Windswept Alvars...

A recent trip to Carden Alvar produced some nice birds and photo opportunities. It was cold though, and horribly windy so the birding was indeed a challenge. We found most of what was there though, eventually. We missed the Loggerhead Shrikes, but most folks have been struggling of late.

The highlight of the day was finding some cooperative wetland species at Prospect Marsh. Above is a lovely Sora, one of many that were calling in the vicinity. We had some great looks but this bird was a little tricky to photograph in the open, always dashing between areas of cover. Still, it matters not. I actually like bird photos where the subject is partially hidden within its habitat. Now there a great excuse if ever I saw one!


We also had good luck seeing a nice Virginia Rail...


And, en route we stopped off at Nonquon Sewage Lagoon, where there were many Black Terns sweeping across the cells. Always a crowd pleaser...

Recent photo adventures...

I've been quite active of late, though only on the photobirding front. The moths in my back yard are all but non-existent so I've had to concentrate on other things... oh yes, on work too.

A few days ago I was on Toronto Island on a particularly gloomy and windswept day. There were a few grounded migrants but it was not the fallout I had hoped for and was generally disappointing. However, at about midday the sun peeked through creating perfect light for something or other. And as luck would have it there was a small gang of American Herring Gulls feeding very close in the surf. I'd wanted to capture some Herring Gull images so I was well pleased with this turn of events, as you might imagine.

I rattled off hundreds of images in a few minutes while the birds crashed around in the surf and wheeled overhead. I was pleased with many of the photos. The above bird is a typical first-summer individual, though some were decidedly scrappy-looking and in various stages of moult.


A rather fetching adult American Herring Gull...


And an equally nice-looking adult Ring-billed Gull. I've always been amazed that many birders don't really like gulls that much. "Too difficult" they say. Well, take a closer look and you'll be amazed by these superb creatures. Many species may be ubiquitous but that doesn't stop them from being both interesting and attractive.

Struggling in High Park...

James and I visited High Park again this afternoon after school in the hope there might be a few grounded migrants to photograph. Wrong! It was soooo quiet, quite unbelievable for mid May. A few Yellow-rumped warblers, the odd Yellow and Black-throated Green Warbler and that was about it. So instead I took a few photos of common birds that I wouldn't normally spend much time with.

The brilliant male Northern Cardinal above is a good example of a fine bird that is often taken for granted because it's a pretty common garden species. But look at it - it's not bad, really. I might even be tempted to paint this one day...


There were a few Double-crested Cormorants swimming around and this one came close enough for my lens to capture. Another attractive bird when in breeding finery.


I like female Red-winged Blackbirds better than the males. You've gotta love the streakiness and that pale cinnamon throat. Common as anything in High Park but who cares...

BTW, you will have to forgive the lack of anything mothy right now - I'm just not catching anything! Some Moth Man...

Emirates Birds - Dry Ones...

A few more common birds to be found in the Emirates. The lovely Indian Roller above is pretty common, almost a garden bird. Usually found on fences and overhead wires they are conspicuous and easy to approach.


The stylish Little Green Bee-eater is another dazzling species (well, all Bee-eaters are nice are they not) that is commonly found along roadsides and in gardens and the like.


The rather drab Desert Lark is mostly found in barren, rocky areas in the mountains. I found them to be rather skittish and hard to approach closely so could only get a few record shots.


The Crested Lark is seemingly ubiquitous throughout the whole region, they can be just about anywhere.


The Emirates is a good place to brush up on your wheatear identification. This is an Isabelline Wheatear. We didn't see too many here and this one was actually photographed in Ethiopia, where it is a very common wintering bird. Rather drab as far as wheatears go but with a subtle beauty nonetheless.


Desert Wheatears were quite common in low-lying stoney desert, particularly where there were a few shrubs. Hard to get close to I never did manage to get any decent photos. This one is a lovely male.


This male Hooded Wheatear, on the other hand, was a real exhibitionist! He lived in a car park and was well used to people...


This male Hume's Wheatear was a bit of a target species for us what with its restricted range. We ended up seeing quite a few in the mountains near Al Ain.


Finally, the rather dull Red-tailed Wheatear in atypical tennis court habitat!

Emirates Birds - Wet Ones...

