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.

Break for Birding!

Last weekend, I finally had a chance to break free of all my homework and go birding. I travelled with a friend along the shore of Lake Ontario westward towards Hamilton, making several stops along the way. We chased a Brant, braked in the middle of the highway for a Red Knot, and dipped on an Eared Grebe. It was incredible fun, something which I have been experiencing very little of since school started in September. It was a great way to relax and do what I really love.

Above is my photo of a Brant, a rare goose, amongst a flock of our all-too familiar Canada Geese.

Of all the birds I saw, the two highlights from my trip were definitely the pair of Eastern Screech-Owls I spotted. These birds are so small that they can fit onto the palm of your hand. Despite their size, they are sly hunters of the night, predating on rodents that are almost as big as they are! 

My very first sighting of a red-morph Screech-Owl!

Where am I? Can you spot me?

The 2014 Ontario Nature Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Community Action

Last weekend, I and my two friends, Alana and Andreana, visited Orillia's beautiful Lake Couchiching for Ontario Nature's Youth Summit. This is an annual event where a hundred like-minded teens from all over the province gather to learn about environmental issues and to share their passion for the outdoors.

Throughout the weekend, we attended several workshops of our choice. My first one was called "Maps that Croak, Peep, and Slither," and it was all about reptiles and amphibians. We discovered toads, Leopard Frogs, Wood Frogs, salamanders, and a lonely Garter Snake on our hike. Best of all, we had the chance to hold each one! Entranced by the life of herps, we were introduced to the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, a citizen science initiative that establishes population data for each species and supports the conservation of herps across the province. Since this project relies entirely on the wildlife sightings of regular people, I strongly encourage you to report your observations to the atlas! Please see the link for more information: http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/species/herpetofaunal_atlas.php

Leopard Frog

Another one of my workshops was "Foraging Foods from Forests," in which we learned about foraging practices, identification, and sustainable harvesting. It was a very delicious guided hike led by Alex Boulet, who pointed out the uses of various forest plants. Our group ate wild grapes and raw Puffball mushrooms right off a log, and many other edibles. I never knew forests were so full of food!


This year's Youth Summit was a super success, and was memorable for all participants. We all shared an appreciation for nature and we inspired each other to engage our communities in action. It was motivational to see so many youth passionate about the environment because it makes us believe that change is possible!

Youth Summit participants!

For more information about the annual Ontario Nature Youth Summit, please see: http://www.ontarionature.org/connect/nature_guardians/youth_summit.php

Staying at Isabel's Cottage

In July, 2014 I was graciously invited to stay at my friend Isabel's cottage for a weekend. It is situated on one of Ontario's many lakes close to several birding hotspots. We spent much of our time observing birds in these habitats, swimming, savouring cake pops, and playing board games.

One morning, Isabel and I woke up grudging early to explore a vast marsh known for excellent bird diversity, and it proved to be very productive. The park was crawling with fifty species of birds! The highlights were fourteen Sandhill Cranes flying over as well as nesting Black Terns.

Black Terns are very gregarious birds. They breed in loose colonies on mudflats and dive for small fish in nearby ponds. On occasion, when roosting and migrating, this species can gather in flocks of tens of thousands of individuals.

Odonata were also plentiful - this gave me many opportunities to test my bug-identification knowledge. Some new species for me were Eastern Forktail, Orange Bluet, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, and Widow Skimmer.

Isabel and I were soon back at the cottage to go searching for the nest of a suspected Green Heron breeding pair. We ended up discovering an unoccupied nest in an evergreen with eggshell fragments underneath it - but no sign of chicks! We still have to collect more evidence to solve this curious mystery.

As well, Isabel and I made a visit to Carden Alvar, a world-renown expanse of rare grassland habitat, which is home to numerous prairie specialties. It was my first time coming to the alvar, and I immediately fell in love with it. Wilson's Snipe, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrikes, and bluebirds are only a few of the birds that we observed - it is truly a birder's paradise!

Carden Alvar

Eastern Pheobe

Above is a House Wren carrying a twig for its nest.

Savannah Sparow

Wilson's Snipe

Best of all, my favourite part of my stay at Isabel's cottage was witnessing the nesting success of a key threatened species in Ontario: the Red-headed Woodpecker. It is an elegant bird dressed in a vivid combination of red, white, and black. Isabel had already found the Red-headed Woodpecker's nest, which was in a cavity of a dead tree. I had the marvellous chance to watch it feed its young, and Isabel reports now that all of the young have grown up! It was such a pleasure to see this success now that the Red-headed Woodpecker is in the midst of a serious decline. I encourage you all to read more about this species at risk through this link: http://www.ontarionature.org/onnature/redheaded.html

I had a lot of fun at Isabel's cottage this weekend, and I am thankful that she shared the wonders of her area with me!

