BIRDWATCH: Searching for northern boreal species in Algonquin Park
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Every year, I take at least one excursion to one of the best places in our region to locate northern boreal species, the southern corridor along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park.
Travelling from the east gate of the park just past the town of Whitney, several boreal locations such as spruce bog and forests support a variety of local and northern bird species. These include Boreal Chickadees, Spruce Grouse, Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks and, if lucky, Red and White Crossbills.
In addition to the special habitats in the park, there is always a chance to observe birds along the highway corridor itself. Here. one might find Bald Eagles, Ravens, Crows, Wild Turkey and Owls.
On Thursday, Feb. 15, Vince Agnesi and I ventured into Algonquin Park on a cold and cloudy day, spurred on by the many photos of birds taken in the park by the photographers on the Pembroke Aerea Field Naturalists’ Facebook page. Unfortunately, we knew our time in the park would be limited due to a major snowstorm forecasted for mid-afternoon that day.
Our first stop occurred on Highway 60 about 1-2 kilometers from the Opeongo Road. Shortly after pulling off to the side of the road, we were greeted by several flocks of both Red and White-winged Crossbills. This did not surprise me because Algonquin Park was experiencing a bumper crop of pinecones.
Also at this stop, we were fortunate to observe Purple Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, and a lone Golden-crowned Kinglet.
Our second stop was on the Opeongo Road. The park plows this road for the lumber trucks as far as the north gate. All along the road to the gate we experienced several large flocks of Pine Siskins feeding on the gravel on the road as well as the occasional Raven.
At the gate, we ventured down the road heading towards Clemford Lake in the hope of finding Canada Jays, Black-backed Woodpecker and Spruce Grouse. Unfortunately, we did not locate any of these birds along the road, but we did encounter numerous Blue Jays. The bird populations in the park do vary from year to year.
From Opeongo Road we went to the Park Visitor Centre to warm up, have lunch and visit the bird feeders that are situated just below the observation deck at the back of the Centre. Well, if you been wondering where the Eastern Grosbeaks have been this winter, I can say a great number of them are at the Visitor Centre. There had to be at least 500-600 Grosbeaks, the largest concentration I have ever seen. Also located were two American Tree Sparrows, a small flock of American Goldfinch, a Red Crossbill, a Pine Siskin and a lone Common Redpoll.
On completion of our lunch and visit at the Centre, we crossed the highway to the Spruce Bog Trail. Here we observed more Evening Grosbeaks, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Raven, Hairy Woodpecker and two Dark-eyed Juncos. Unfortunately, there were no Canada Jays or Spruce Grouse.
On leaving the Spruce Grouse Trail, the weather deteriorated and it began to snow with ice pellets. We tried looking for birds at the Loggers Museum but to no avail. The birds had all but disappeared into their shelter mode, and visibility and road conditions became worse. It was time to go home!
For all our efforts, we were able to locate 15 bird species, three more than last year. The highlights of the excursion included the sighting of both Red and White-winged Crossbills, the Common Redpoll (quite scarce this year), and the flocks of Purple Finch and Siskins.
Noticeably absent were the Boreal Species such as Canada Jays, Spruce Grouse, Pine Grosbeaks and Black-backed Woodpecker.
In terms of bird sightings, it was a good excursion but not one of our best.
The local scene
On the local scene, the weather has been somewhat mild. The first spring migrants arrived on time during the second and third weeks of February, and these, of course, were the Horned Larks. These birds can be found on the sides of dirt roads, eating gravel and quickly flying into the fields when a car approaches. Look for the distinctive pointed wings.
We had a few reports of American Robins in February. At first, I thought they must be overwintering Robins; however, with the reports increasing, I conclude they are early migrants. Also, we have had an early sighting of Red-winged Blackbird. Keep an eye out for more Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Canada Geese.
Local sightings
Back on Feb. 10, George Quinn of Pembroke observed two Trumpeter Swans on the Ottawa River. These are probably the two overwintering Swans that are also observed in the Deacon and Golden Lake areas.
On this same date, Diane Davidson of Westmeath spotted the area’s first spring Robin in the grassy area around her home.
Similarly, around Feb. 22, both Phil Stinson and Bernard Parro observed American Robins in their areas.
Finally, on Feb. 22, Robert Mayo reported the first spring Red-winged Blackbird for our area, confirmed with a photo.
Please call me with your sightings at 613-735-4430 or email me at hooles@bell.net . For more information on upcoming nature events, just google the Pembroke Area Field Naturalists’ web site or like us on Facebook.
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