algonquin park birding reports

Subject: Algonquin Park: Sandhill Crane
From: "Bruce Di Labio"
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:43:42 -0400

Hi Ontbirds
Today, April 26th, spent the day birding various sites along Hwy. 60 in
Algonquin Park. The weather conditions changed considerably from yesterday with
a cool low of 2c and occasional rain today. We managed to locate a male Spruce
Grouse along Spruce Bog, 1 Boreal Chickadee at Tea Lake Dam and 1 Black-backed
Woodpecker near Km 8. The highlight was a Sandhill Crane flying over Hwy.60
calling and then landed in a marshy along the highway between Km.23 and Km.24.
Other birds of note included 1 Savannah Sparrow at the Old Airfield and 1
Blue-headed Vireo at Tea Lake Dam.


good birding, Bruce

Directions: Courtesy of Ron Tozer
Algonquin Park is three hours north of Toronto, via Highways
400, 11 and 60. Follow the signs, which start in Toronto on
Highway 400. From Ottawa, take Highway 17 to Renfrew, then
follow Highway 60 to the park. Kilometre markers along Highway
60 in the Park go from the West Gate (km 0) to the East Gate
(km 56). Get your park permit and the park tabloid (with a map
of birding locations mentioned here) at the gates.

The Visitor Centre at km 43 has recent bird sightings and
information. The centre is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
starting this weekend.




Di Labio Birding Website
Courses and Field Trips
http://www.dilabiobirding.ca

Bruce Di Labio
400 Donald B. Munro Drive
P.O. Box 538
Carp, Ontario
K0A 1L0
Office 613-839-4395 Mobile
Subject: OFO Algonquin Park Trip
From: Ron Tozer
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:24:58 -0400

About 75 people in 31 cars participated in a successful Algonquin Park
birding trip
today, the 20th year for this OFO outing. Occasional rain did not
significantly hinder
our efforts. The combined observer list totaled 67 species.

Highlights for many were the male and female Spruce Grouse north of the
register box on
Spruce Bog Boardwalk, the two Boreal Chickadees that Maris Apse spotted for
us at Spruce
Bog Boardwalk parking lot and which provided excellent views, and the male
Black-backed
Woodpecker excavating a nest cavity in the second utility pole west of Leaf
Lake Ski Trail
(km 53.8). A record was set when Gray Jay was not seen all day, for the
first time in the 20
years of these outings. Unfortunately, the decline of the Gray Jay in
Algonquin Park due to
climate warming has now reached the point where it is quite easy to miss
this species in late
April, when the birds are focused on feeding young in the nest.

Other noteworthy sightings included:

American Wigeon: pair on Lake of Two Rivers after heavy rain

Blue-winged Teal: pair on Costello Creek

Green-winged Teal: pair on Sunday Creek at Spruce Bog Boardwalk

Red-necked Grebe: one on Lake of Two Rivers after heavy rain

Merlin: pair at a nest in white pine at east end of West Gate parking lot

Eastern Towhee: singing male along Tea Lake Dam road

I would like to thank all the participants today, and especially Kevin Clute
who assisted ably
with finding the birds.


Ron Tozer
Subject: Algonquin Park Birding Update: 23 April 2009
From: Ron Tozer
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:15:45 -0400

Here are some sightings from the past week:

Spruce Grouse: Male at Spruce Bog Boardwalk north
of the register box.

Black-backed Woodpecker: Male still excavating nest
cavity in second utility pole west of Leaf Lake Ski Trail
entrance on April 17. Not seen later in week. Male at
km 8 on utility pole.

Gray Jay: Opeongo Road, and Spruce Bog Boardwalk.

Boreal Chickadee: try Opeongo Road, and Spruce Bog
Boardwalk.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak: first alternate male at Visitor
Centre feeder eating black sunflower seeds on April 20-22;
previous earliest date was May 3.

Pine Siskin: 10+ at Visitor Centre feeders.

Evening Grosbeak: 6 at Visitor Centre feeders all week.



Notes:
First sightings of spring this week included: Bufflehead,
American Bittern, Osprey, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

A female Fisher was at the Visitor Centre suet feeder
on April 23.


Whiskey Rapids Trail, and Mizzy Lake Trail remain
closed as of today.


Please report your Algonquin sightings to me (including
date, number and location) for our park records. Thanks.

Good birding.

Ron Tozer
Algonquin Park Naturalist (retired)
Dwight, Ontario

hummingbirds on there way to algonquin park

looks like they are on the final leg of there return journey for the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds ,we have started to get out and clean all the feeders just in case..
they have arrived in southern Ontario,we expect them in the first week of May.
check this link for the map on there progress http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

birds algonquin inn backyard.

spent the weekend working in the yard,mostly painting the gazzibo down by the water,
but with one eye to everything that flew into the yard,
right now we have a pair on nesting mallards in the back pond,they have been returning now for the last 4 years,it looks lik they are sharing this year with an American Bittern (still trying to get a good photo)
we now have upto 4 northern flickers in the grass back lot with American robins,European starlings,100+ red wing black birds,crackle,ravens and many blue jays.
in the front of the restaurant feeders have been very busy with pine siskins,redpolls,purple finches,evening grosbeaks,nuthatch.American goldfinch,dark-eyed junco,downy woodpecker,hairy woodpecker,common mergansers,loons,nad in the wood section the back yard a pileated woodpecker,and just around the corner a pair of wood ducks just before the west gate to Algonquin park.

it's offical the ice is out !!!!

as of today the last of the ice has left oxtongue lake,
with that good news our resident Loons have showed up,
they spent the day cruising up and down outside the inn.

algonquin bird report

Here are some sightings from the past week:

Spruce Grouse: Male at Spruce Bog Boardwalk north
of the register box; and 2 males in black spruce at north
end of Opeongo Road (east side).