C'est la fin de mes vacances :(

Le programme pour les jeunes ornithologues en Maine était amusant et je suis malheureuse qu'il est fini si tôt! J'ai rencontré plusieurs jeunes ornithologues avec lequels nous avons partagé une passion pour la nature. Mes instructeurs et mes nouveaux amis m'inspiraient à poursuivre ma passion comme carrière. Maintenant, je vais faire un effort à parfaire mes compétences comme ornithologue, artiste et naturaliste. Ce camp m'a poussé à être plus ambitieuse et m'a fait réalizer que je peux créer une différence positive dans le monde. Mon rêve, c'est qu'un jour, je deviens ornithologue et je sauve les oiseaux. 

Merci tout le monde à Hog Island!

Une journée pluivieuse en Maine

Malheureusement il pleuvait ce matin. Au lieu de participer dans une randonnée ornithologique comme planifié, nous sommes restés à l'intérieur. Nos instructeurs ont organisé des ateliers différents reliés à la nature ou les arts.

Premièrement, j'ai participé dans un atelier de Scott Weidensaul au sujet de la « Géographie d'un oiseau ». Scott parlait de l'ossature des oiseaux, de la structure de leurs plumes, et des adaptations nécessaires pour le vol. La conversation est rapidement allée hors sujet à Alexander Wilson et John James Audubon. Scott a partagé de nombreux faits et il a approfondi ma passion pour l'ornithologie. J'ai trouvé beaucoup d'inspiration dans ses mots - tellement que je veux apprendre le plus que possible à propos des oiseaux!


Après cet atelier, je suis allée pour une séance de dessin enseignée par l'artiste Jean Mackay. Elle est une experte d'aquarelle, et c'était utile d'obtenir ses conseils. Jean nous a introduit à l'anatomie d'un oiseau et a discuté pourquoi une compréhension de leur corps aide à bien dessiner leurs proportions. Jean nous a fourni des spécimens des oiseaux, et nous les avons dessinés. J'ai fait un croquis des ailes et de la queue d'un Junco ardoisé. Grâce à cet exercise, je me sens plus comfortable dessinant la disposition des plumes. De plus, j'ai dessiné le crâne d'une mouette. C'était un vrai défi de l'esquisser parce que la forme était si complexe. D'abord, j'ai appris beaucoup et je suis heureuse que j'ai finalement reçu la chance à pratiquer!

Le baguage des oiseaux à Hog Island

Roitelet à couronne dorée

Aujourd'hui moi et les autres campeurs avons assisté avec le baguage des oiseaux. Scott Weidensaul, le directeur des programmes à Hog Island, nous a enseigné tout ce qu'on peut savoir au sujet de cette technique. Sans faisant mal aux oiseaux, Scott nous a montré comment démêler un oiseaux attrapé dans un filet et la propre méthode d'en tenir un. Il a expliqué que le baguage des oiseaux nous aide à mieux comprendre la migration, les populations, la longévité et la distribution des espèces différentes. 

Nous avons aidé Scott en assemblant les filets japonais. Dans une heure, nous avons attrapé le Roitelet à couronne dorée et la Paruline à gorge noire. Le groupe regardait attentivement comme Scott a bagué les oiseaux, les a pesés, et les a relàchés. J'étais responsable pour enregistrer l'age, le sexe, les mesures, et le niveau de la graisse des oiseaux. Cette expérience m'a permis d'apprendre beaucoup à propos des recherches actuelles dans ce domaine et de partager ma passion des oiseaux avec les autres jeunes ornithologues. 

Eastern Egg Rock

Ce matin je me suis levée à 4h! Moi et Isabel nous sommes reveillées pour photographier le lever du soleil. Avec des autres campeurs, nous sommes allés explorer la côte de Hog Island cherchant des belles vues (qui n'étaient pas difficiles à trouver). 

Une heure plus tard, nous sommes allés pour une randonnée ornithologique autour de l'île. Nous avons observé plusieurs espèces interéssantes comme la Paruline à collier dans son ni construit de lichen et l'Eider à duvet avec des oisillons! 

Macareux moine avec des poissons

Ensuite, nous nous sommes préparés pour une journée avec des centaines des oiseaux pélagiques à Eastern Egg Rock. On peut y trouver une colonie de Macareux moines, des Guillemots à miroir, et des Sterninae huit miles de Hog Island. Eastern Egg Rock est la première colonie des oiseaux marins restaurée dans le monde. Quatre bénévoles y étudient les oiseaux et protègent les oisillons des prédateurs. J'étais chanceuse à visiter Eastern Egg Rock - presque personne n'est permis à débarquer sur la colonie sensitive.  

Nous sommes restés sur l'île toute la journée observant des nids, des oeux, et des oiseaux superbes! L'expérience était incroyablement proche et intime. La meuilleure partie était que j'avais la chance à dessiner et photographier les oiseaux marins de seulement dix mètres!

Durant le reste de ma visite, j'admirais des oisillons adorables qui s'asseyaient dans leurs nid par terre. Cependant, leurs parents ne me supportaient pas et m'attaquaient sans cesse! Ces oiseaux sont vraiment des parents dédiés et feriont tout ce qu'ils peuvent pour protéger leurs bébés. 

C'était réellement la meilleure journée de ma vie...

Les oisillons d'une Sterne pierregarin - ils sont si mignons!

Les oeux d'une Sterne pierregarin

Une Sterne pierregarin