Bruce Di Labio's Blog

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Ottawa Area: Great Gray Owls

At dusk today, 3 Great Gray Owls were observed along March Valley Road and 3 along Greenland Road NW of Thomas Dolan Parkway.

Good birding,
Bruce

Directions: GGOwls: From Ottawa take Hwy. 417 west to March Road exit. Follow March Road to Dunrobin Road and turn right. Follow Dunrobin Road to Dunrobin and turn right on Thomas Dolan Parkway. Follow to Greenland Road area. If you require additional information, please email me privately. Please review OFO's Ethical Birding Principles.

Amherst Island Birding

Birded Amherst Island today. Despite the -20 C temperature this morning, birding was good. Due to snow conditions,we parked along the South Shore Road and walked in to the "Owl Woods." We observed 5 Northern Saw-whet Owls and 6 Long-eared Owls. On our walk out we observed one Northern Shrike. We drove around the island roads and counted 47 Rough-legged Hawk, 16 Red-tailed Hawk, 3 American Kestrel, 11 Snowy Owl and 2 Short-eared Owl. There were 140+ Snow Bunting along the South Shore Road. Overall a good outing.

At the DuPont Plant/Elevator Bay pond we observed 6 Ring-necked Duck, 6 Hooded Merganser, 16 American Coot and 3 Gadwall among the 1000+ Mallards and 200+ American Black Duck.

Please review OFO's Ethical Birding Principles.

Good birding,
Bruce

Directions:Amherst Island: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $8.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side of the Lower Forty Foot Road. To reach the Owl Woods, turn left (east) at the four-way stop sign by the general store and drive 3.4 km along Front Rd. to the (seasonal) Marshall Forty-Foot Rd. Marshall Forty-Foot Rd. is across the road from house #2320. Drive along Marshall Rd. to the mid-way point, where there is an "S" in the road (1.2 km, look for the K.F.N. kiosk which had owl observing ethics). Park in the gravel lane or off the road edge. Because of liability issues, visitors to the Kingston Field Naturalists' property at the east end of Amherst Island MUST be accompanied by a KFN member. For KFN contact information or how to become a member, please visit http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Ottawa Area: Great Gray Owls

Late yesterday and this afternoon I had a total of 6 Great Gray Owls east of Dunrobin. There was a concentration of 3 owls along Greenland Road NW of Thomas Dolan Parkway, 2 along Vance's Side road and one along March Valley Road.

Despite its size, the Great Gray Owl blends in well and is easy to overlook.

The Great Gray Owl has excellent hearing and can detect mice under the snow.

On a sad note, this afternoon I discovered the Boreal Owl dead along March Valley Road. It was laying on the ground in the general area it was observed earlier during the week. The owl was emaciated.

The Boreal Owl that delighted many earlier this week was found
dead along March Valley road this afternoon. Even though it was
observed catching a mouse on January 26th it was in an emaciated condition.

There were a number of flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in the area and still lots of White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskin's and Common Redpoll.

Good birding,
Bruce

Directions: GGOwls: From Ottawa take Hwy. 417 west to March Road exit. Follow March Road to Dunrobin Road and turn right. Follow Dunrobin Road to Dunrobin and turn right on Thomas Dolan Parkway. Follow to Greenland Road area. If you require additional information, please email me privately. Please review OFO's Ethical Birding Principles

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ottawa Area: Red-shouldered Hawk

The wintering Red-shouldered Hawk was still present along Old Carp Road and Gourlay Lane early this afternoon. Also observed a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings (250+) off Grandview road and Carling Ave.

Red-shouldered Hawk

A squirrel's dilemma! This black-morph Gray Squirrel
tried everything it could to open the top!

It's amazing how many porcupines you see when you're
searching for owls! This porcupine was having bark for lunch!

Good birding,
Bruce

Directions: From Ottawa take Hwy. 417 west to March Road exit. Turn right and follow March Road past Dunrobin Road and watch for Old Carp Road. Turn left and follow to Huntmar Road or Gourlay Road.

Quiz 7 - Who am I?

Here we go! Two photos in Quiz #7 to test your birding mojo:

Photo #1

Photo #2

I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments section. Goodluck!

Good birding,
Bruce

Answers: Quiz 6 - Who Am I?

Here are the answers for Quiz 6:

Bird #1: Who am I?

Male Purple Finch

Note finch bill, stockier build than House Finch, reminds me of the House Sparrow in shape. The tail is shorter with a deeply notched tail. The male has a reddish head with more pinkish-red breast. Note lack of streaking on under parts. House Finch has obvious streaks.

Bird #2: Who am I?

American Kestrel

This flight photo is a little more difficult but you can see the wing shape and tail length, overall view of a small bird of prey with narrow pointed wings and a rufous color tail with a distinctive black tail band. Also, black markings on back and bluish-gray wings make it a male American Kestrel.

Good birding
Bruce

More Pictures from Florida

Here are a few more photos from my trip to Florida...

