Journal archives for January 2017

January 6, 2017

2017. Field Goals

Fungi

  1. Find 20 new Fungi species
  2. Find Amanita Muscaria

Reptiles/Amphibians

  1. Find a Spotted Turtle
  2. Find a Smooth Green Snake
  3. Find a Massasagua Rattlesnake
  4. Find a water snake species.
  5. Find a Northern Ringneck Snake
  6. Find a DeKays Brown Snake
  7. Find an Eastern Milksnake
  8. Find a Salamander in Essex County, Ontario
  9. Find a Spotted or Tiger Salamander

Birds

  1. Find a Red-headed Woodpecker
  2. Find a Snowy Owl
  3. Find one of the other Owl species locally present
  4. Find a Peregrine Falcon
  5. Find a Sandhill Crane
  6. Find a Golden Eagle
  7. Find a Trumpeter Swan and a Tundra Swan
  8. Reach 200 species total, 100 species in Essex County, Ontario, 20 species in New Hampshire, 20 species in Maine
  9. Bring "Essex--Sadler's Pond Park" hotspot to 150 species
  10. Get a good photograph of Buteo species
  11. Get a good photograph of an American Kestrel
  12. Reach 10 warbler species (currently at 7)


    Insects/Spiders

  13. Find 5 new spider species
  14. Find a Shamrock Orbweaver
  15. Find 5 new dragonfly species
  16. Find 10 new butterfly species


    Other

  17. Find a Moose
  18. Return to Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge in NH
  19. Return to Concession Six in Harrow
  20. Return to Point Pelee
  21. Find Jack Pine
  22. Find Black Spruce
Posted on January 6, 2017 12:51 PM by marknenadov marknenadov | 4 comments | Leave a comment

January 12, 2017

Winter Birding

Birding in the winter can be a challenge, though it is not without its rewards. In my area one great place to find winter birds is on the various hotspots along the Detroit River in what roughly corresponds to east Windsor, Ontario.

Yesterday, with the weather a bit on the warmer side and no rain or snow, I decided to venture out over my lunch break. Rather than spend all my time at one spot, I decided to rather sample an array of locations.

Driving east on Riverside Drive from Walker Road, I hit St. Rose's Beach, Lakeside Marina, Sand Point Beach, and Ganatchio Trail. Then, on the way back, I stopped at Alexander Park.

I didn't stay at any one location long, but the results were encouraging. I found 7 species at St. Rose's, 10 species at Lakeview Marina, 6 species at Sand Point Beach, 6 species at Ganatchio Trail, and 5 species at Alexander Park. In total, I found 21 distinct species, including 9 species that were "first for this year" and three lifers (Tundra Swan, Hooded Merganser, and Redhead)! It turns out that a Tundra Swan was one of my 2017 goals and it is already checked off! Besides the lifers, my favorite sightings were probably a Bald Eagle and a Great Blue Heron.

I get the feeling that if I stayed longer at any one individual location and not gone to so many places, I probably would have observed less species, though one never knows!

Posted on January 12, 2017 05:12 PM by marknenadov marknenadov | 17 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment