Male Willow Ptarmigan near Hudson Bay Coast, Ontario
Burntpoint Research Camp in Polar Bear Provincial Park, Ontario, on 5 July 2012
2012 Index
December
Slaty-backed Gull on island in Niagara River, viewed from Control Gates at Chippawa above Niagara Falls on 30 December 2012.
Yellow-rumped Warbler at my feeder in Toronto on 27 December 2012. First found by Ron Pittaway on the Toronto CBC on 16 December.
Western Tanager at Durham Court Park in Oshawa on 20 December 2012.
Snowy Owls at Keswick, Ontario, on 19 December 2012
Northern Saw-whet Owl and Great Horned Owl at Tommy Thompson Park on Toronto Christmas Bird Count on 16 December 2012
Video of masses of gulls at Niagara Falls in a feeding frenzy on 14 December 2012.
Tufted Titmouse at Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls on 14 December 2012
Boreal x Black-capped Chickadee hybridization Article in Canadian Field-Naturalist 126:143-147.
November
Galapagos Gulls: Lava Gulls and Swallow-tailed Gulls, 9 to 15 November 2012 with Quest Nature Tours
Andes Introtour Ecuador with Tropical Birding 17 to 22 November 2012. Three pages of photos.
Quest Nature Tours trip to Galapagos Islands 9 to 16 November 2012. Five pages of photos of special birds, reptiles and mammals and more.
Brant, Northern Shrike, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Eurasian Wigeon at Thickson's Point, Whitby, Ontario on 4 November 2012
October
Snow Bunting x Lapland Longspur Hybrid Article in Arctic Vol 68 No 3. Sept 2012
Fall Colours at Whirlpool on the Niagara River & an Interesting Gull. 16 Oct 2012
September
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at Rosetta McClain Gardens in Toronto on 23 September 2012.
Winter Finch Forecast 2012-2013 by Ron Pittaway
Winter Finch Basics by Ron Pittaway. Basic information to understand winter finch irruptions. Revised 22 September 2012
August
James Bay, Longridge Point, Ontario, Red Knot and Shorebird Surveys 5 pages of photos and videos. 30 July to 31 August 2012
July
Hudson Bay, Burntpoint Camp in Polar Bear Provincial Park, 5 pages of photos and videos - 22 June to 18 July 2012
Video of Caribou on Hudson Bay in Polar Bear Provincial Park
Video of Male Willow Ptarmigan dusting on Hudson Bay at Burntpoint Camp
Video of Female Willow Ptarmigan dusting on Hudson Bay at Burntpoint Camp
June
Luna Moth at Timmins Airport on 20 June 2012
Loggerhead Shrike family group on the Carden Alvar, 16 June 2012
Showy Lady's Slippers, Grasshopper Sparrow and butterflies on the Carden Alvar on 16 June 2012
Rescued Eastern Tiger Swallowtail with damaged wing from walking trail behind my house and placed it on Dames Rocket in my garden on 5 June 2012. Have noticed that Eastern Tiger Swallowtails love Dames Rocket.
Wonderful news - establishment of Carden Alvar Provincial Park is posted on the Ontario Government's Environmental Registry
May
Yellow Rails win Carden Cup in 2012 Carden Challenge with 132 species. I raised $11,000 for bird conservation on the Carden Alvar.
First year male King Eider at Colonel Sam Smith Park in Toronto, 23 & 24 May 2012
Variation in Dunlin in Breeding Plumage at Colonel Sam Smith Park in Toronto on 23 May 2012
White-rumped Whimbrel at Toronto Whimbrel Watch on 22 May 2012. Four photos by Dave Milsom.
Piping Plover at Reesor Pond in Markham, Ontario on 22 May 2012
First year California Gull at the Tip of Point Pelee on 18 May 2012
Tree Top American Bittern at Point Pelee on 7 May 2012
Lark Sparrow and Clay-colored Sparrow at Point Pelee on 6 May 2012
Blenheim Lagoons, Hillman Long-billed Dowitchers, Point Pelee National Park, 4 & 5 May
I am honoured to be the Celebrity Birder in the 2012 Carden Challenge.
April
Visit to Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown New York on 25 April 2012
Long-billed Dowitcher at Scanlon Creek Conservation Area near Bradford in Simcoe County, 21 April 2012
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Demorestville in Prince Edward County on 16 April 2012.
Two pages of Gulls at Kitchener/Waterloo on 10 and 11 April 2012 - Lesser Black-backed, Glaucous, Kumlien's, Thayer's, Herring
Hope, a Whimbrel carrying a satellite transmitter returns, to Virginia's Eastern Shore on 5 April 2012
March
Adult male Barrow's Goldeneye where the Trent River flows into Rice Lake near Peterborough, Ontario on 31 March 2012
Loggerhead Shrikes on the Carden Alvar. 25 March 2012
Red-necked Grebes at Colonel Sam Smith Park in Toronto on 21 March 2012
More variation in Kumlien's Gulls at Bluffers Park in Toronto on 5 March 2012
Ross's Goose in Whitby on 4 March 2012
Kumlien's Gulls spending the winter at Bluffer's Park in Toronto on 1 March 2012
February
Red Morph Eastern Screech-Owl at Woodland Cemetery in Burlington on 26 February 2012
Loggerhead Shrike from Carden Alvar wintering in Virginia. Note by Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway in February 2012 OFO News.
Update: Steve Coari of Virginia Beach Audubon saw the Loggerhead Shrike in the same spot on 2 March 2012.
Oregon Junco wintering at Cranberry Marsh in Whitby on 22 February 2012
Aging two Greater White-fronted Geese at Whitby Harbour, 19 February 2012
First winter male King Eider at LaSalle Marina, Burlington on 17 February 2012
Common Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser hybrid at Beach Canal, Burlington/Hamilton on 17 February 2012
Dark morph Red-tailed Hawks: calurus or abieticola? Link to 3 page article by Jean Iron in Toronto Ornithological Club Newsletter Number 222
Snowy Owls at Keswick north of Toronto on 18 January and 13 February 2012
Greater White-fronted Goose and Cackling Goose at Whitby Harbour on 12 February 2012
Reposted from 2003: Hybrid Canvasback x Redhead at Burlington, Ontario, on 19 January 2003.
Pileated Woodpecker - female - in Toronto on 7 February 2012
Band-tailed Pigeon near Bracebridge, Ontario on 5 February 2012.
Evening Grosbeaks and more at Algonquin Park on 4 February 2012
January
Bonaparte's Gulls, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake at Buffalo, New York on 11 and 31 January 2012
Dark morph Red-tailed Hawk in Oakville west of Toronto on 22 January 2012
Black Vultures Overwinter at Lewiston, New York. Photos on 11 January 2012
Snowy Owl: Look for tiny ear tufts on Snowies. Link to two page article
Snowy Owl with ear tufts at Ravenshoe Road, near Keswick north of Toronto on 10 January 2012
Smew and John Vanderpoel Big Year. Link to three page article