Snowy Egret

Many species of egrets and herons were hunted to near extinction in the late 1800's and early 1900's for their plumages. These feathers or plumes were used for ladies hats in Europe and North America. Fortunately, during the early 1900's one of the first projects of the Audubon Society was to bring protection to these plumed birds.

Willet

This large plain shorebird is sometimes hard to identify but in flight is very distinctive.

Willet in flight

Hard to mistake!

Whimbrel

Note it's distinctive, downwardly curved bill.

Wilson's Plover

The Wilson's Plover was easy to locate along the gulf at Honey Moon Island State Park.

Osprey

The Osprey, also known as a Fish Hawk, was plentiful along the Gulf Coast.

Ruddy Turnstone bathing

Ruddy Turnstone feeding

With the abundance of clams there was lots of activity around the beached clams.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Brown Pelicans

People complain about having Rock Pigeons on the roof...you should feel sorry for these people!!

Royal Tern begging

Royal Tern

Who's having a bad hair day?

Good birding,
Bruce

Birding Ethics

Ontario Field Ornithologists' Ethical Birding Principles
As the number of birders increases, we must all make every effort to act in a positive and responsible way. We must also convey responsible image to non-birders who may be affected by our activities. Most people appreciate birds but this appreciation can be quickly destroyed by the irresponsible actions of a handful of birders.

In the past a code of ethics was not considered necessary, but times have changed and as more and more pressure is put on our environment it is essential to do whatever we can to lead by example. Each of us must show consideration to other birders, landowners, habitat, birds and other wildlife at all times. We are ambassadors of birding and our actions today will reflect the respect we receive in the future.

The welfare of the birds must come first.
Whatever your interest, from scientific study to listing, always consider the impact of your activity on the bird. Respect bird protection laws. We are all responsible to ensure we abide by them at all times.

Habitat protection.
Habitat is vital for the existence of birds and we must ensure that our activities cause minimum damage to our environment. Use trails to avoid trampling vegetation.

Keep disturbance to a minimum.
Although some birds can tolerate human activity, this varies from species to species and from season to season. Use common sense and extreme caution around nests. Migrants may be tired and hungry and should not be kept from resting or feeding. When photographing birds, study their reaction and if they become agitated, back off. Avoid the use of flash photography on owls. Tape recordings and similar methods of attracting birds may cause stress for territorial birds. They should be used sparingly and avoided in heavily birded areas. Do not deliberately flush birds. Patience is often rewarded.

Rare breeding birds.
If you discover a rare breeding bird, do not feel under any obligation to report your find to other birders. Record the details of your discovery. You may wish to file the nest with the Ontario Nest Records Scheme at the Royal Ontario Museum. Avoid visiting known sites of rare breeding birds unless they can be viewed from a distance without disturbance.

Rare birds.
Rare migrants or vagrants are the species most sought after by birders. If you discover a rarity, consider the circumstances carefully before releasing the information. You must take responsibility for the decision to release the find. You should consider whether an influx of birders will disturb the bird, people or other species in the area; whether habitat will be damaged; and where people will park. Inform the landowner of the find, explain what may happen and obtain permission to tell other birders. Ask the landowner for a list of dos and don'ts, for example, where birders may stand to get a good view and what restrictions there may be on time of day. Also ask which areas are off limit. If you decide to release the news, give precise directions and instructions. If possible include a phone number. At all times make as little noise as possible. Remember, most non-birders will be surprised by the number of visitors who wish to see a rare bird.

Respect the rights of landowners and occupiers of land.
Before entering an area, be aware of the rules about access such as by-laws of Conservation Authorities, National and Provincial Parks, and Regional Authorities. Many landowners and authorities allow birders access to areas normally off limits. Always act in a responsible way and if you are asked to leave, do so immediately. Do not block gateways or cause damage to fences, and leave gates as you find them. Do not obstruct people who may be working in these areas.

Have proper consideration for other birders.
When telephoning for information, do so at reasonable hours of the day. Try not to disrupt other birders’ activities or scare the birds they are watching. Many other people enjoy the outdoors; do not interfere with their activities. Be polite to other birders and helpful to beginners. If you see people obviously disturbing birds or significantly damaging habitat, explain to them the effect of their actions but be courteous, they may not be aware of the effect they are having.

Increase our knowledge about birds.
Keep notes of your sightings and send them to area compilers. Send rare bird reports to the Secretary, Ontario Bird Records Committee.

When birding in other countries, provinces or regions.
Find out if there is a local code of ethics or any special rules that should be respected.

|Other Birding Codes of Conduct|

Bruce Di Labio's Blog

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Ottawa Area: Great Gray Owls

Amherst Island Birding

Friday, January 30, 2009

Ottawa Area: Great Gray Owls

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ottawa Area: Red-shouldered Hawk

Quiz 7 - Who am I?

Answers: Quiz 6 - Who Am I?

More Pictures from Florida

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Birding Ethics