September Sightings

We've had a warm August and beginning of September but the normal fall weather is now upon us, with nights of -2°C and lots of windy days this week. Here are a few sightings from the last month.

Timmins/South Porcupine is not a great location for large flocks of migrating shorebirds, but if we go out often enough, we might see one or two good shorebirds during spring or fall.  It was the case on August 30th when we arrived at the lake and found one lone Baird's Sandpiper. It was the first Baird's reported for Porcupine Lake.

Baird's Sandpiper / Bécasseau de Baird
Porcupine Lake (30 August 2018)

Baird's Sandpiper / Bécasseau de Baird
Porcupine Lake (30 August 2018)

Another lone shorebird landed at the lake on World's Shorebird Day, on September 6th; a Stilt Sandpiper (Found by Melanie P.)  The only other Stilt Sandpiper I had seen at the lake was on World Shorebird Day 2014. Same day, same beach, 4 years apart.

Stilt Sandpiper / Bécasseau à échasse
Porcupine Lake (6 September 2018)

Moonbeam Sewage Lagoon is a great spot for migrating shorebirds, especially when one of the ponds get emptied. This fall, with the low water level in the north pond, many species of shorebirds stopped there (Least, Semipalmated, Pectoral, Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers as well as lots of Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Plovers) I just wish I could go more often (it's 2 hours away from South Porcupine)

On September 15, I found my first Red-necked Phalarope at the Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons.  It was raining and very far away so the photo is not great.

Red-necked Phalarope / Phalarope à bec étroit
Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons (15 September 2018)

September is a great month to see Palm Warblers, Rusty Blackbirds and American Pipits and this year is no exception.

Palm Warbler / Paruline à couronne rousse
Porcupine Lake (6 September 2018)

Rusty Blackbird / Quiscale rouilleux
Porcupine Lake (23 September 2018)

American Pipit / Pipit d'Amérique
Porcupine Lake (22 September 2018)

On September 11, a friend of mine invited me to go birding in Cochrane with a group of birders from Southern Ontario.  A few of them found a Le Conte's Sparrow and we were able to relocate it.

Le Conte's Sparrow / Bruant de Le Conte
Cochrane (11 September 2018)

Le Conte's Sparrow / Bruant de Le Conte
Cochrane (11 September 2018)

Another highlight of this birding day was a group of Sharp-tailed Grouse.  They are not common in the Timmins area but if you go around Cochrane, you might be lucky a see a few, even though Cochrane is only 1 hour north of here.  It was difficult to get a photo as they were hiding in thick brush.

Well camouflaged Sharp Tail Grouse / Tétras à queue fine
Cochrane (11 September 2018)

On September 1st,  I found a group of River Otters having a feast of crayfish at Porcupine Lake.  It was nice to see them in a feeding frenzy and I managed a few shots. Our native crayfish are not usually that big so I'm suspecting that it might be an invasive species of crayfish.

River Otter eating crayfish
Porcupine Lake (September 2018) 

On the morning of September 22, a friend found a Cackling Goose at Porcupine Lake and we were able to relocate it in the afternoon.  None had ever been reported at the lake, so it became Porcupine Lake's species #179.  I can't wait to see which bird will be #180!

Cackling Goose (L) with Canada Goose
Bernach de Hutchins
Porcupine Lake (22 September 2018)

Cackling Goose between 2 Canada Goose
Bernache de Hutchins (milieu)
Porcupine Lake (22 September 2018)

On the same day, we came across a group of migrating Eastern Bluebirds... and a Red Fox.

Eastern Bluebirds / Merlebleu de l'Est
Timmins (22 September 2018)

Eastern Bluebird / Merlebleu de l'Est
Timmins (22 September 2018)

Red Fox / Renard roux
Timmins (22 September 2018)

Red Fox / Renard roux
Timmins (22 September 2018)

Carolina Wren update: The Carolina Wren is still here (since August 27). It lost it's tail last week, but it looks like it's already in the process of regrowing.

Continuing Caroline Wren
South Porcupine (21 September 2018)

We still have a full month of fall migration before the ice sets in so I can't wait to see what the next few weeks will bring.

In other news, we exchanged our old truck for a smaller vehicle with better gas mileage and on Sunday, this American Pipit approved of our choice by landing on it.

American Pipit approving our new vehicle
Porcupine Lake (23 September 2018)