Swick-King Tract
This spot is a little north east of Backus Woods and was a strictly on the list for Hooded Warbler but we were totally in for more than what we thought!
Liam ended up getting there a little later than I was because of all of the construction going on... again! With that I had a little time to myself, I mainly stayed by the car so I was relying on my hearing for the most part; a Common Yellowthroat bellowed from across the road and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling from farther back in the forest.
A little while after Liam got there another local birder tipped off a couple of birds he and I both needed Acadian Flycatcher and Cerulean Warbler! It turns out I had muted my Discord so I didn't see that from the day before. With that new information it looks like our trip may take a little turn. We started down the path hearing Indigo Bunting and Blue-winged Warbler. Continuing down the path there was a bird singing, loud and proud, that was it, what we came for, Hooded Warbler! Continuing down the path, we tried to find the pesky bird calling, but the further we got the further back it flew. Nothing..
After a little while trying to find it we the same birder we seen in Backus the weekend before looking for the Prothonotary Warblers came up the same path we just followed, he was looking for the Cerulean Warbler. After sitting and talking with him for a couple mins (and listening for the 2 warblers) we decided to head back towards the road where the Acadian Flycatcher was last heard, then from a ways back, there it was, the call, but this one was a different one buzzy, 3 longer repeated buzzes, a 3 short buzzy twits, and ending on a buzzy trill. Cerulean Warbler! That is a lifer!
Moving to the other side of the road, had to walk a little ways to get to an entrance but all in all it was worth it! The path was covered with grass for about 50m, which meant lots of birds. Eastern Towhee calling from the bushes to the left, a Veery calling, another Hooded Warbler calling, Wood-Pewee of course, the birds were all over, just not the one we were looking for.. Acadian Flycatcher. After going a ways down the path we decided to turn back, it was described as fairly close to the road, no way it was that far back.
At the front of the trail I heard something, "Right Here" that's it! The other 2 couldn't hear it at first, it was a little further back. We sat and listened for it again. It repeated again, and again, we stayed until all of us heard the bird, and unfortunately it was too far back to get a picture.
St. Williams Nursery Trail
This was meant to be the highlight of the day for sure, a reported Black-billed Cuckoo, Mourning Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, and more Hooded Warbler. This was what I myself was looking forward to. The way to get there was a little confusing, it was a sand road and no parking lot so parking a long the side of the road was our only option. Once we got out of our vehicles we immediately heard one of the targets: Hooded Warbler, and this one was close unlike the ones at Swick-King. After a little scanning Liam found it, unfortunately for me, it took a lot longer than I expected. Such a small bird but man can it sing loud! The bird was also very co-operative! He sat nicely as I took a photo of him. Gorgeous!
Down the path we go, Indigo Bunting calling and surprisingly Red-breasted Nuthatch as well. Not far in we found a sandy hill and we both agreed that this placed looked out place as it looked so much like where we've birded around North Bay and Timmins respectively. Then to the right of us was a beautiful Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! And after a little bit we heard what we thought was an Olive-sided Flycatcher but it didn't sound quite right.. the closer we got I ended up finding the culprit.. our second Hooded Warbler here! After the warbler there was a second little surprise, moving down the trail we stirred up a bird that flushed away with a rumble of wing beats; Ruffed Grouse! Could this be any more like northern Ontario?!
Down the hill up the path and a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling later we happened upon a clearing, thick undergrowth, lots of birds love that. Over the ridge a flash of brown! I didn't get a good look but thankfully Liam did, Broad-winged Hawk!
A little ways after the clearing we found a little pond, Veery Veery Veery Veery that downward metallic call is a common yet amazing bird that calls throughout the mature forests of Southern Ontario, as the call suggests, Veery. In my opinion one of the coolest birds around, and by far one of the best voices.
The farther down the path we went the less we were thinking we were going to see a Mourning Warbler, the last breeding warbler in the area I have never seen, today was hopefully the end of that! Moving down the path, of course talking and scanning the undergrowth for this floor-dweller and out of the corner of my eye there was a flash of yellow and gray that jumped off the road. Liam and I both hastened our pace to try to catch this mystery bird but it was too late... the bird was gone. We both concluded it was most likely our Mourning Warbler but since we didn't get a good look at the bird.. it will forever stay unknown.
With the loss of the Mourning Warbler we found our way back to the cars and tried for a pair of swift Liam saw flying at the entrance, but they were also nowhere to be found. After some peak birding to start it's hard not feeling a little despondent.
