American Pipits & Cottage Wildlife

 September 28-29, 2020

We were going back up to the lake for a couple of days.  We took a scenic detour on Ch. Fieldville at Low, stopping at the bridge over Stag Creek. Quite an impressive gorge!  Barbara walked up the road and got some Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Dark-eyed Juncos and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

A little further along, the road was blocked as the next bridge was out. So we took the detour south along Ch McDonald and Ch. Murray.  There was an impressive cliff with an old nest, presumably ravens.

We rejoined Ch. Filedville and things were going swimmingly until the cops passed us and we were stopped at the scene of hydro lines down over the road.  We had no option but to go back. But at the corner of Ch. Murray, we noticed a flock of birds which Barbara had also seen on the way in.  It was hard to tell what they were because they were American Pipits which we rarely see.

We carried on toward the cottage, and stopped to photograph a Porcupine on Ch du Lac à L'Arche.

We did some boating, fishing and canoeing, enjoying the fall colours.

On the way home, we met Colleen out for her walk wearing hunter orange.

Further on, we took another scenic detour by Ch Woods and Ch des Erables, and spotted an American Kestrel on a wire.

It was a short but good trip.

Pomarine Jaeger and Warbler Bonanza

 September 27, 2020

Three had been reports of a Pomarine Jaeger off Andrew Haydon Park while we were at the Non OFO Convention in Peterborough http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Peterborough%202020/Peterborough%202020.htm

So we went to the east side of AHP, but could find no sign of it.

So we packed up and went to look at Britannia Point. No sign there either, but a couple of herons were present.

Fortunately for us, a young guy came by and told us that there were lots of warblers just behind us in the shrubs by the river.  He wasn't kidding.  We got Blackpoll, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Nashville, Northern Parula, Palm, and of course, Yellow-rumped.

In addition, we got Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and White-throated Sparrow.

And up on the ridge, we got a Belted Kingfisher, Gray Catbird and White-breasted Nuthatch.

To top if off, we got a RBA that the jaeger was back at AHP, so off we went.  We just got set up when we saw it flying by in the distance, then land on the river.

These are not great photos, but we had good scope views.