tricky. Rolling up with great anticipation, I was dismayed to find someone already there poking around the best shorebird spots. A quick binocular scan for shorebirds seemed to confirm the worst. The mudflats looked mostly empty. The shorebirds had obviously been scared off by this person, I concluded. Many choice words were uttered to the wind; an uncouth lament at the this interloper’s disturbance. It’s funny how something so benign can rattle the spirit. Nonetheless, I reset my expectations and set about scoping the lake for ducks, of which there were plenty. I also started to pick out distant shorebirds along the edges. A nice flock of Stilt Sandpipers and a lone Black-bellied Plover accompanied the local American Avocet, Willet, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Marbled Godwit pair. Lesser Yellowlegs, and a few Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers materialized out of the void. Small flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes danced across the lake, and one Pectoral Sandpiper rested among the shoreline vegetation. I looked up from the scope to realize a flock of Black Terns had descended on the lake, and were making short work of emerging insects. All the while, the ducks coated the lake, hundreds of birds of 13 different species. In a small puddle, three Short-billed Dowitcher methodically probing the mud would be my last new shorebird species.

American Avocet at the Northeast Swale

I biked southward back to town, passing through the rest of the Swale where I nabbed my only pair of Horned Grebes, and a lone Ring-necked Duck; surprisingly uncommon compared to their much more ubiquitous cousins the Canvasback, Redhead, and Lesser Scaup. I also saw my only European Starling of the day. Believe it or not, this was a stakeout bird nesting in a building surrounded by last year’s canola stalks. Starlings are rare urban birds here, preferring to stick to their agricultural haunts. As the last Vesper Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks sang on the grassy edge of the swale, I cut through new cookie cutter homes to the local park/zoo. Packed with people on a nice Sunday afternoon, I was only interested in spotting a pair of Red-necked Grebes inhabiting a small pond stocked with rainbow trout for the numerous recreational anglers. Fait acommpli, I cut back to the river and retraced some of my route back to my house. Hotdogs on the grill, and yarning about past fishing exploits would be for another day.

Sitting at home, it was now mid-afternoon and I was at 113 species for the day. That was 12 more than last year, and I still had plans to add a few more. After some much-needed sustenance, I biked southward along the river, covering new ground and hoping to add Western Grebe, Cliff Swallow, and Common Merganser to the day’s avian riches, or perhaps spot an additional migrant heading to the boreal, like a Magnolia, Cape May, or Blackburnian Warbler. No such luck would be had. After spying a few expected Herring Gulls among the hundreds of California and Ring-billed Gulls that loaf near the city dump, I started to fade. However, I picked out an interesting first-year gull. Black bill, white head, dark mantle, little contrast between the primaries and secondaries… a 1^st cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull. Not a bad find for a late May big day in the prairies. Turning around, I stopped at a small local park hoping for the Cooper’s Hawk pair to emerge (they didn’t – I should have tried to find the nest), and then wheeled myself back to my doorstep. With 2.5 hours of light left, I likely could have dug up a few more species by doing the rounds of the small local parks in the area, but at that point, I had had my fill. 12 hours, 115 species, and exactly 60 km later, I was content with my big day in Saskatoon!

The riveting beauty of a 1st cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull 😉

To make a donation to the Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory via “Dom’s Birdathon Biking Big Day” page please visit the below website. All donors receive a tax receipt.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bird-studies-canada/p2p/birdathon21/team/the-wandering-tatlers/member/doms-biking-big-day-prairie-edition/

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Birdathon on The Rock – Blair and Megan’s Big Day 2021

*** Thanks to Megan Buers and Blair Dudeck for joining The Wandering Tatlers Birdathon team this year, helping us raise funds for the TLBO all the way from their home in Newfoundland! The below writeup of their Birdathon was written by Megan. Enjoy***

Just as Sachi suffered from a lack of sleep before the big day, I also had a sleepless night. Unfortunately, being in the heart of St. John’s, Newfoundland, this did not provide the opportunities for owls as it had him. Going to sleep that night was like going to sleep on Christmas Eve waiting for a day full of birding! Blair Dudeck and I woke up a half hour before the alarm we had set for 5:00 am. We promptly packed up our gear and headed on the road to just outside St. John’s, for the Gould’s, an area known for good spring migration activity and vagrant warblers. We took an early morning walk down the side of Second Pond, trying to keep quiet for the long weekend campers still asleep in the surrounding area. The morning chorus was dominated by American Robins, Northern Waterthrush, Black and White Warblers, Blackpoll Warblers, White-throated Sparrows, a lone Blue Jay, and some kinglets of both flavours (Golden- & Ruby-crowned). Having no luck finding any owls that morning, we headed out for the day.