Backus Woods
This is the second time back to Backus in 2 weeks and this time it wasn't for the Prothonotary Warbler, we were hoping for Black-billed Cuckoo (which seemed like a bit of a stretch) and hopefully a Louisiana Waterthrush!
We started on the main path, someone tipped us off that this would be the best option for the Louisiana Waterthrush. This is the moment of truth, a lifer hangs within reach. This could mean my warbler count for the year being 29 species, the closest I have ever been to seeing all of the species of warbler you can find in Ontario. We followed it all the way to Backus Woods South and nothing, did not see a single Waterthrush, Northern or Louisiana. This was disappointing to both of us, but, with the day we've had it was definitely hard to complain about 1 missed bird.
The walk back we decided to stop by the trail where we seen the Prothonotary Warbler the week before. The week before it was bustling with Black-throated Blue Warbler, but today we missed it. The Prothonotary Warbler was around though. Singing away. We were not hard-pressed to find the singer though, we let him go on his marry way. After the Prothonotary we decided to head back and move on.
Big Creek NWA
This huge wetland is a hotspot for marsh birds. This stop was to round out our marsh birds for the year including both Bittern Species and birds like Common Gallinule and Virginia Rail. This was the place where spotting scopes get their use in summer.
I have never personally been here myself, this place is quite revered around Long Point for awesome marsh species but with my first time being here in the summer I wasn't expecting to find anything rare. I know that looks like I'm leading you into a big reveal of a cool rare bird that we found, well, no, not rare but still very awesome. But, I will get to that. First let's take a little walk into the wetlands.
The parking lot was so full we had a hard time parking 2 vehicles, it was strange that so many people were coming to a wetland, but to be frank they were most likely just trying to get out of the house and into the nice fresh air. As soon as we came towards the wetland it was interesting to see the massive lookout and even bigger patch of cattails. Above us were Forester's Tern swooping around and Red-winged Blackbirds calling from either side. Atop the lookout we could see super far and the scopes definitely helped. 2 Mute Swan to the right and a pair of American Robin to the right. This was great for birds and it was amazing seeing a marsh like this.
I started scoping out the wetlands for Sora and Common Gallinule, that's when I hear Liam yell "Bittern!" I look up from my scope to see an American Bittern flying over the marsh, these long streak breasted birds will breed in that marsh so we were confident we would find one.
After a few minutes we decided moving towards a second platform may give us a different viewpoint for some cool birds. Once we got to that view point we were greeted by some vocal Forester's Tern flying over the canal and then when we took a look over the cattails we seen a careful cool raptor who looks like they're floating, Northern Harrier. These raptors are amazing hunters and the males are gorgeous with the almost smokey gray plumage. The stick out in the marsh or field where they hunt like you would not believe. This was by far the best bird we had found so far, and after spotting a second one on the opposite side of the marsh we kept trekking to find the more elusive Least Bittern completing the set.
Along the far side of the marsh there was an open pond, along with that a Great Blue Heron flew over the reeds on the far side. A Marsh Wren called from the cattails behind me. We go to another spot to set up our scopes, there was another birder who gave us a nod and then we dove into our groove. Another Great Blue, a Common Gallinule calling, more Forester's Tern. Then Liam (who seemed to be the luckiest today) grabbed a sight of a Least on the far side through his scope! Now that I knew there was a Least Bittern over there I was determined to find that bird. My head was stuck in my scope for what feels like forever, peering over where Liam seen the bird, scanning back and forth. This would be the crown jewel for the day. Then, I heard something, a croak from across the pond, but I knew what it was, it was a Least! Even with just a croak, even with just a calling bird, it counted for the day! Amazing.
Along with the Least Bittern we could hear a pair of Sandhill Crane calling from the distance. After the Bittern we decided it was time to move on and head back to the cars. A lot of birds found but that was not the end. The last bird we heard was one that I've seen a handful of times and heard many more. A Sora called from deep in the reeds, and the likeliness of finding this little guy would be almost impossible.
The searching and planning that we put into this trip paid off, the new bird list was 9, 9 new birds for the year:
- Pine Warbler (199)
- Cerulean Warbler (200) LIFER
- Hooded Warbler (201)
- Acadian Flycatcher (202) LIFER
- Broad-winged Hawk (203)
- Ruffed Grouse (204)
- Least Bittern (205)
- American Bittern (206)
- Common Gallinule (207)
Bird of the day: Least Bittern - these tiny heron allies are one of the hardest to find in all of Southern Ontario and by far one of the best camouflagers in the birding world. Seeing them is a treat and it should be treated that way because of their secretive nature and definitely not a guarantee to find.
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| This Hooded Warbler was singing loud and proud for both Liam and I to see. |
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