Laughing Gull at Porcupine Lake
Let's start with the latest and most interesting find: a Laughing Gull! It was found by Darlene Racicot at Porcupine Lake on October 18. When I found out about it on the morning of the 19th I left my half eaten breakfast and rushed to the lake as fast as I could. I was able to relocate it (I forgot how cooperative these gulls are!) and I obtained photos. Three other birders joined in to see it that day. It has been hanging around with a large group of Ring-billed Gulls at Porcupine Lake's White Waterfront area since being found. It is still here today (Oct 22).
 |
| Laughing Gull - Rare for our area Porcupine Lake (19 October 2019) |
As you know, Laughing Gulls are uncommon but regular occurrences around the Great Lakes, but not in Northern Ontario. This is the first record for Timmins/South Porcupine Area, and I believe it is the first record for the central area of the OBRC review list region as well. As for Northern Ontario as a whole (including James Bay), the first OBRC record was in Moosonee on September 26, 1983. The second Ontario record was in July 10, 1984 also in Moosonee. After a long gap (31 years) of no records for Northern Ontario (probably due to being an extremely vast area with very few birders) one was observed in Longridge point (James Bay) on August 9, 2015. The one found at Porcupine Lake this week was indeed a very exciting find.
 |
| Laughing Gull surrounded by Ring-billed Gulls Porcupine Lake (19 October 2019) |
Hudsonian Godwit and Long-billed Dowitcher
Two other notable finds for the Timmins area were the Hudsonian Godwit and the Long-billed Dowitcher, both found by Melanie Palik at Hollinger Tailings Ponds in September. They were both a first for me and for the Timmins area!
 |
| Hudsonian Godwit Hollinger Tailings - Timmins (4 Sept 2019) |
 |
| Long-billed Dowitcher Hollinger Tailings - Timmins (15 Sept 2019) |
Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Ducks rarely (only once every few years) stop by our area during migration, and I never had a chance to see one in our district. I was happy to get a chance to see one that was found by Pierre Noel at Hollinger Tailings Pond on October 11th.
 |
| Ruddy Duck at Hollinger Tailings Pond Timmins (11 October 2019) |
Fall Shorebirds
Other than the surprising Long-billed Dowitcher and Hudsonian Godwit, fall has brought a few other shorebirds but not in great numbers, which is sometimes the case depending on the weather and wind patterns. We did, however, have many Greater Yellowlegs, a few Lesser Yellowlegs, a few Black-bellied Plovers, a few Pectoral Sandpipers, one Sanderling, and a few Semipalmated Plovers and Least Sandpipers.
 |
| Lesser (top) and Greater (bottom) Yellowlegs Hollinger Tailings - Timmins (21 September 2019) |
 |
| Black-bellied Plover Hollinger Tailings Pond-Timmins (24 September 2019) |
 |
| Sanderling - Porcupine Lake South Porcupine (28 August 2019) |
I will conclude with 2 photos from our last camping trip of the year at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park. Although it is the closest Provincial Park to where we live, it was our first time camping there. We wanted one last camping weekend before winter and I'm glad we chose this park. There were many Arctic Fritillaries around and we got to watch a Black-backed Woodpecker in one of the hiking trails.
 |
| Arctic Fritilary Kettle Lakes Provincial Park (1 Sept 2019) |
 |
| Black-backed Woodpecker Kettle Lakes Provincial Park (2 Sept 2019) |
The weather has been warmer than usual this fall and unlike last year, the snow hasn't hit us yet so we still have time to go out and find more birds!
No comments:
Post a Comment