Our first stop after leaving St. John’s was Old Shop, where a Snowy Egret had been spotted on the 16th of May. We found the egret foraging along with some Ring-billed Gulls. In a nearby inlet we found some more gulls Herring Gull mainly, along with a Common Loon, plenty of Ring-billed Gulls and a single Iceland gull. While we were watching, all the birds were flushed up by an adult Bald Eagle high overhead. Our plan for the day was to bird along the route down to Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland’s largest seabird colonies, and then the way back to St. John’s. Our first stop after Old Shop was Argentia.

Snowy Egret by Blair Dudeck

Those familiar to Newfoundland know Argentia is where the ferry from Nova Scotia comes in to port along with other ships. In 1940 the United States had been granted permission to build a military base on the peninsula and after the Second World War ended military operation slowly declined until 1994. The area provides a unique and interesting birding opportunity and has been a brilliant spot for shorebirds in the past. Blair and I showed up around 7:45 am. There is a pond at the far edge of Argentia, just behind the seawall. We got out of the car and did a quick scan with our bins. Some Green-winged Teal were foraging on the near shore. We looked out at the pond and noticed another bird flying into where the Green-winged Teal were. We both put up our bins, expecting it to be another teal come to join the party. However, this bird was different. A face like a knife and as it landed, two long legs extended to meet the shore. Our hearts skipped a beat. Blair lowered his bins and looked at me. “Godwit?” I asked. Blair grinned from ear to ear, “Megan, that’s a Black-tailed Godwit”. We conducted a short celebratory dance and shortly after the bird flushed from the shore and we got a few record shots. After notifying the local birding group of our find, we decided to try to relocate the bird. We eventually found it foraging along the north end of the pond. We spent a good portion of our time watching it forage and wade along the shore. Black-tailed Godwits are usually found in Europe, and the last record for North America, according to eBird, was in 2019. While we were there, we found a few Spotted Sandpipers, American Pipits, a ton of Savannah Sparrows and some Semipalmated Plovers that seemed to be doing a territorial mating display, calling and chasing each other around the shore.

Black-tailed Godwit by Blair Dudeck

Once others started to arrive at the Black-tailed Godwit spot we headed out again on our way to Cape St. Mary’s (CSM). A few coves along the way provided us with Belted Kingfisher and a Downy Woodpecker. Once we got to CSM it was packed, not with people but seabirds! The usual cast of characters was present, dominated by breeding Northern Gannets and Black-legged Kittiwakes, a select few Thick-billed Murres could be seen, both bridled and unbridled Common Murre, and Razorbills. Although Razorbills were technically not a lifer for me it felt like one as I had never seen one close enough to really appreciate their sleek lines. There we also picked up Horned Larks which were busy chasing each other around. The energy in the air felt frantic in only that way that the breeding season can offer. Hundreds of birds coming back with nesting materials calling as they landed next to their mate. We observed large nestlings in the Common Raven nest, that a month earlier had been small green eggs. We probably could have stayed there until sundown, but we had a mission and so we started back for St. John’s.

Northern Gannet by Megan Buers

We took an alternate route back up hoping for Canada Geese, but none were to be found. We found a Merlin hover hunting in some fields off the road, a drumming Ruffed Grouse and a few Ring-necked Ducks in a pond. We stopped in Witless Bay at the ecological reserve there to check Atlantic Puffin off our list and headed back to the city to get as many last-minute stragglers as possible. Wilson’s Snipe, American Bittern, Gadwall, the local Wood Duck with his American Black Duck partner, a surprise Hooded Merganser, and the local vagrant Pink-footed Goose were all picked up in and around St. John’s. We finished the day with 66 species but it was a wonderful day out adventuring and I think Blair and I will remember the moment we found that Black-tailed Godwit until we die.

We did all this crazy birding as in previous years to raise money for bird research and just to share our enthusiasm for all things winged. You can donate to Blair Dudeck or my (Megan Buers) birdathon until the end of the year. This year we joined forces with “The Wandering Tattlers” where the money will go to Tatlayoko Bird Observatory in British Columbia. TLBO gather migration data as part of Canada’s Migration Monitoring Network. Please consider donating and I hope at least you enjoyed the stories from our Birdathon.

