Simcoe County Bird and Nature Board.
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2018-10-13 Barrie Waterfront OFO-Nature Barrie Field Trip Posted on October 18, 2018 at 01:34:42 AM by Chris Evans
I wondered what might be in store for us when I woke to snow falling in Midhurst. Though cool, the weather turned out to be very pleasant. It started out calm at 3° C and rose to 7° C by 2 PM with 20 km/h west winds. While comfortable for us, I think this weather conspired to keep most of the water birds well offshore, 2 km or more, making identification challenging to impossible. However, it gave us license to imagine all sorts of exotic birds we might be seeing. I was imagining a pair I saw could have been Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Dark rufous back and neck, white flashes on wings, long neck, drop landing into water, low fast direct flight, 1.5 km away… why not? The mild weather did seem to present some good passerines, particularly American Redstart, Hermit Thrush and Swainson’s Thrush at Tollendal Woods and numerous sightings of Golden-crowned Kinglets at most spots. Two people in our party observed two Pacific Loons from Minet’s Point. Please refer to the following City of Barrie reference map to help orient yourself to the locations we visited… https://www.barrie.ca/Living/ParksTrails/Parks/Documents/City-Map.pdf
Barrie--Dock Road Park, Simcoe, Ontario, CA
Oct 13, 2018 9:00 AM - 10:04 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.4 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
21 species
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49174696
Barrie--Tyndale Park, Simcoe, Ontario, CA
Oct 13, 2018 10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
9 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 34
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 1 Flew by, shallow fluttering wingbeats and stiff glide ... repeat, small/medium sized sandpiper, heard distinctive high, clear flight call twii twii. saw in flight for 150 m until out of sight, habitat right with small sand beach within generally rocky, shrubby shoreline.
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 15
Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 15
Herring Gull (American) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) 5
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 200
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49193395
Barrie--Tollendal Woods Park, Simcoe, Ontario, CA
Oct 13, 2018 10:46 AM - 11:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.375 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
13 species (+1 other taxa)
Common Merganser (North American) (Mergus merganser americanus) 17
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 200
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) (Dryobates pubescens pubescens/medianus) 3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 11
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 12
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 1 seen well with binoculars at 15 m in spruce tree by several people, buffy spectacles, buffy breast with dark spots, tail not noticeably rufous above to degree of hermit thrush
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
blackbird sp. (Icteridae sp.) 100 large, tight flock seen overhead twice 100 m, completely silent, not grackles, apparently all black, flapping and gliding,
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1 American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1 Black above and head and breast, white belly and orange base of tail, wing bars, sides and flanks. Seen well by entire group. There was no question as to its identity. People were surprised it still showed all its breeding colours in the fall. I looked it up in Sibley and noted he does not illustrate a fall plumage, indicating the adults of this species do not change in the fall. I didn't realize it would be considered rare or I'd have taken a photo. I'm sure others got photos, which I may be able to get if required. It was with a troop of chickadees, nuthatches, white-throated sparrows, golden-crowned kinglets and juncos and was present the whole time we were at this location, much to the delight of all, with its festive Halloween colours. It flitted about in the upper branches of the trees, sometimes hidden, sometimes on exposed dead branches.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49196975
Barrie--Minet's Point, Simcoe, Ontario, CA
Oct 13, 2018 11:19 AM - 11:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.4 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
13 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 34
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 22
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 3
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 112
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 50
Herring Gull (American) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) 4
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) 2 seen in scope by two participants at some distance, white throat and front of neck with sharp, clean, even delineation with black sides of neck, no notches or blurs, no photos, bill relative size and body size not described
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 25
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 29
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 5
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49197545
Barrie--Allandale Station Park, Simcoe, Ontario, CA (Southshore Community Centre & Rotary Fish Habitat)
Oct 13, 2018 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.85 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
11 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 54
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 18
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 50
Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 35
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 3
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 14
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 3
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 28
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49197862
Tiffin Boat Launch, Centennial Park, Barrie Marina, We drove by these hotspots as there did not appear to be anything of interest there and parking was somewhat congested, but who knows what we may have missed?
Barrie--Spirit Catcher, Simcoe, Ontario, CA
Oct 13, 2018 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.575 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
6 species
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 17
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 25
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 13 One bird was leucistic which has been seen regularly for at least the past two weeks. See photos...
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 35
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 55 loose flock flew over from east to west about 25 meters above ground
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49199167
Kempenfeldt Park, we could not see anything of interest along Kempenfeldt Park from the Spirit Catcher, so I uncharacteristically made an autocratic decision we should end the field trip at The Spirit Catcher. In retrospect, I would have been wise to ask if anyone wanted to proceed. Again, who knows what we missed?
Dave Bailey and I drove back for his vehicle at Dock Road Park and decided to do one last peek about there. We were rewarded with …
Barrie--Dock Road Park, Simcoe, Ontario, CA
Oct 13, 2018 1:34 PM - 2:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.325 kilometer(s)
Comments: Joint OFO and Nature Barrie Field Trip
4 species, three of them new for the trip