Thought I'd show you a few avian highlights from our few days in the Emirates. Coastal birding was quite productive, especially on the east side of the peninsula. Gulls were a bit of a focus, but maybe I'll do a separate post for them since the situation is a little complex in this region. The magnificent gull above is the unforgettable Pallas's Gull, this one an adult in almost full alternate plumage. It was the only one we saw here, though we did find a distant flock in the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. The species is perhaps better known by its old (and better name?) Great Black-headed Gull. There are no identification problems with this species, in any plumage - the shape alone is totally distinctive...


To see Sooty Gulls at long last was a real highlight for me - this one being a first-winter individual. This is another very distinctive species that would be hard to confuse with any other - maybe White-eyed Gull could be a potential pitfall?


More Sooty Gulls. They are rather thickset, stocky gulls with longish thick bills. Pretty common on the coast, but especially so in the east.


A small flock of the elegant Slender-billed Gull. We found good numbers of this distinctive gull within the large loafing flocks of Common Black-headed Gulls on the east coast beaches. They are easy to tell apart with Slender-bills being slightly larger, longer-necked with a gently sloping forehead that merges into that slender, long and pointy bill.


By far the commonest tern was this guy, the Lesser Crested Tern. Big flocks were to be see roosting with the gulls on the eastern beaches. The hoped-for White-cheeked Terns didn't materialize (in spite of some wishful thinking whilst scanning heat-hazed flocks of CommonTerns), though we did find one feeding flock of the equally desirable Saunder's Terns on the west side.


These amazing-looking creatures are Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, the only Sandgrouse one is likely to encounter easily here. The male is in the foreground. We saw some fly-bys over the Pivot Fields near Dubai. This photo was taken in Ethiopia where the species is much more common.


An obliging Common Sandpiper in Safa Park in the middle of Dubai. The sister-species to our Spotted Sandpiper here.


A lone Red-wattled Lapwing, a pretty common species throughout the Emirates and beyond.


And the much nicer, more elegant and decidedly more local White-tailed Plover. This is easy to see on the Pivot Fields in the winter, we saw 30 plus during a brief visit. This one-legged stance is characteristic of the species.

More to follow...

The Largest Unfinished Construction Site...

Since its been cool and blustery of late, and since I have nothing to tell at the moment I thought I'd go back to my recent trip to UAE and Ethiopia. We stopped in Dubai at both ends of the trip and spent four days at the end birding in and around Dubai. It has to said that it really is a strange place. There is some wonderful desert scenery in the interior but this is marred by the fact that much of the coastline has been ruined by what appears to be senseless construction projects, many of which, it would appear, will not be completed any time soon. Here are a few images from the region...

Above is the famous Burj Al Arab. It is actually quite impressive when up close to it. Is immaculate and looks like it is fashioned out of smooth white icing! One has to pay big bucks to get in for a look, so we stayed outside...


Fantastic orange sand dunes in the interior. No birds here, though if one finds a shrub or two there might be a Desert Warbler lurking.


Much of the interior looks like this though, paler, more rocky desert with scattered shrubbery. Great habitat for Desert Wheatears and, if you are lucky Greater Hoopoe Larks.


Some scruffy Brit birding dude we passed along the way...


The famous hotel at Ghantoot, sometimes the winter home for Grey Hypocolius - though for us there were none. Quite atmospheric at sunset.


Just a small part of the Dubai skyline. Many of these skyscrapers are unfinished and are most probably destined to remain so until the economy cheers up. Could be a long wait...


Sewage is a bit of a problem in Dubai and most of it is shipped out to the famous "Pivot Fields" on the outskirts of the city. Basically a huge sewage treatment plant the "fields" are always green and well watered and thus the whole area is a fantastic birding hotspot. Many of Dubai's vagrant birds are found here.

I'll post a few bird pix next time...

When Gems are not enough...

My back yard moth trap has been pathetic thus far this spring. Last year I had recorded about 28 species by this time, including a nice string of new moths for the garden. This year it's been utter rubbish. Why? Hmmm. good question, and one I don't immediately have an answer for...

Anyway, scraping the very bottom of the bottom of the barrel I present The Gem. This one is a male. At least it's not Proteoteras moffatiana, the only other moth I seem to be capable of catching right now. If I get really stuck I'll post a photo of that beauty next!

A few birds in the garden this morning, including singing Swainson's Thrush, Veery, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Nashville, Yellow-rumped and Yellow Warblers...

The Dorset Connection...