Blair Dudeck’s Birdathon:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bird-studies-canada/p2p/birdathon21/team/the-wandering-tatlers/member/blairs-birdathon/

Megan Buers’ Birdathon:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bird-studies-canada/p2p/birdathon21/team/the-wandering-tatlers/member/megans-birdathon/?fbclid=IwAR2gwt3_LrjXkhjN9FIcHpWxU5b3bROZx70k1VkoYDMIM2VnE6QjO5scZQ4

Happy Birding,

Blair and Megan

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Sachi’s 2021 Birdathon May 14th – The Kootenay Lake Tatler

Dawn

As I read Avery’s post the evening of the 13th before bed I thought to myself, “It will be so nice to not have a restless sleep”. Famous last words as it turned out for an unseasonably warm night coupled with an overactive brain filled with visions of the possible migrants that I could encounter spelled out a night of very little sleep. One advantage was that I happened to be half awake when the unique duet of our two resident Barred Owls drifted in through my open window around 12:20am, “Bird #1”.

At about 4:20am I decided that if the Robins were out of bed then why not me. A couple boiled eggs on sourdough and two double espressos later saw me on the deck jotting down my next 28 species. The gobble of our local flock of Wild Turkeys, the enigmatic tapping of a Red-naped Sapsucker and two singing Golden-crowned Kinglets were unique for the day. The ringing call note of my visiting White-throated Sparrow who arrived yesterday was also a welcome addition as they can be a tricky solitary species to find on migration unlike their Zono-clan cousin the White-crowneds which tend to flood our areas on migration. My local Song Sparrow family who built a nest near my greenhouse are still trucking along with the chicks growing day by day.

Song Sparrow nest with freshly hatched young

Just before 5:30am I mounted my trusty two-wheeled steed and headed south and west to Balfour. The rising and falling warbling trill-like song of Yellow-rumped Warblers (Audubon’s) were the main accompaniment to my bleary-eyed passage. Nearing Balfour on a whim I decided to follow the chucks of a Red-winged Blackbird to the ponds at the golf course. In turn I was treated to a stunning pair of Blue-winged Teals and a not so elegant Coot as they all cruised along the mirror-like surface of the pond amidst the morning mists. The first part of my loop through Balfour built further on my list with additions such as, a singing Townsend’s Warbler high up a Douglas-fir, White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows munching on dandelions, a male Calliope Hummingbird – being chased about by the eternal bully Rufous. A late Red-breasted Merganser was a welcome addition as it basked along the rocky shoreline whilst its more “Common” brethren worked the middle of the channel.

The Lone Red-breasted Merganser

The calm water of the west arm seemed to make for good feeding as the swallows were out in force, I nearly attained the sweep with Violet-greens, Trees, Barns, Northern Rough-winged and a lone Bank! Alas there was nary a Cliff Swallow in either eye or ear shot and a Purple Martin is more or less the stuff of legend so on wards I went. The ferry landing provided me with the sometimes elusive pair of Rock Pigeons and an Eurasian Collared dove further on. The big surprise was the continuing presence of a lone Mountain Chickadee near the elaborate feeding station along the wharf road. This appears to be a bit late as by now most of its kin in my area have begun to move to higher climes in preparation for breeding.

Mountain Chickadee, aka Marauder

Knowing that I sat somewhere between 60 and 70 I got back in the saddle and wound my way through hill and dale destined for the Harrop Ferry. The calls of our provincial bird, a Steller’s Jay, a lucky Cassin’s Finch and a Hairy Woodpecker helped me feel like I was tipping the scale towards 70 during my ride.

At Sunshine Bay I picked up the ever present Black-billed Magpies which are year-round residents at the riding club but couldn’t track down the Blue Jay that had been roaming around the environs yesterday. The metallic song of a Western Meadowlark and the musical notes of a male Lazuli Bunting were a further two key species in my quest. As I sifted through the soundscape of Robins and Song Sparrows I picked out a much more undulating, varied and sweeter version. Sure enough atop one of the nearby cottonwoods was a Black-headed Grosbeak singing its heart out!