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Singles calling at km 4, km 8
and km 19 on April 15.

Black-backed Woodpecker: Male excavating nest cavity
in second utility pole west of Leaf Lake Ski Trail
entrance on April 11. One at km 8 on the weekend.

Gray Jay: Opeongo Road, and Spruce Bog Boardwalk.

Boreal Chickadee: One in black spruce at north end
of Opeongo Road, and one at Spruce Bog Boardwalk.

Common Redpoll: flocks of 50 to 100 flying north early
in the week. Few to none at Visitor Centre feeder now.

Hoary Redpoll: One at Visitor Centre feeder on April
10 and 11.

Pine Siskin: 30+ at Visitor Centre feeders.

Evening Grosbeak: 20 at Visitor Centre feeders all week.



Notes:
First sightings of spring this week included: Ring-necked
Duck, Common Loon, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern
Harrier, American Kestrel, Ring-billed Gull, Belted Kingfisher,
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow
(April 15; ties earliest ever), Winter Wren, Golden-crowned
Kinglet, Eastern Meadowlark .

Whiskey Rapids Trail, Mizzy Lake Trail, and both
backpacking trails are closed due to flooding.



Please report your Algonquin sightings to me (including
date, number and location) for our park records. Thanks.

Good birding.

Ron Tozer
Algonquin Park Naturalist (retired)
Dwight, Ontario

Moose on hwy # 60 just along from Algonquin inn

went into the park this afternoon (looking for loons)
located 7 Moose,the first was just after leaving Algonquin inn and before the
west gate so still in Muskoka, and in Algonquin Park,the other 5 were scattered along the highway.

Algonquin Inn restaurant window today

 

at last the northern flicker came to the feeder outside the restaurant window for all to see whilst eating breakfast...

algonquin park new arrivals

Lot's of new spring arrivals with the great weather this weekend,
two of our guests birders from Ottawa reported an immature bald eagle and a Merlin
on the north end of opeongo road.
we had an American Bitten in the pond in the back yard this week.... a first also a very early arrival as noted by the park.
Ron Tozar has also advised the following in new activity
First of spring records in Algonquin today included Common Loon,
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Winter Wren. New birds yesterday in the Park
included Tree Swallow, Northern Harrier, Ring-necked Duck, and Rough-legged
Hawk.
can't wait to have the Loons back on our lake again......

Algonquin Park Bird report

Here are some sightings from the past week:

Wild Turkey: Same two still in the Two Rivers
Store area this week.

Spruce Grouse: Male at Spruce Bog Boardwalk, about
100 m north of the register box on April 5.

Bald Eagle: An adult over Highway 60 near Centennial
Ridges Road on April 9.

Black-backed Woodpecker: One 200 m north of the
culvert on Opeongo Road on April 5.

Gray Jay: Opeongo Road, and Spruce Bog Boardwalk.

Boreal Chickadee: One on Spruce Bog Boardwalk
just past the first boardwalk on April 5.

Common Redpoll: big flock at the Visitor Centre
feeder this week. Several along highway and Opeongo
Road.

Hoary Redpoll: One at Visitor Centre feeder on April 4.

Pine Siskin: 30+ at Visitor Centre feeders.

Evening Grosbeak: 5+ at Visitor Centre feeders all week.



Notes:
New arrivals this week included: Common Goldeneye,
Northern Flicker.

Arowhon Road and Rock Lake Road are now closed
to public travel due to muddy spring melt conditions.

Whiskey Rapids Trail is closed due to flooding on the
Oxtongue River section.



Please report your Algonquin sightings to me (including
date, number and location) for our park records. Thanks.

Good birding.

Ron Tozer
Algonquin Park Naturalist (retired)
Dwight, Ontario

busy day in the area from Algonquin Inn

busy day on all of our feeders,as the last snow storm has left little choice for all the birds in the area,word must be out !! that we have 27 feeders at the Algonquin inn pine siskins,common redpoll,and hoary red poll,American Goldfinches, 50 + Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Purple finch, all working the niger seed silo's. also around the yard are the regulars - Hairy, Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays and Crows,ravens,red wing blackbirds,starlings,American robins,grackle, and two resident mallards have also returned..

www.algonquininn.com

the beginning of the end for the ice

Picture taken today of Oxtongue Lake, it clearly shows the river has entered into the main part of the lake, it will only take a few days more to be totally across then the wind will do it's job and start to break up the main ice.
Oxtongue is the first Lake in the area to freeze up in November, that's when we can safely start to ice skate. Becusae of the river flow, Oxtongue is the first to have full open water.

moose there back !!! in Algonquin Park and Muskoka

today Sunday was a great Sunny day went for a drive in the park,knowing tomorrow will be snow flurries again,on the way back to Algonquin inn looking south on hwy 60 spotted two moose,just up from the mizzy lake trail a cow and a calf...first moose this year .

new bird arrivals today

the above picture is of an American Robin......

the above is a Killdeer. this was new in the back yard of the algonquin inn today along with a Northern Flicker i was not able to get a picture of it but i will post one when i can.

osprey .....

will driving south on hwy 35 just below algonquin park yesterday,i noted a large bird flying towards some trees, i was in luck that i took a small country side rd
which put me real close to an opsprey that was eating it's lunch......which was a good size fish that i would have been happy to catch ...