The Countdown is On!

Just 26 more days! We are very excited about the response this year, but there is still space for more birders! Don't wait much longer. And remember the deadline for registration is the 16th.

We are finally able to access Hurkett Cove Conservation Area, and the birds aren't disappointing us. Waterfowl and shorebirds have arrived and the photo opportunities are many.

Taking off!

Over 70 American White Pelicans were spotted a couple days ago. Of course, once the inland lakes open, and it could be a few weeks yet, they will travel to them.

We are enjoying many species of ducks, Double-breasted Cormorants, Bald Eagles, and Greater Yellowlegs.

A pair of Common Mergansers

Look at All the Birds!

FOX SPARROW

Happy to report that we are seeing a lot of returning species to the area! The trees are alive again with singing and birds flitting about. The Tree Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and White-throated Sparrows are here. We are seeing more Bald Eagles, and the Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and Broad-winged Hawks are here too.
There are many Slate-coloured Juncos! They seem to be everywhere! The American Goldfinches that have been here all winter, are getting their vivid yellow colours back, and are certainly beautiful.

We still have some snow, but it is melting very quickly. Can't wait to see the bay open up, and allow for the return of the American Pelicans, Canada Geese, etc.

Hope you are going to be able to attend the Festival. Our numbers are increasing every day, and we look forward to the weekend very much!

SONG SPARROW

REGISTRATIONS HAVE STARTED

So happy to report that we have received the first of the registrations for this year's Festival! So excited. Plans have been made, and there are just a few loose ends to tie up. We will be picking up our new brochure from the printer this week, and our organizing committee will be sporting new shirts.
New this year will be t-shirts for sale, at the Festival. We are having so much fun with the new things we can do each year.
This weekend is the Home and Garden show at the CLE grounds in Thunder Bay, and we will be set up at the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority's booth. Drop by and register!!!

Hope to see you at the Festival.

Here we come again!

Well, it's spring (almost), and the organizing committee is gearing up to the 2011 Festival.
Registrations have already started to come in, and we look forward to hearing from you! We know we will have a number of returning birders from last year, and hope to meet lots of new ones too.
Please visit our website to download a printable form, or to register online with PayPal.

We currently have a lot of snow here, but winds and mild temperatures are arriving, and it won't be long before we can hit the backroads and trails to scout out returning birds.

2010 Birding Festival...a Great Success

Day One, Dorion

Well, the weekend was FANTASTIC!
The weather couldn't have co-operated more, and some of us have sunburns to prove it!

Highlights for the birders this year, was Day One's Peregrine Falcon display. While the first group was at Ouimet Canyon in the morning, they watched 3 falcons flying around the canyon. One thrilled us by "stooping" down to catch a small bird.

When the second group was there in the afternoon, they watched a falcon catch a bat and take it to the rock face and snack on it! A great experience!

On Day Two at The Nipigon River Trail, we were able to watch a Marbled Godwit as it moved around the shallows at Sawmill Point. Another great bird was the Black-throated Green Warbler.

The total for this year was 97 species. A wonderful total, considering the migration hasn't completed yet. We were able to hear a lot of species, if not actually see them.

Hmmm, not sure...

Leaving Ouimet Canyon behind...

Great Prizes

Day Two, Nipigon

Black-throated Green Warbler

Marbled Godwit

One Week Away!

By this time next week, all the planning and organizing will be over for another year, and it will be another Festival in the books! We are very excited about the response, and now it is up to mother nature to accommodate us...birds and weather alike.

This past week or two we have been spotting birds returning to the area.
There's a group of 7 Sandhill Cranes staying in a field back of Dorion...we have been keeping an eye on them. Yellow Rumped Warblers are at Hurkett Cove,
as were some Meadowlarks last week.
The weather has been quite cool, and often very windy, so hopefully our checklists will be increasing this week, in preparation for the weekend.

A group of Sandhill Cranes...one must be hiding...

Lesser? Scaup at Hurkett

May 3...Hurkett Cove

A very windy day, following quite a windy weekend! Thought there might be some "windblown" birds hugging the shoreline, but nothing to report...yet.
Did see a flock of approximately 40 cormorants out over the lake, these Bonaparte Gulls, Ring-billed gulls, etc. There was a Horned Lark out on the spit last week, and the White-throated Sparrows have returned along with the Yellow-rumped Warblers.

No privacy! Very noisy, or I wouldn't have looked!

Ring-billed Gull

Bonaparte Gulls

They're coming back, and we're ready!

Getting down to the last 3 weeks, and we are getting so excited!
Planning and organizing is coming together, and now we are finishing up the final details. Registrations are still coming in, and we are very pleased with this year's response. Still some time left, so join us!

