Finding rare birds!

84% of the reason why I bird is finding rare birds. I still haven't really figured out why (I mean, I know why, but not REALLY why) but it's just tops.

Since we've just passed the half way mark of the year, I started to look back at how this year has been over-the-top crazy for my personal "self found" list. The way it's shaken down so far:

Feb 18 --- 5(+) Hornemann's Hoary Redpolls - near Matheson, ON.
Apr 2 --- Ross's Goose - Mountsberg C.A. (Hamilton) ON. (with Jennifer)
Apr 19 --- Eurasian Wigeon on Amherst
Apr 24 --- Neotropic Cormorant near Pelee
Apr 27 --- Glossy Ibis on Pelee Island (all next birds with Ken Burrell)
Apr 27 --- Eared Grebe on Pelee Island
Apr 27 --- Yellow-throated Warbler on Pelee Island
Apr 28 --- Summer Tanager (ad male) on Pelee Island (first of 8 for the spring)
Apr 28 --- Laughing Gull (ad) - to cap off a really nutty 24 hour rarity-spree
May 10 --- Kirtland's Warbler on Pelee Island (w/ the Burrells, Jenn and Dad)
May 14 --- Parasitic Jaeger on Pelee Island (Mom, Dad, K Burrell)
May 16 --- 2 Fish Crow's at Point Pelee (w/ Dad)
May 21 --- Western Tanager at Point Pelee (with 2 Summer Tanagers on the same morning!) (W/ K Burrell)

So when May was all said and done, I actually had more "self-found" rarities (to date) in 2011 than pretty much every other year I've been birding. Consider the fact I usually find a lot more in the fall than the spring, and something crazy has happened. My year list on Jun 30th was 265, and I had actually "self found" 256 of those!

I took a bit of a break for the month of June, but I'm getting "ready to go" when things begin to shake down in the next few weeks.

First up is rare shorebirds! It's a bit tough to do the required searching for July shorebirds, but whenever work allows, I try and stop by any good habitat in mid to late July. Here's the reason why:

(Ontario records):

Aug 1 – 1948 – Wandering Tattler – Windmill Point, Niagara

July 11-15, 1960 Wandering Tattler – Windmill Point, Niagara

July 25, 1976 – Spotted Redshank  - Niagara

July 11, 1976 – Red-necked Stint – Toronto, previously accepted,  then rejected by the OBRC. Next record will add the species to the Ontario list. Date sounds good for RNST, and Sanderling.

July 19-24, 1990 – Spotted Redshank – Cassleman

July 25, 1992 – Little Stint – Casselman

July 31-Aug1 – 1997 – “Palaearctic” Dunlin - Hamilton

 July 31, 2008 – Little Stint -  Townsend Sewage Lagoons – my record (that I count), not accepted by the OBRC though!

Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, American Avocet (etc) also have a pretty good record of occurring in July. 6 of Michigan's 8 fall records of Curlew Sandpiper have occurred in July! (dates of 11, 16, 20, 20, 29. 30) 

Not too bad at all! I have a theory that a lot of these birds shown above are actually "failed breeders" that spent the summer somewhere in Arctic Canada/Alaska - and were the only members of their species, couldn't find mates, and head south somewhat early. (Not that many people agree with me on that one) - but i'm sticking with it... Clearly it doesn't apply to all species (Eg,// Ad. Short-billed Dowitchers peak in the 2nd week of July for Ontario)

But anyways.. July it a fairly slow time for rarities in Ontario, but these mega-rare shorebirds definitely have a pattern of occurring this month. Some other huge rarities have occurred in the same time frame (Crested Caracara's for one)

(Ruff! I've found a few in Ontario.. So I'd happily take a Curlew Sandpiper now!)

So yeah! That's my birding forecast for the next few weeks... More rarities will be up for grabs in August (less-rare shorebirds, herons etc) ...


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Editors note: I wrote this back in June, but have been saving the posts. Clearly Josh Vandermulen is on the ball, and is already out finding rare shorebirds:

http://joshvandermeulen.blogspot.com/2011/07/fall-shorebird-blitz-kicks-off-with.html

If you haven't seen his blog, do take a look at the whole thing. It's superb!


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Pre-post edit #2 - Ruff! in ME

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhitchcox/5899274314/in/pool-437129@N20