Eurasian Rarity!

Last weekend, Garth Riley, an Ontarian birder, discovered the rare Eurasian Wigeon. The next day, I set out to find it! After a scanning the water, I picked it out from a flock of about six hundred other ducks. It was a brightly-plumaged male with a red head, white forehead, and warm grey body.

It was an interesting bird to add to my year list, but what I find most fascinating of all is its origin. I can only wonder where it came from...

The Eurasian Wigeon is in the centre of the photo, surrounded by Greater Scaup and Redhead.

Spring Birding in Winter

Much of southern Ontario's so-called "winter" has been full of sunny skies, warm weather, and most notably, no snow. Along with this pleasantly mild winter, Torontonian birders have been enjoying tons of birds, especially some early and resident spring migrants! Take a look below.

A lingering summer bird, a Gray Catbird, at Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto

Downy Woodpecker (male)

Hairy Woodpecker (male) chiseling a hole in a stump

Northern Cardinal bathing in a puddle

One of seven Red-winged Blackbirds chilling near tasty bird feeders

It's Time For a Bird Quiz

Good evening, folks. It's time for a bird quiz! Below are a two photos of birds that you're likely to spot in Ontario, and they were both taken in Point Pelee National Park in early autumn. Do the best you can, and leave a comment with your guesses. In a few days, I will post the answers. Good luck!

Mystery Bird #1:

Taken in Point Pelee National Park, Ontario, in late September - it's a great time for hawk migration!

Mystery Bird #2:

Thanks for taking the quiz!

Bird banding!

It's almost May and the banding season is well underway! Yesterday was my fourth time banding at a bird research station on Lake Ontario. I have already banded many species from birds as small as the Brown Creeper to as big as the Ring-billed Gull. It is a fantastic feeling to get so intimately close to the birds and realize how light they really are.

Some highlights for April were banding a Cooper's Hawk along with some of the first neotropical migrants to return, including the three male Myrtle's Warblers pictured below.

Three beautiful male Myrtle's Warblers. (Photo taken by Charlotte.)

So far, my banding training has been exciting, but spring migration is still relatively slow. Hopefully things will speed up as the seasons races into May! I especially can't wait for more warblers to come back!

A Reflection on Phoebe Snetsinger's Life

Meet Phoebe Snetsinger, birder extraordinaire. She defies her cancer, overcomes gender stereotypes, and pushes all limits in a race to see 8000 of the 10 000 species of birds on Earth. Years ago, Phoebe became known for seeing more birds than anyone else in history, but ultimately for the price of her life. Phoebe's biography, "Life List" (by Olivia Gentile), is Phoebe's true story that is moving and inspirational, and it will be sure to get you planning your next exotic birding trip!

Phoebe's passion for birding took off when she first laid eyes upon the fiery throat of a Blackburnian Warbler. She was starstruck at this backyard beauty that had gone unnoticed by her for so many years. Phoebe's interest and knowledge of birds grew quickly, and she became hooked on birding. It gave her a chance to take a break from her four raucous children and seek transcendence by spending time in nature. Soon after, Phoebe joined a local birding club, a tight-knit community of like-minded companions. Right away, Phoebe knew she had finally found the place she truly belonged.

At age 49, however, Phoebe's life took a turn for the worst; she was diagnosed with cancer and learned that she has only several months to live. Determined to make the most of her remaining time, she travelled the globe finding spectacular birds and doing what she loved most. Birding was Phoebe's escape and a way to cope with her terminal illness. Against all odds, Phoebe survived many more years and birded on!

Blackburnian Warbler

For the following nineteen years, Phoebe's drive for birding and listing consumed her. Her ambition and sense of achievement drove her to all seven continents in search of lifers. Birding brought her to the heights of spiritual ecstasy and freed her of all worries. In her biography, we get to experience her dramatic and life-threatening adventures from around the globe. Phoebe was held at gunpoint in South America, abducted by a gang in Papua New Guinea, and caught in the midst of a war between two Asian tribes, all on a quest to spot an elusive rarity or two! Phoebe escaped death at every corner, and she always stayed focused on her goal of observing even more birds.

