Birding in the age of Covid-19

Our world will never be the same. In my 70+ years I have seen a few events that changed the world. As a boomer, I missed some of the early ones, WW1, WW11 the 1918 flu pandemic but I do remember a few. SARS was pretty scary, 800 died globally - 43 in Canada but nothing like this. This is a different virus and it will not fade away like SARS did. 

It seems that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic may be over in Canada. Two key words here 'worst' and 'may'. Things may change on a dime but it is an opportunity to do some reflection. This old guy was told to stay home and generally did, but how could it be possible to survive in May without the Warblers. I spend 11 months waiting for May and now it was to be taken from me. The Parks were closed and my favourite place and time - Point Traverse Woods in May - was placed off limits.

As we all looked out of our windows like caged rats, we all started to understand what 'cabin fever' feels like.

The migrating birds had no idea that we were locked in and they were out there somewhere.

April is the prelude to the big event, and while everyone was locked down expecting Armageddon, I drove around in the safe bubble of my car looking for birds.

One of the 'early birds' (to use a well worn cliche) is the Eastern Meadowlark and singing Meadowlarks show up on the alvar north of Napanee.

A Savannah Sparrow also showed up. Not a particularly exciting find but nice to see. When I visit Atlantic Canada, the default sparrow is the Savannah Sparrow. Here in Ontario one usually sees Song Sparrows but there are Savannas as well.

The main event, however, is in May when the majority of songbirds return home. The trick is to find places that are open. Other than Prince Edward Point, Little Bluff Conservation Area and many areas along the Prince Edward County South Shore provide options.

Before the Warblers arrive, there are others.

Tree Swallows in small groups. Old timers (not me) recount when there were flocks of thousands of these, the most colourful swallows. 

The open Millenium Trail provided birding opportunities.

Tree Swallow

Pileated woodpecker

In May the floodgates open but where can I go?  The Prince Edward Point WMA is closed. 

I took a drive to see and spoke to a Wildlife officer. While the Traverse Woods and Banding station area were closed, the main road was a public County Road and there were lots of birds to be had. In fact in one large tree a pair of top birders logged 31 species in an hour and I got some great shots, so all was not lost.

Some shots from that tree:

Scarlet Tanager

Veery

Blue Headed Vireo

Catbird

Warblers are the real prize at this time. I had little hope that I would be able to get many Warbler pictures without access to my favourite places. Several migratory stops were still open. Little Bluff Conservation Area, other parts of the wildlife area, Point Petre area etc.

I was starting to panic. I spend most of the year anticipating the sound and sight of migrating birds calling for a mate.  It was increasingly looking like this would not happen. 

However, by working the alternate sites and looking for new opportunities I ended the migration in a reasonably good place.

Inside the WMA but in an unrestricted area. At sunset, just as we were heading home, birds started to fly into a large Cedar. I often wondered where these birds go at night but there were a dozen or more species in this one tree at sundown.

Blackburnian Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

The nearby Little Bluff CA was a good place to look and I had some success, including this Palm Warbler.

 

Palm Warbler

So I birded the periphery  for a while, skirting around the Traverse Woods and picking up a few more species, like these Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers in the roadside bushes of Long Point Road.

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Driving up and down the road through the WMA the entrance to the Point Traverse Wood kept calling me. One early morning in May, there was no one around, I could resist no more. I am, in general, a rule follower, but being the only occupant of the area would have no impact on the risk or spread of Covid-19, so in I went.

Immediately I hit the jackpot. In the pre-dawn gloom I heard a bird chipping low under a Cedar. I thought that this may be a Sparrow of some sort but taking a picture, this showed up on my display.

Mourning Warbler

I had previously taken some poor photographs of this Warbler, (ironically in Costa Rica) so here is another take.

Another Mourning

By 8am I had picked up some more.

Black-throated Green Warbler

Nashville Warbler

The Northern Parula is one of the most photogenic Warblers and always seems to pose well for the camera.

Northern Parula

Then another bit of luck, high on a treetop and not even close a couple of birds. Fhese would test my new 500mm lens, and it delivered.

A Blue-winged Warbler was feeding at the top of a tree than must have been 100ft tall and 200ft away.

Blue-winged Warbler

Also in the same tree, but not a Warbler.

Indigo Bunting

Presqu'ile was now open with limited access, so I went to see what I could find.

Cape May Warbler

By this time I was up to 19 Warblers. I has set a goal of 20, but was quite happy with the result considering the circumstances.

But there was to be more. Sitting in my living room in the heart of Belleville, my wife pointed out a small group of Warblers which were feeding in the trees close to my deck.

I was able to get 3 more that were not anticipated. These were totally unexpected and included a rare surprise ... a Wilson's Warbler. The other 2 were surprising, but not unexpected.

Magnolia Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Now what!!! In June, some locations started to reopen and into the Marsh I went. The Slab Creek wetland gave me the Great Egrets.

Great Egret

The Frink Centre provided more wetland birds.

American Bittern

Least Bittern

Juvenile Virginia Rail

Pied-billed Grebe

I have lots more bird pictures that I could show, but a rule of thumb is that a post should be no more than a couple of pages so I'll just leave with my favourite Pandemic picture. Cedar Waxwings often congregate to meet potential mates. They carry out a ritual of berry exchange. If you see this behavour, stay and watch - it is fascinating. A berry would be exchanged, then the Waxwings go back to back and move away from each other. Then they face each other, move closer, and then do a reverse exchange. This can go on for many minutes or more. I've never seen the end result but can only guess.

Cedar Waxwings

I am still in a family bubble, wearing a mask although most birding places are open now. I have used so much hand sanitizer that sometimes I feel that my skin will just dissolve. I totally missed the shorebird migration this year, but how many images of Least Sandpipers does one need? Maybe in the fall I will do the migration.

Summer brings it's own challenges. Trees with leaves, moulting birds, hot weather and harsh sun. It's a pity that that the springtime optimal time for bird photography is so short but fall also has it's opportunities. Meanwhile I just carry my camera, keep my ears and eyes open, enjoy the great Canadian outdoors and take every photo opportunity that I get.