Birds Returning to Long Point/Port Rowan

Yesterday we had 42 species of birds fly by our house in about an hour.

I know that because sons Ross and Graham, with good eyes and expensive binoculars, counted them just after we finished our family Easter dinner.

Ducks in flight over our house on March 30th

I've been convinced to report them in a relatively new sight called









e-birds http://www.youtube.com/watch?

This seems like a good way to pursue what is known as citizen science.  In fact E-Bird tells me that "every time that you see and identify a bird, you are holding a piece of a puzzle. Whether you are casually watching birds in your backyard, or chasing rare species across the country, you are helping to put this puzzle together."

So, this may be useful. 
  
But I've about keeping such a list before.  I wrote about it on a Blog I do on Forever Young Information Website.  http://foreveryoungnews-com.factorepreview.ca/posts/1869-bob-s-blog-birdwatching-in-the-backyard-count-me-in

I'm repeating myself here seven months later because, well,  I tend to dwell on things.
   
 We are going to be doing some B & B.  Since our B & B will cater to birders it has been suggested that we ought to keep a list of all birds seen in our backyard.   Now,  in the world of birding there is etiquette or rules or some sort of code that defines a backyard bird.  I don't think that takes into account, though, the potential demands such a list (or lists) could place on a neophyte B & B operator.

So, for me,  there remain, however, a number of vexing issues that developing a list presents.

For example, to be counted does a bird actually have to touch down in my yard?  That would be a fairly clear-cut definition to use. But what if, for example, one observes a “good” bird flying over one’s yard?  We had an immature bald eagle fly past just a few days after we moved to Port Rowan.

Now,  to be frank it is probably more accurate to say it was over the neighbour’s yard.  Let’s face it, my list would be a better one if I could add that bald eagle. So I’m leaning to the criterion being, “seen from my backyard.”  That’s should make for a better quality list.

But here’s another worry. From my front yard I have a distant view of Lake Erie and this will surely produce many shorebirds and an enhanced list. It will probably be more gratifying for my guests if that backyard list captures anything that can be seen from the front yard as well.

I’m certain the guests will be keen to contribute to the list. In fact, repeat visitors (should anyone actually return) could be encouraged to have their own personalized list. Perhaps this will be an incentive to return.

Do I anticipate problems?  Well, some birders can be competitive and argumentative even within a family.  Take mine for example. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObbfMqN3kDo&feature=player_embedded#!

So if there are disputes on sightings will it fall to the reluctant but affable host to resolve?  And will guests be trampling all new lawn to maximize their viewing range?

Lots to think about....

Geese to be Found

While it is busy at Long Point/Port Rowan these days with blackbirds and we

still have numbers of Tundra Swans,  Graham thinks we should note the

Geese you can find down here. We’ve got Canada Geese and you do too but

let’s look at five other unique species.  

Cackling Goose

The Cackling Goose is a smaller version of the ubiquitous Canada Goose. In

2004 it became a new species when DNA work identified it as separate from

the Canada Goose.



Cackling Geese in flight.

• 

 












Brant


Brant (in background with ring around neck)
grazes with Canada Geese

This bird also looks like the

Canada Goose but is

much smaller. You can

easily find them on our east

and west ocean shores in

summer. 





Snow Goose

Unlike many species Snow Geese are increasing in numbers and are now

among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent. 

Adult and Immature Snow Geese swim with Canada Geese.

Ross’s Goose

When you see snow geese you could find the much smaller Ross's Goose

(a miniature version of the Snow Goose) among them.  It breeds in the central

Arctic and winters primarily in central California, but it is becoming more

frequent farther east.

Ross's Goose landing on rocks.

 

 

Greater White-fronted Goose

The Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any
 
species of goose in the world and is seen more now east of the Mississippi

River. It can be consumed with barnyard geese.

Greater White-fronted Goose nests on the low tundra. 

All of these geese are passing through on their way to Arctic breeding grounds.

You can find more information on these species at either of these sites.

http://birds.audubon.org/species/cacgoo

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478

 

Long Point/Port Rowan is the Place to be for Birds

While it is snowing right now in Port Rowan the fact that my feeders are being visited by grackles and red wing blackbirds means that the spring migration is on its way.

I’ve been told that around Long Point migration goes on twelve months per year.

But it seems when people talk about bird migrations, in southern Ontario anyway, they seem to think Point Peele is the be all and end all.

That’s not true.  Long Point/Port Rowan is the place to be.

Here is a video that talks about migration and the banding program at the Long Point Bird Observatory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPHDnZDfUHw

And if you haven’t seen it already on the right side of this page take a look at Long Point birds in the winter of 2010-11.  I’m taking it down when I’ve seen the last of this snow.  That’s a promise.

Algonquin Wildlife and City Folk

I'm sure there are lots of birds on Ontario's South Coast today but I'm not there to see them.


Snow conditions are better
today for Karen Wood

We’re up in Port Stanton
(http://www.portstanton.com/) for a few days.  Karen reports that the cross country skiing is better than it was in February which is somewhat surprising given the temperature is currently 3 degrees.

Sometimes when we are here our adult kids use the place as a jumping off point to go up to Algonquin Provincial Park and do some birding.

That was the case last November when my older Burlington based son (who used to work at Long Point), my younger Port Rowan based son (who takes the pictures) and your blogger encountered wildlife and “citidiots” in Canada’s oldest provincial park.  Here is the story which originally appeared in Forever Young News.

http://foreveryoungnews.com/posts/2035-bob-s-blog-moose-and-gray-jays-make-our-day-in-algonquin-park

If this interests you there is an earlier YouTube effort that documents a late winter trip to Algonquin in 2011. 

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cxJRuN-Mb4

Sandhill Cranes at Long Point/Port Rowan

There have been Sandhill Cranes here all winter.

There was a report earlier this week from @jodyallair that there were 120 of them here.  Today we went looking and found some on Lakeshore Rd just to the east of Port Royal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm3t06zAWMc&feature=youtu.be