As word of Phoebe's travels and staggering life list spread, she became a birding "celebrity". She began writing about her international trips and gave countless interviews for newspapers. Her story of battling cancer and seeing amazing birds inspirited many people. But she wasn't only a birder; she was a mentor, helping bird-watchers of all ranks identify birds, a role-model, and eventually a legend.

Throughout her life though, Phoebe had to deal with a lot of personal struggles. Her obsession for foreign birding rapidly escalated, and she was away on expeditions for a total of about eight months per year! Due to her long absences from home, her relationships suffered, and she became disconnected from her family. Because of her love for birding, she skipped her daughter's wedding to go on an expedition to China. As well, her lonely husband felt so neglected that he asked for a divorce more than once. Birding and listing were Phoebe's coping strategy, but it conflicted a lot with her family life.

Despite these struggles, Phoebe was a major inspiration to an entire generation of nature lovers, including her children (three of her four children are biologists). Moreover, Phoebe never gave up hope when her life was threatened by malignant melanoma, and she never quit birding when times were tough. Phoebe's vitality was remarkable and I admire her for her unwavering perseverance and determination. She birded until the very end, when she died in a vehicle accident in Madagascar, only minutes after adding Red-shouldered Vanga to her life list! Every birder should read about her legendary experiences, and I strongly recommend "Life List". Even reading about her hundreds of worldwide journeys exhausted me, but her story has motivated me to bird more! Phoebe also gave me many ideas about doing an exotic birding tour for the first time... Who knows; maybe I'll become the next Phoebe Snetsinger!

Phoebe Snetsinger. Total life list: 8300+

Works Cited:

Photo 1: http://www.birdwatcher.cz/phoebe.jpg
Photo 2: http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq328/grendel64/blackburnian3.jpg
Gentile, Olivia Life List: A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds (Bloomsbury, 2009)

Christmas at the Cottage

I just spent the most wonderful weekend at my dear friend Isabel's cottage. I had a great time skiing and birding with her and her family. There was very little snow around her cottage, but we still saw many cool winter birds.

One of our targets was a recently reported Barred Owl several kilometres away from Isabel's property. We excitedly rushed outside first thing in the morning to chase this beauty. As soon as we hopped into her car and drive to the end of her street, can you guess what we see? We spot a Barred Owl perched on the telephone wire only a few arm's-lengths away from us!

Barred Owl

Barred Owls are very sedentary and local; they often do not move farther than 6 miles away in a given season. They can be found year-round in mature forests, which support a high diversity of prey and are more likely to have large cavities suitable for nesting. Barred Owls eat many kinds of small animals and are primarily nocturnal. During the summer, listen for their barking "Who cooks for you" call and the courtship duets of mated pairs.

Another awesome surprise awaited us the very same day. In Isabel's basement, we were all playing Wii video games when we saw movement outside through the window. We ran upstairs to discover a Pileated Woodpecker drumming its head off on a tree. This species characteristically excavates rectangular holes in trees to find ants. These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half!

Pileated Woodpecker

The most thrilling bird of the entire trip was Evening Grosbeak - my first lifer since October! Isabel and I saw 8 of these magnificent birds, patterned in black, white, and yellows. Evening Grosbeaks are irregular (or “irruptive”) winter migrants. Some years these spectacular finches show up at feeders far south of their normal winter range—providing a treat for us bird watchers. 

Winter birding is a satisfying activity, adding splendid colour to a bleak winter day. If you ever have the chance to go birding this winter, I encourage you to go looking for the Barred Owl, the Pileated Woodpecker, or the Evening Grosbeak - I guarantee they will bring a smile to your face!

Evening Grosbeaks

King Eider!

After three weeks of constant reports of a juvenile King Eider on the Toronto shoreline, I finally managed to visit the hotspot today! I was cursed with rainy weather, and I was beginning to lose hope after scanning the horizon several times. However, I should have known I could count on the little bird; I found him about 100 metres out on the water! As soon as I spotted him, he swam over to me, approaching my lens at a mere stone's throw away.

 Another bird, this common Long-tailed Duck below, was also quite unafraid as he dove and swam not too far from me. What a pleasant excursion with an easily found rarity.