Willow Beach Field Naturalists News
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Acadian Flycatcher found by WBFN Vice-President Ben Walters in the Ganaraska Forest. A rare visitor to Northumberland County according to the Birds of Northumberland with just four records - 1969, 1989 at Presqu'ile Provincial Park, 1999 at Peter's Woods and 2008 at the Ganaraska Forest.
Photos© Bruce Parker.
To hear a brief portion of a recording of the Acadian Flycatcher that was made on July 21st -
Photo© Bruce Parker
Last Updated: August 10th 2011
Northumberland Summer Bird Count 2011
The 15th annual Northumberland Summer Bird Count was held on June 4th and 5th. Observers covered the same 24 km diameter count circle used in previous years. The circle covers from Rice Lake and Roseneath in the north, to Hwy 401 just north of Grafton in the south, and Harwood Rd. in the west, to almost Morganston in the east. The weather cooperated with two good bird-counting days. This year, 13,047 birds of 136 species were recorded. The record highs were in 2007 when 16,623 birds of 143 species were found.
For a statistical summary of the 2011 Summer Bird Count click on the link below.
Northumberland Summer Bird Count 2011
Photos© Bruce Parker
Birds of Northumberland County Revision
WBFN member CliveGoodwin has announced that The Birds of Northumberland County website has now been wholly revised, with the addition of species' accounts and many illustrations, plus listings of County vascular plants, butterflies and dragonflies. Leads are given to all the charts, tables, and other information in the present guide, which have also been completely revised and updated.
Yellow-throated Vireos © Allyson Parker
The address is: http://www.wings4d.com/BNC/Welcome.html
The main text is in the form as a large pdf file, which some persons can have trouble downloading. Be sure to follow the downloading instructions given on the 'Welcome' page.
Willow Ptarmigan, Ontario Power Generation's Darlington Nuclear Station near Oshawa ON. Photo© Jean Iron.
RARE LOCAL SIGHTING
On 8 June 2011, a molting male Willow Ptarmigan was found by Jeff Reid and photographed by Wayne Holroyd at Darlington Nuclear Station east of Oshawa. In order for many to see it, Susan Bragg and John Peters in the Environmental Assessment Department of Ontario Power Generation (OPG) arranged with Brian Henshaw of Beacon Environmental for birders to visit the site on Sunday 12 June 2011. The Willow Ptarmigan was seen by about 150 birders including some members of WBFN and put on a great show.
To view more details about this discovery and more photos visit Jean Iron's Website: Click Here.
Update on An Historical Sighting of a Willow Ptarmigan in Northumberland County
WBFN member Elizabeth Kellogg went to the WBFN records compiled by Ted McDonald and to her mother's field guide, where she had noted the date. In April, 1964, her mother, Mary Kellogg, spotted a white bird in a brown field across the Highway 2 from their house west of Welcome. She reported it to Peter Schultz (brother to A.K. Sculthorpe, then editor of the Port Hope Evening Guide, the person for whom Peter's Woods is named). Many local birders saw and photographed this bird. Elizabeth was old enough to remember the fuss this bird caused. At the time she thought it odd that people would make so much fuss over a bird! Her mother has a snapshot of it in their family photograph album. Somehow, this bird has not made it into the provincial records.
Elizabeth said Ted's notes read: "Willow Ptarmigan - (R) - On April 23-27, 1964, a winter plumage bird of the species was seen in area just west of Welcome. Photos were taken." In addition, he reports: "In conversation with Steve Urbanski at Close Point, Rice Lake, he mentions seeing a white 'grouse-like bird' with a red patch over the eye, on Sheep Island about 1989. It stayed on the island for about two months. He thought Ptarmigan but wasn't sure they would around this area."
LUCAS POINT PARK Naturalized Area
Lucas Point Park, located in the eastern end of Cobourg ON, is a prime example of the importance of habitat preservation along the lakeshore. Advertised as a Naturalized Area, it contains a small arboretum, a section of grasslands, some areas of bushes and several small treed sections. The park is carefully maintained to ensure each area remains in its natural state. There are walking trails throughout the area. What is unique about this park is its location in one of Cobourg's industrial parks. Despite the traffic noise from a busy roadway it hosts a number of bird species during migratory periods.
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The park, about .8 of a kilometre in length and less than 500 metres wide, is a situated on the a high ridge looking over Lake Ontario and is a prime location for viewing gulls and waterfowl. In the spring and fall it is also a place where migrating birds can be viewed.
"The optimum conditions for this little park, are a sunny morning in April/May with a strongish west wind, giving tired migrants both shelter and insect food on the eastern edge of the trees", according to WBFN member Margaret Bain.
WBFN member Clive Goodwin is a frequent visitor and when he reported a Worm-eating Warbler, a rarely seen spring migrant, on May 7 2011, I immediately dashed over to the park to find it. While unsuccessful, I had seen another rare migrant, a Cerulean Warbler, some years before when Margaret had notified me early one morning of its presence in the park.
I thought it was interesting that in such a small area one could find such rare birds and I wondered what other of bird species were present during spring migration. I visited the area again on May 16th after a cold front had passed through and was pleasantly surprised by the number of birds that had been grounded by the bad weather. Clive explained, "this year's bonanza is rather atypical, in that Lucas Point is a classic migrant 'trap'; a piece of fairly isolated 'natural' habitat that is probably quite conspicuous to birds crossing the lake, but mainly attracting tired or disoriented individuals". According to Clive, "less stressed birds are more likely to continue on to more extensive areas of habitat further inland." He said," this year with repeated episodes of rain and fog probably overtaking migrants while they were still over the open water, unusual numbers of birds were present at the park almost daily". Over the next few weeks I made frequent visits and compiled a list of birds that I saw. I also tried to photograph as many species as possible. Links to photos appear below.
The results although very modest, showed that a variety of species used the area during spring migration. While I started probably half way into the migration period, I was still able to find 76 species including 20 species of warblers. A link to the list of species appears below.
There were migrants that I am sure I missed and others that had already passed through. Therefore I have also included a list of additional species seen by Clive and Margaret. I also checked in the Recent Sightings reports from past Curlews and found additional species that had been seen here in past years. A link to the list of additional species seen appears below.
Finally Clive checked the Lucas Point in the Birds of Northumberland database. It included a slightly larger area to the east including Normar Road and the area at the back of the industrial plant at the end of Normar Road. He found 3800 records of 185 species!
As Clive summarized, "urban areas can yield rich natural experiences, given a chance!"
..... Bruce Parker
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Cape May Warblers, Lucas Point. Photos© Bruce Parker.
Feature Pages
Lucas Point Bird Lists
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To view a List of birds seen at Lucas Point from May 16th to May 31st -
Photo Galleries - Lucas Point Birds May 16th-31st
To view Photo Gallery 1 |
To view Photo Gallery 2 |
To view Photo Gallery 3 |
Map of Location
WBFN LATEST UPDATES!
¬ MAY 2011 Issue of the Curlew is now posted on the Curlew Page. Those members who do not want to receive a paper copy of the Curlew please leave a message by going to the Contact Us Page or indicating it on the Membership Renewal Form.
¬ Check out the News and Events Page for more of the latest.
ONTARIO NATURE- "Advocates for Nature"
ONTARIO NATURE's website has a number of important links to get you involved in protecting our natural world:
• Read about the latest Action Alert issue. Click here for more information.
Installing sections of the new boardwalk at Peter's Woods. Photo© Gina Tremblay.
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