Black-billed Magpie – otherwise uncommon in our area besides Creston

Soaring over the farm land I picked out three more raptor species, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk and a robust adult Cooper’s Hawk to add to my previously acquired Bald Eagle, Osprey, Merlin and American Kestrel. The water has been rising fast as the lake fills up with run off which sadly had obliterated all the decent shorebird habitat. As I walked down the shoreline scanning for shorebirds that I knew wouldn’t be there I glimpsed some larger white shapes, gulls. Of the four birds two were adult California Gulls, one was an immature Hearing while the fourth made me look twice as it turned out to be a nearly mature Mew Gull. Adding in the Ring-billed that I saw earlier in Balfour left me with the sweep of the most common gulls in our area. Mew Gulls are not considered rare in our area however, they can be a tough bird to find and a welcome addition to the day’s tally.

One of many handsome singing Yellow Warblers

Not having a very good idea where my tally sat I continued west towards Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. While beautiful and boasting a rather formidable list, it is often a place of quality not quantity. It was this first attribute that I was hoping for as it was nearing 10am and getting hot so my hopes were not high. Last year Wilson’s Warblers had arrived en mass while this year it appeared to be Yellow’s albeit in smaller numbers. Male’s sang from the bushes all along the trail with one female making rather Redstart-like chip calls that forced to me to veer off and investigate. My sojourn through the willows and forests of Kokanee would add four more species to the day’s tally. The first was a Spotted Sandpiper which made itself known while stiffly flapping down the rocky shoreline by the dog walk. Next was a a group of 11 Northern Shovelers that moved past headed east towards Harrop. Migration is so interesting as it can change day to day. Yesterday I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing the song of an Orange-crowned Warbler while at this stage I was worried that they had all moved on. Fortunately there was one straggler who was decent enough to sing to me from the willows as I wandered past. The last treasure that Kokanee offered up was a first for both the day and the year’s list, a Bullock’s Oriole.

Kostiuk’s Hybrid Calypso – there are also Eastern and Western varieties of this genus (presumably creating the hybrid) along the trail where I had hoped to find both Ruffed Grouse and Brown Creepers.

I worked my way back homewards and did some exploring in nearby patches for missing species like Ruffed Grouse and Brown Creeper but to no avail. I spent some time by the water hoping my local Dipper might deign to grace me with its delightful presence. Alas no, so I submitted my checklists to see where I was at. Very much to my surprise I was at 92, seven less than last year but still more than I had been hoping for based on how slow the day felt! One more delight was in store, the long awaited and arguable most handsome of the three hummingbird species that visit my feeder each year, a male Black-chinned Hummingbird who showed only to be promptly chased away by a feisty male Rufous, species number 93.

Dusk

And so ends my portion of our team’s 2021 Birdathon, thank you for following along on the journey. The aim of this birdathon is to share my love of birds and the world around me as well as to raise money for the Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory where both Avery and I work. If you are feeling generous, donations can be made in one of two ways:

1. Less than $250 can be made via our birdathon on our team page: https://www.canadahelps.org/s/De9nK
2. Anything greater please contact us at tatlayokobirds@hotmail.com for instructions (cheque or eTransfer).

Every little bit is deeply appreciated, happy birding!

Stay tuned for the rest of our team’s upcoming adventures.

Sachi

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Avery’s Birdathon 2021 – Egrets, I’ve Seen a Few

May is always an exciting month for birding. With new migrants arriving daily it provides the opportunity to see a maximum number of species as local breeders arrive, the last stragglers of the overwintering ones have yet to depart and northern breeding species pass through. In the past three years, since moving to Amsterdam, I have done my Birdathon around the middle of the month (15^th twice and the 19^th) and this year I planned to go a week or so earlier to aim to be able to pick up a few more of the migrant and wintering shorebirds. However, with fairly poor weather through most of the month so far May 12 was the first decent opportunity.

At 5:30 I was awoken after my standard restless pre-Birdathon night’s sleep. My first bird of the day was Alexandrine Parakeet (feral population in Amsterdam) giving their raucous calls as I stepped outside. Making my way to Amsterdam Centraal station I boarded the Sprinter train for the half hour trip out to the dunes of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park to begin what is now a familiar Birdathon route for me. A pair of Eurasian Jays were nice to pick up on the ride. After arriving at my station and with the birding proper underway I was pleased to pick out a flyover Stock Dove, a species I have missed before in previous Birdathons, before arriving at the park entrance. A beautiful Red Fox sauntered along the road ahead of me as I arrived in the forest itself and it was soon followed by a pair of Eurasian Nuthatches, another miss-able species. So far so good!

