Opinicon Road with JC Birding

 June 24, 2022

We met at our house so that Jane and Barb could see the wrens at our birdhouse and listen to the babies begging inside.

We decided to all travel together so we could save gas and hear about Jane's trip to Pond Inlet and the floe edge.  Jane suggested that we go via Richmond to see if there were any Upland Sandpipers.  We were a bit frustrated with the early morning fog, but  we saw lot of meadowlarks, though no sandpipers.

We took Hwy 15 south to Chaffey's Lock Road, stopping only to look at the distant Osprey nest.

We birded near the intersection of Hwy 15, and and also made several stops along the way to Chaffey's Locks.  Best bird was a Blue-winged Warbler that was singing the Golden-winged's song.

Finally, we arrived at the Opinicon Hotel, where Bill and the two Barb's enjoyed a homemade ice cream cone.  The latter enjoyed the unusual Rhubarb/Ginger flavour.

Our next stop was at the Cataraqui Trail, where we hiked for half an hour in the noon heat.  It was quiet, but we did pick up a couple of warblers and a Scarlet Tanager. Thousands of tine toadlets were hopping everywhere on the trail.

From there, we went to the Queen's University Biological Station, where we asked and received permission to have our lunch in the shade at a picnic table. After, we walked the grounds and spotted an Eastern Garter Snake. A Pine Warbler was singing up a storm, but would not show itself.

Then it was off to Skycroft.  We drove to the boat launch, then hiked a short distance on one of the trails across the road.  We spotted a warbler in the shade on the hike that might have been a Cerulean.  And when we returned to the road, a Cerulean was singing, but we were not able to to see it. 

We decided to drive down Post Office Road.  It was very rough and we were glad to find a place to turn around.  Our last stop was the cemetery to check out the Tree Swallow nesting project.

On the way home, we took a short detour on Crosby Road, which did not yield much.  A marsh along Hwy 15 had a Great Blue Heron in the distance.

After negotiating a big detour through Smith's Falls, we took the road to North Gower then home on Hwy 416.  It was fun to be birding with our friends after a long break due to our various travels.

Jane Burgess's report

We decided that the meeting place would be at my place, until Bill suggested going to his place to see his new residents, a very young family of House Wrens.  When I arrived Barb C was already there, so I went directly to the back yard.  I was offered a chair to watch the Mom and Dad bring food to their babies, my goodness it was constant back and forth feeding their very hungry babies.   Don't know how many babies, time will tell.Bill suggested we get moving, it was hard to leave the show, but Chaffey's Lock was waiting for us.

We put all our gear into Bill & Barbara’s  SUV and off we went.  Lots of fog as we drove down Greenbank.  We took Old Richmond Road through Richmondd in hopes that we would see Upland Sandpipers, but we did not, but we did see many singing Eastern Meadowlarks, Cedar Waxwings and a single Kingbird.  While we were about to drive away Bill spotted a Northern Harrier.  What a great way to start our day.

Driving down highway 15 a small raptor flew by, I asked Bill, what was that, he said he was processing it, we determined with the size and shape it was a Kestrel.  We made one stop to look at the huge Osprey nests on the hydro towers, while we were stopped we heard a Phoebe and saw Turkey Vultures in the sky.

The corner of highway 15 and Chaffey's Lock Road is always good for birds.  We got out of the vehicle and heard lots of birds singing.  Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo,Grey Catbird, American Goldfinch, Yellow Warbler, White-nreasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrashers and  Cedar Waxwings.  We drove a bit further and heard  Eastern Towhee  and with patience we finally saw it.  Then we heard the  Golden-winged Warbler, great we wanted to see this bird.  Barb C. spotted singing away not too far from us, then it flew a bit further away but in a leafless tree.  Bill said Blue-winged Warbler, even better.  The darn bird was singing a Golden Winged song, maybe he was trying to attract a Golden-winged, they hybridize.  Someone spotted a Bobolink in the field, we heard a Field Sparrow and tried to coax it in, but it was having nothing to do with the 'bait'.  Barb C spotted a Baltimore Oriole, such a pretty bird.  While Bill was walking back to get the vehicle, he saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

We moved up to where we normally get Eastern Towhee, none there, but there were Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, House Wren, Kingbird and House Finch.  Another good stop.

