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!
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