The first section of my route is through mostly forested habitats with old deciduous forests giving way to rolling shrub-covered dunes that are interspersed with copses of pine. Common Chaffinch, European Robin, great Spotted Woodpecker, Great and Eurasian Blue Tits, Song Thrush and Eurasian Blackbirds provided a steady backdrop of bird sound while the odd Tree Pipit gave their flight songs over more open patches. My first of a few Common Redstarts was singing from the edge of a copse of pine where I spent some time hoping for elusive Hawfinch and Crested Tit though both eluded me this time around.

Returning into the older-growth forest sector and veering north I was pleased to spot an adult Northern Goshawk fly across the path and perch in some pines off the trail, it changed perches a few times, offering somewhat obscured views before moving out of view. With Eurasian Sparrowhawk seen earlier on it was a relief to have the two Accipiters ticked off by 9:00am.

European Robin

Out into the more scrubby dunes that stretch to the coast I made my way, soon spotting a pair of Long-tailed Tits flying between the shrubs on an adjacent hilltop. With a more open view overhead I kept an eye on the skies where lots of Common Swifts darted about along with the odd Barn and Bank Swallow. Several Common Buzzards and my first Eurasian Kestrel were in attendance but I couldn’t pick out anything more unusual such as a Kite or Honey-Buzzard.

One of the downsides of a Birdathon/Big Day is that it is easy to get stressed about the birds one is still missing and for me it was two species that I had expected to get without much difficulty – Wood Lark and European Stonechat. Fortunately, there is ample habitat for each and eventually I heard the cascading strains of a distant Wood Lark over the dunes. Nearing the coast a few ponds and small lakes can sometimes attract waterfowl but they were quiet today. However, I did finally come across a Stonechat and of course, once I had seen one several more popped up! A beautiful Bluethroat alighted atop a bush at a ponds edge and sang for several minutes until I left it there to continue its serenade for ears other than mine.

Eurasian Blackcaps provided a steady soundtrack through much of the morning

The last row of dunes before the beach is covered in dune grass and here I spotted the expected Meadow Pipit, surprisingly, my only one for the day. The walk up the beach was pleasant but not fruitful for birds. About a kilometre south of the Ijmiuden Pier I cut back in behind the first line of dunes to bird the productive habitats around the small Kennemeer lake. My first Reed Bunting, many Eurasian Reed Warblers and a half dozen or more Common Nightingales were in full song and I was pleased to spot a couple Garden Warblers foraging in the shrubs. A lunch break at a bench with a view over the lake itself was a welcome rest for my feet and my only Common Pochard and Little Gull of the day passed through my binoculars here.

Feeling somewhat re-invigorated I made my way out onto the pier. At the base a female Northern Wheatear was foraging at the back of the beach, the first of a few pleasant surprises at the pier. The usual parade of jaunty looking Ruddy Turnstones were foraging along the rocks of the pier and single Common Sandpiper and Dunlin were soon added to the day list. This was followed by a group of nine Sanderlings speeding northwards which gave me cause to start feeling good about my day’s shorebird total though there were a few more that I was hoping to catch up before I left the coast.

A lone Sanderling was roosting on the rocks

Since arriving on the pier I had been scrutinizing every Great Cormorant to pick out one of a few European Shags that have been reported lately. My attentions were rewarded when one surfaced not far offshore. I was able to photograph it and allay the doubts I had about its identity. Working my way out to the end of the jetty I was happy to encounter a Red Knot, another one of my hoped for shorebirds. Unfortunately, the new birds rather dried up and I couldn’t rustle up any other late straggling shorebirds or sea ducks. A porpoise cutting through the waves, a seal munching on a fresh caught fish and two very low flying fighter jets were my only entertainment as I put on a bit of a rush to get back to the nearest bus stop. Alas, I was five minutes late but the 25 minutes of sitting in the sun, out of the wind was more than enjoyable enough to make up for any reservations about lost time.

A bit distant for a quality photo, I was still pleased to spot a European Shag

Back in Amsterdam I made my way home for a snack and a refill of the water bottle. It was after 5pm by now so I hopped on my bike and started making my way out towards Waterland, northeast of the city. First stop was at the Science Park campus where I spotted the Peregrine Falcon on its expected ledge. While crossing the second of two bridges that took me out of the city I spotted the distinct shape of a White Stork flying past which was a relief as this would save me an end of day stop by the nest in our neighbourhood park.

