Well Alan and I have emerged from the woods after 12ish days of seawatching. The short of it: we never really had the weather we were looking for, but we had some killer birds.
Highlights:
SOOTY SHEARWATER - new for Ontario!!!
DOVEKIE - 2 birds!!! (seen different days)
Varied Thrush - first record for the hudson bay lowlands? Looong story with this difficult bird.
Black Guillemot - I have 4 total birds, seen on 3 days in my notes! (Expected, but still very exciting)
Pacific Loon - pretty rare in the Moosonee area, dispite breeding on Hudson Bay
Black-legged Kittiwake - a review species in the north, 5 different birds on 2 days.
Pomarine Jaeger - another review species in the north, 3 will be doccumented + 2 other distant probables
King Eider - highest 1 day count was 26
Three-toed Woodpecker - stunning male around camp, but very hard to find
Gyrfalcon - only 2 birds seen!!! Much much lower than expected
Red Phalarope: single day sighting of 6 birds
Purple Sandpiper: seen 3 days I think.. Flock of 7 was the highest count.
Killdeer: probable reverse migrant seen flying E on south winds. VERY late for up here.
Those are my main highlights, but there were more. Finches were seen daily (daily flocks of Hoary Redpolls), shorebirds were VERY late (80+ sanderling in mid nov?!) plus a few high counts (550+ Red-throated Loons!).
More will follow over the next few weeks as I enter the sightings online, sort photos, and get some sleep! Train to cochrane in 1 hour, then a very long drive home in the dark. Lots more to come!!!
What an amazing trip! 'Can't wait to hear more and see your photos.
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