Hurkett Cove is coming alive over the last 2 weeks. Today there were Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Swainson's Thrush, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeers, 16 Tundra Swans, numerous ducks and Canada Geese. The Song Sparrows have been flitting around for a couple weeks along the shore, so it's a great pleasure to visit.

The Bald Eagles are nesting...I've seen them a few times with their talons full of reeds and grass.

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

A flock of Sandhill Cranes

The sky was black...they heard us coming!

The Nipigon River Trail

Really looking forward to the day at Nipigon! We went yesterday for a look-see, and the possibilities are endless...especially for waterfowl. A well kept trail, well designed and habitat friendly to shorebirds, waterfowl, and warblers, etc.
The weather was less than desirable, the winds were strong, but already a number of visible species of ducks and a few Canada geese.

Pelicans and Song Sparrows

Nice to see the birds returning. There were 13 or 14 white pelicans at Hurkett Cove this afternoon, and about 250 geese. What a racket!
Happy to see a few song sparrows flitting about too.
The water level is quite low, so it is easy once more to walk along the shore.

Eagles

Fortunate enough to have a photo session with my eagle buddies.
Usually they see me coming and are gone...but this one decided to give me a thrill and a great opportunity to get some pictures. This is the nesting tree.

A bit windy, so therefore ruffled feathers!

Watching me

Gulls, Geese and Dorion Dragon!

Beautiful, mild day for a walk at Hurkett Cove. T-shirt weather early in April will never be a problem! The water level is very low, so walking along the shore, and out for about 50 m is very enjoyable. Saw 6 Canada Geese, a number of Herring Gulls, Snow Buntings, juvenile Bald Eagle, and a pair of Common Mergansers, and a Ruffed Grouse. The ice is melting very quickly and the sound of it as it "clinks" against itself is quite pleasant.

I was inspired by recent posts by NorthShoreNature and the driftwood dragons they had found, and lo and behold they are here as well!

Pick up your copy of Northern Wilds for the article on the Birding Festival..
.thanks so much Shawn

Eagles at Hurkett Cove

I have enjoyed watching the eagles at Hurkett Cove in the last week. Although they don't want me to, I occasionally get a glimpse of their activities. The other day I witnessed a brief, and noisy, mating, and today one of them approached with reeds for the nest. Looking forward to another year with offspring.

Hurkett Cove in March

Just had a "first hike of the year" at Hurkett Cove.
The trail is in excellent shape, and the trees, bushes and marshes are just
sitting there waiting for the spring arrivals!
Saw a flock of Snow Buntings, Robins, Hairy Woodpecker, Nuthatches and Chickadees.
The cove itself is still frozen, but the trail is open and only slightly wet in places.
Compared to this time last year, we are well ahead of the game.

We have a fantastic group of experts who will be accompanying us during the festival.

Al Harris (Northern Bioscience biologist with 24 years experience in northern Ontario. He has also spent seven years as a biologist with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He is past president of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, served as regional co-ordinator for the Atlas of the Mammals of Ontario, and coauthor of Checklist of the Plants of Thunder Bay District.),

Brian Ratcliff (a wildlife biologist with more than 25 years of experience. Research projects conducted for both federal and provincial agencies, have mainly focused on threatened and endangered species of birds such as Piping Plovers, American White Pelicans Peregrine Falcons, and Burrowing Owls; contributor to the Chronicle Journal and our guest speaker on Saturday night)

Dr. Nick Escott (one of the leading birders in northwestern Ontario. In addition to excellent field identification skills, Nick is in his third term on the Ontario Bird Records Committee and has been the Bird Records Chairman for the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists since 1985),

George Holborn (Wildlife Assessment Biologist with the MNR in Thunder BAy, recognized song bird expert with the Research Centre, involved with the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory)

Rob Swainson (Biologist with the MNR in Nipigon, skilled bird identifier and our Master of Ceremonies)

Come and visit us at the
Central Canada Outdoor Show
February 26-28
The Sports Dome, Thunder Bay

Friday 5-8 pm
Saturday 10-6
Sunday 11-4

WE'RE ON LINE...CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE!

dorionbirdfest.ca

Hand crafted nyger feeders

How nice! One of our members has crafted these as prizes at the Festival.
Hasn't she done a great job?

Update

Hi Birders:
It's late January and we are getting very excited about the upcoming Festival.
If last year's Festival is any indication, we are in for a great weekend.

The website will be up and running in early February, so we hope that will bring in a lot of new birders. We have instituted electronic registration and payment through PayPal as well.

It's very cold here these days, and although we are watching our bird feeders, and enjoying the winter birds, we can't wait for the spring migration to start, and to be able to get out to watch them.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is happening (February 12-15), so we are going to attempt to be at the top of the leader board this year. Local participants have helped keep us 2nd in Ontario for checklists! Great results for such a small location.

So, stay tuned for more updates and hope to see you in May!