Once out in the agricultural lands of Waterland the new birds came thick and fast as I was in an entirely different habitat to earlier on. Common birds like Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Black-tailed Godwits, Northern Lapwings and Common Redshanks graced the fields and ditches. Eurasian Marsh Harrier and both Mew and Mediterranean Gulls were soon spied. A stop by a patch of fields favoured by Eurasian Skylarks came through with the bubbling and whizzing of one parachuting slowly back down to earth from its ecstasy in the sky.

Several Sedge Warblers were singing at the Polder Ijdoorn

My joy in this spectacle was short lived as a large bank of ominous clouds was visible over the city to the west. With a certain bus stop shelter in mind I made my way to the wetlands of the Polder Ijdoon near the picturesque waterfront town of Durgerdam. With the rain still yet to arrive I decided to fit in some time at the wetland as it is only a stone’s throw from the comforts, such as they are, of the bus shelter. As I was locking my bike I noticed a trio of small egrets flying my way, ahead of the weather. Quickly grabbing my camera out of my bag I was able to get a couple photos before they were past me and while I talked myself into calling them the expected Little Egret I had a nagging doubt that I would have to wait on as I had birding to do and an unknown amount of rain coming my way.

The reedbed here had the expected Savi’s Warbler buzzing away and I was pleased to hear what would be my only Cetti’s Warbler give a burst of song  from a distant copse. On the pond here were the usual few dozen elegant Pied Avocets as well as a bonus male Green-winged Teal and several dapper Common Shelducks. It seems like on about half of my visits here I find Bearded Reedling but as I left amid the first raindrops I was now 0 for 4 on Birdathon days. Fortunately for me the rain wasn’t too hard or persistent and after about 20 minutes waiting in the bus shelter I decided to bike a few minutes down the road to the bay where there are sometimes Red-crested Pochards. This was a good move as, while I missed the Pochards, I spotted a couple Eurasian Spoonbills on the island that rings the far side of the bay.

It is always a treat to see the elegant Pied Avocets at Polder Ijdoorn

With now not much more than an hour of daylight left there was nothing for it but to start back towards the city despite the drizzle. Thankfully the rain soon stopped and after a 25 minute bike ride I was in Diemerpark, my last stop for the day. There were a few species that I knew occurred in the park such as Eurasian Bullfinch and, if lucky, a migrant Whinchat but given the hour and dusk-like conditions from the cloud cover I knew it would be pointless to spend any time looking for them. However, there was still one new bird that I knew I could count on. At least one pair of Little Grebes nest in one of the ponds and as I parked my bike, sure enough, I spotted the distinctive shape of one along the far shore! A quick scan of the rest of the pond held the expected regulars but this was it, my last new bird of the day in the bag – it was time to peddle my weary self back home.

While I was too exhausted to do up my list or even double check my egret photos, the following morning I did both and was pleased on both accounts – the egrets were indeed not Little but Cattle Egrets, a minor rarity here and my day total was exactly 100 species. Good thing I made the final trek down to Diemerpark for that Little Grebe!

My best sighting of the day, a trio of Cattle Egrets

As in previous years, my Birdathon is a fundraiser for the Talatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory. This year I am pleased to be joined on the “Wandering Tatlers” Birdathon team by Sachi Dell (current TLBO Bander), former TLBO bander Steve Ogle and my friends Dominic Cormier, Blair Dudeck and Megan Buers. Keep an eye on the blog for accounts of their Birdathons, from across Canada, over the next couple weeks! We are aiming to raise $4500 and as I write this our team is at just shy of $2000! There are two ways to make donations to the TLBO: for donations under $250 we ask that you donate through our Birdathon and these funds will go towards our 2022 program. For larger donations please consider contacting us by email at tatlayokobirds@hotmail.com for instructions on how to donate directly (via cheque or etransfer) to the Tatlayoko Field Station Society as these funds will be immediately available for use in 2021. All donations will receive a tax receipt.

To make a donation via the Birdathon you can visit our team page at: https://www.canadahelps.org/s/De9nK

The TLBO has successfully made the transition to the Tatlayoko Field Station Society this year. We are eternally grateful to BC Spaces for Nature for their crucial role in overseeing the project during the past four seasons as well as to Nature Conservancy of Canada for their continued support and access to their Tatlayoko Lake Ranch property where the TLBO operates. Thank you for your generosity and we look forward to August when we undertake our 15^th season of operation!

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