We were approaching Chaffey's Lock, and Bill suggested ice cream, Bill, Barbara and Barb went off to get ice cream cones.  I wish, but my body says no.  I went off by myself and I spoke to a lady cleaning up the flower beds near the washrooms.  She said her mother planted the gardens and she is keeping up with them, her mom's ashes are actually sprinkled there,  Wow a gift that keeps on giving.  I walked further over the bridge and checked out the area where we had seen the rat snakes last year, no snakes, but a lone Great-blue Heron.  Went over to the open water, to check for loons, nope.  Walked back to the ice cream eaters - the two Barbs bought rhubarb ginger ice cream.  Sounded delicious.

We drove to the Cataraqui Trail.  As we walked Barbara pointed out all the little toads on the trail; I said are they called toadettes? No, said Bill they are called "toadlets  — there were hundreds of them.  I looked it up on the internet, because I had never heard of that word, turns out there are four stages in a toad's life - egg, tadpole, toadlet and toad.  Going birding is not always about birds.  So we walked and walked and walked, finally we said let's turn around.  Barb C suggested playing Ovenbird, sure enough one came in.  Meantime I had walked ahead and had decided to use the Merlin sound to determine what was singing. It indicated Scarlet Tanager so I played it and Bill and Barb said they heard it response.  Sure enough it flew in — now that bird is one gorgeous bird.

Off to Queens University Biological Station.  We asked if we could have lunch there, sure no problem.  Once out of the vehicle we heard Pine Warbler, but do you think those birds would show themselves, no.  While we were having our lunch one of the people working there told us they were having an opening house on Sunday.  There were some feeding stations on one of the buildings where we saw American Goldfinch and White-breasted Nuthatch.  Bill spotted a Eastern Phoebe.  After lunch we walked around and checked out the tanks near the water that held some fish, walking back to where we left our lunch containers, Barb spotted a Garter Snake.  At the vehicle we heard a Northern Flicker, but never saw it.

Next was Skycroft, we drove in but saw nothing new.  We walked the trail a bit and heard a Wood Thrush singing.  They have built a narrow boardwalk over the muddy areas.  Bill and the two Barb's continued down the boardwalk while I turned around. I tried to get the Wood Thrush to come in for me and it did, in fact two did but I never saw them.  On the road I heard Redstart.  It flew in with a bit of encouragement for all to see.  Someone said they heard Cerulean Warbler, it definitely was singing, but no we did not see it.  Bill saw a Broadwing Hawk fly over the road, the rest of us were trying to locate the Warbler.

We drove down Post Office Road, I don't think anyone of us had been down.  We saw some Canada Geese on the water and what looked like juvenile Canada Geese.  No, says Bill, they are Cackling Geese.  First time I have seen Cackling Geese at Chaffey's Lock.

We drove as far as the cemetery, where there were lots of Tree Swallows flying about, we heard Pine Warbler or is it Chipping Sparrow, their song is so similar.  Chipping Sparrow.

Time to turn around and head home.  Back at Bill and Barbara's around 5:30.

Good day of birding, the highlights for me were definitely the Blue-winged Warbler, Cackling Goose and hearing the Cerulean Warbler (it would have been so good if we had seen it).  Thank you Bill for driving, thank you Bill and Barbara for your photos and thank you Sami for editing my photos.

Species Noted

1. House Wren
2. American Robin
3. Eastern Meadowlark
4. Northern Harrier
5. Cedar Waxwing
6. Eastern Kingbird
7. Song Sparrow
8. American Crow
9. Mourning Dove
10. Common Grackle
11. Red-winged Blackbird
12. Rock Pigeon
13. Canada Geese
14. Kestrel
15. Osprey
16. Eastern Phoebe
17. Turkey Vulture
18. Warbling Vireo
19. Red-eyed Vireo
20. Gray Catbird
21. American Goldfinch
22. Yellow Warbler
23. Brown Thrasher
24. Estern Towhee
25. Blue-winged Warbler
26. Bobolink
27. Common Yellowthroat
28. Field Sparrow
29. Baltimore Oriole
30. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
31. Common Raven
32. Eastern Bluebird
33. Tree Swallow
34. House Finch
35. Great Blue Heron
36. Barn Swallow
37. Blue Jay
38. Black & White Warbler 
39. Northern Flicker
40. Ovenbird
41. Pine Warbler
42. Black-capped Chickadee
43. Wild Turkey
44. Great-crested Flycatcher
45. Wood Thrush
46. Redstart
47. Cerulean Warbler
48. Cackling Geese
49. Chipping Sparrow
50. Broadwing Hawk
51. Ring-billed Gull