Mystery bird at the restaurant window of algonquin inn

this bird arrived yesterday at the feeders outside the restaurant window of algonquin inn, and re appeared today.
so we asked Ron Tozer a retired naturalist from Algonquin Park to id the bird for us,as we had looked through all of our field guides and could not place it.
well the mystery is solved here is Ron's reply

Definitely appears to be a partially albinistic Pine Siskin.
Dark (rather than pink) eye and some colour in the plumage
suggests partial albinism rather than a pure albino,




another view, not something you find everyday in Muskoka

www.algonquininn.com

Eastern Bluebirds

Had the opportunity to travel a little south through Muskoka today, and of course i had my camera.
just as well as i came across a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds.

Male.


Female

MNR patrol aircraft Iin Algonquin Park

you can tell summer is on the way when the MNR postion their Beaver Aircraft back on smoke lake,not only is it used for search & rescue but also to re position the rangers around the park.

it is common to see the plane land on a romote lake to drop off a ranger with his canoe.

WWW.ALGONQUININN.COM

full birding report algonquin park

this week we had a birding group in from eagle eye tours staying at the Algonquin Inn,the tour leader was Blake Maybank,

Blake was good enough to go over his sighting for the Algonquin Park trip ,here is the listings broken down by main areas.



spruce bog extra's

verginia rail



algonquin park visitors center

eastern phoebe nesting under observation deck



53km marker area

black backed woodpecker

wiskey rapids extra's
belted kinfisher ,swainson's thrush ,black-throated blue warbler

opeongo rd

canada goose ,mallard ,ruffed grouse ,common loon ,turkey vulture ,spotted sandpipper ,yellow bellied sapsucker ,northern flicker ,pileated woodpecker ,blue-headed vireo ,gray jay ,blue jay
american crow ,common raven ,black-capped chickadee ,red-breasted nuthatch ,winter wren
golden crowned kinglet ,ruby-crowned kinglet ,hermit thrush ,american robin ,nashville warbler
yellow warbler ,chestnut sided warbler ,magnolia warbler ,yelloow-rumped warbler ,black-throated green warbler ,black and white warbler ,american redstart ,ovenbird ,northern waterthrush ,common yellowthroat ,chipping sparrow ,song sparrow ,swamp sparrow
white-throated sparrow ,dark-eyed junco ,rose-breasted grosbeak ,red-winged blackbird
purple finch ,pine siskin ,american goldfinch ,evening grosbeak

algonquin inn to the west gate of park.
canada goose,wood duck,american black duck,mallard,ruffed grouse,common loon,great blus heron,turkey vulture,bald eagle,coopers hawk,broad-winged hawk,red-tailed hawk,merlin,spotted sandpiper,wilsons snipe,ruby-throated hummingbird,yellew-bellied sapsucker,downy woodpecker,hairy woodpecker,northern flicker,pileated woodpeckerleast flycather,blue-headed vireo,philadelphia vireo,red-eyed vireo,blue jay,american crowcommon raven,barn swallow,back-capped chickadee,red breasted nuthatch,ruby-crowned kinglethermit thrush,american robin,brown thrasher,european starling,nashville warbler,northern parula,yellow warbler,chestnut-sided warbler,magnolia warbler,yellow rumped warbler,blackburnian warbler,palm warbler,bay-breasted warbler,black-and-white warbler,ovenbird,common yellowthroat,scarlet tanager,chipping sparrow,clay-clored sparrow,savannah sparrow,song sparrow,swamp sparrow,white-throated sparrow,white-crowned sparrow,rose-beasted grosbeak,indigo bunting,red-winged blackbird,common crackle,purple finch,pine siskin,american goldfinch,evening grosbeak.

..................................................................

scarlet tanager @algonquin inn

wow , this was great to see,we located it in the back yard of the restaurant of the Algonquin inn,

it has been here now for two days, i also saw one at the west gate of Algonquin park,but was not quick enough to get the picture , but this time i was ready it was in a high tree so it's well cropped.
i can only hope it stays around for a while,some members of a birding group currently staying with us were also very pleased to see this one, i have been going over their check list with the tour leader from eagle eye tours,so i should be able to post shortly a comprehensive list for sightings currently available for here and in the park.and the hot spots.

latest birding observations from a birding group

we just had a group of birders in from the U.K. avian adventures,on their last morning they birded the portage area of Long Lake which is only 4 to 5 minutes from the Algonquin Inn and just before Algonquin Park.
along with all of the birds you would expect and i have reported here they also noted,sap sucker woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers,northern harrier,wilsons snipe,cap may warbler,yellow warbler,Nashville warbler,scarlet tanager,spotted sandpiper,eastern phoebe,swamp sparrows,brown thrasher, and when i re visited this location the same day i had a bonus to above in that there is a nesting pair of Merlin's.....putting on a display....


yellow warbler



yellow-bellied sapsucker (f)
found this on next to the highway drilling away into the bark of the tree as the wounds in the tree fill with the sweet sap it attracts insects and bugs for it to eat.

this is the result of the sapsuckers work,

loon photography tours from Algonquin Inn

The loons and chicks tour for June 9 & 10th is now full.
here are the other scheduled dates available
Scheduled Tours/Workshops

Spring Loons - May 16, 2009. (4 people max) $225 per person.

Summer Loons - July 4, 2009. (4 people max) $225.00 per person

Loons & Chicks - July 5, 2009. (4 people max) $225.00 per person.

Loons & Chicks - July 9 & 10, 2009. (4 people max) $450.00 per person. Tour Full

Loons In The Mist - Sept 10 & 11, 2009 (4 people max) $450.00 per person.

Custom Loon Tours/Workshops
If the scheduled tours do not work for you, book your own private trip, and invite as many as 4 people to spend a day or a half day on the water with Michael, shooting wild loons in their natural habitat. For price per person , see custom tour pricing page.

just give us a call at Algonquin Lakeside Inn for more details 705-635-2434 or
e-mail stay@algonquininn.com or check our web site www.algonquininn.com

restaurant window today @ algonquin inn

had a busy day at the feeders today,the majority of feeders are located outside the restaurant windows,of the Algonquin inn,so our dinners today had a great display of colour,


American goldfinch



downy woodpecker
house finch (M)

evening grosbeak (f)

evening grosbeak (m)

rose breasted grosbeak (M)


www.algonquininn.com

black - backed woodpecker

i follwed up on a recent sighting of a black-backed woodpecker and was able to locate him and obtain a picture ,but was unable to locate a female untill today....
so the next time your visiting algonquin park check-out the hydro pole #66 located between km53 and 54km as between the two birds they have worked this pole over,and are making it home.


female black-backed woodpecker


male black-backed woodpecker

black bear algonquin park

had some spare time this afternoon so took the opportunity to leave the Inn and drive into algonquin park, in fact i was following up on a sighting of 4 sand hill cranes on one of the lakes, well as they say, along the way i found a black bear eating grass along a rock cut by the highway, as i understand it, a bear will eat grass after it first emerges from hibernationn so as to gently get the stomach working again after a winter shut down,.
I had no time to compose the shot as it was a suprise to us both, was taken into the setting sun.(still looking for the cranes !!)