A long long time ago I used to work at Portland Bird Observatory in Dorset, UK. I was the assistant warden and I lived in the lighthouse. I loved it there and got to know quite a few amazing people, some of which I'm still in contact with today. I recently received an e-mail from a guy I remembered from this bygone time saying he and his wife were to visit and would I find some time to go birding with them. Well, of course! So I met them on Toronto Island this morning. Unfortunately it really was almost birdless and we have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with anything! Still, we had a good time chatting about old times whilst I caught up with some interesting Portland gossip - always lots of that to be had...

Above is a Least Flycatcher. This is generally the first empidonax flycatcher to arrive in this area and is by far the most common. Pretty easy to identify, even if not calling or singing.


There were quite a few handsome White-crowned Sparrows out and about, but still not as many as there should be at this time. This is one of my favorite sparrows - very snazzy in their pied golf caps!


We stumbled across this nice breeding-plumaged Greater Yellowlegs on the beach. Not a common bird on the Islands by any means...


This crispy fresh male Bobolink was a pleasant distraction, but wouldn't allow close approach, unfortunately. It still had lots of buffy edges to the mantle and wing feathers, all of which will soon be lost through abrasion.


Offshore there were several Caspian Terns patrolling the beach. Noisy but nice, if you see what I mean.

Park Life...

I had a hot tip that there were some "easy" Wood Ducks to be had in High Park, so, after school I took James there for a combined photo session and dinner in the park sorta thing. We had a great time - and even found the said easy ducks.

I've seen many Wood Ducks in my time but rarely have I looked at them in such detail, and so close, as we did yesterday. They are gorgeous! The drake above could have been photographed with a point-and-shoot! In fact the boy did reel off a few with his little coolpix...


Being the strange kinda person that likes sparrows and tyrant flycatchers I have to say that I prefer the female Wood Duck over the male. The subtle colors, antbird-like white eye-ring, marbled flanks and striking blue wing markings create an arresting vision...


James spotted this lovely adult Black-crowned Night-Heron on the edge of the duck pond in the SE corner of the park. We watched it for some time as it preened in front of us. Trouble was there was a fence between us and it, so obtaining nice photos was a bit of a challenge. Got there in the end, sort of...


The cherry blossom was in full swing and there were large numbers of Japanese admirers all taking photos of the scene. Above one such tree was this singing male Orchard Oriole. Was always high up and all I could get were a few record shots. I'll go back and try again for this dark beauty.


Lastly a male Common Grackle. Great looking birds even if they are as common as muck!

Know your Stigmas...

At last - something, anything, new in the garden moth trap! Even though it is just a Common Looper Moth. This is a very common species throughout Ontario, appearing about now and continuing right through to late fall in three or so overlapping generations. The larva is a generalist on many plants.

This looper is quite variable in its appearance. The overall color varies from shades of brown to purple with differing intensities of metallic sheen. The silvery stigma on the forewing also varies quite wildly from one individual to the next. The above individual is the less common variety that has the stigma in two parts.


And this individual shows the more regular pattern of having the stigma fused into one sweeping spot. Either way the angled, upside down "V" shape of the fore part of the stigma is pretty distinctive. There are some look-alike species but they all have different stigma shapes and subtly different forewing marking.

Spit Birds...

We were out and about on the Leslie Spit on Sunday afternoon. A glorious day to be out, even in the middle of the big city with other people all around. There wasn't too much around but I did manage to photograph a few common birds.

Above is a nice drake Bufflehead. Still quite a few around, usually in small mobile flocks.


A female Bufflehead...


Whilst we were walking between the cells a fine drake Northern Pintail flew over. I managed to reel off a few record shots before it disappeared to the south. A nice bird to see out here since they are not exactly numerous in the core of the GTA.


Canvasbacks are now breeding out on the Spit. This female was sitting around on a log waiting for something to happen. It did, a drake appeared and they then flew off!


Still loads of Long-tailed Ducks bobbing around. At this time they are often in noisy flocks loitering just about anywhere offshore.


It was nice to see the first Spotted Sandpipers of the year. They look a bit comical as they bob their way along the shoreline, resplendent in their spottiness.


There is a nice raft with breeding Common Terns allowing great looks for anyone who cares to show an interest.


And most of the nest boxes were well populated with Tree Swallows, always nice to see.

The Spit is a great place to visit. When you consider it is totally man-made it really does provide a great haven for all kinds of wildlife, especially birds. Take a look for yourself sometime...