Rare Black Billed Magpies in Southern Ontario! 300 Bird Challenge Ep 12
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Some rare birds have shown up in Southern Ontario in the Chatham-Kent area. So we take a trip to add Black-billed Magpies to our 300 Bird Challenge. Followed up by some birding at Rondeau Provincial Park and surrounding areas.
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BritHikesOntario, is Stu Hall. I'm a displaced Brit... who hikes and goes birding in Ontario, Canada (and sometimes beyond). I'm often joined by my wife, Sara.
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Congrats on the magpie! That was my first bird this year, so I’m glad one visited you! Great video!
Thanks bud. Funny how one person's rare is another's common.
Defo on the Lesser Scaup!
Thank you Nigel, now I don't have to take the count down again.
Wonderful
Thanks!
Another great video. Not an expert, but I would definitely count the Scaup as LESC.
Thanks Mike, LESC seems to be the majority.
Enjoying the series as always! Thanks for sharing the lovely Magpie sightings. I'm not fully convinced of the Lesser Scaup sighting. Looks the same size and colouring as the Greater Scaup in the upper left of the same screen, and I suspect it's just flaring of a tuft of scalp feathers giving it that slightly "lesser scaup-ish" shape? I look forward to every update!
Thanks Norman, glad you're still around and I appreciate your feedback on the Scaup. There was certainly enough wind out there that could cause some feather flaring. I certainly wouldn't want to have been caught wearing a wig out in those conditions 😉
I chased a black-billed magpie recently on the south shore of Lake Ontario (possibly one of these birds). Unfortunately I was unsuccessful (it was only seen by the original finder). Congrats on your sighting! BTW, your scaup does appear to be a lesser. The peak on the back of the head, smaller nail on the end of the bill, not as "puffy cheeked" looking head on as a greater. The head coloration is generally only apparent in the right light but this one does show the purplish sheen as opposed to greenish on greater.
Thanks for the Scaup feedback. I was going by the peak and the lack of green-sheen as the two things I find easiest to determine in these darn ducks! Best of luck with any future magpies that find their way that far south 👍
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always 👍
Thank you for your support, Miguel!
That looks just like the very common European Magpie..
Yes it does.
Larger tail is one of the primary differences.
I'm from Michigan and was wondering when,where and how long you'll be here. I have a few favorite spot's and was hoping maybe you will be visiting those area's. Pinconning home of the migrating yellow headed black bird. Muskegon water,waste management plant. They have what they call lagoons with hundreds of water fowl and gulls. Tawas City park. Warbler's and many more bird's and water fowl. Shiawasse nature preserve. You can drive through 7 mile's of marshes and wet land for white pelicans, Comerants etc. They're so many it's mostly luck though any given time and day. I saw two meadowlark's at one of my favorite park's a couple of day's ago.
Hi Susan,
We have recently returned from Michigan and I'm feverishly editing the footage to tell the story of that trip. I expect there to be three parts to the video, with part one being released tomorrow afternoon.
I can tell you that we did go to one place that you recommended, which will probably appear in part three.
We had a great trip and would love to return to Michigan 😊
@@BritHikesOntario 😊
How wonderful the black-billed magpie sighting was so easy! And interesting to see it gathering nesting material. Setting off at 5am is the mark of a true birder! Great work you two!!!
I particularly loved the sighting (and singing) of the winter wren... I spot them an hear them, but it's rare to get a good look as they're always hopping off into the leaf litter, so your video was much appreciated.
Great foray to the southwestern part of Ontario and looking forward to your Michigan videos!
Thanks for another lovely comment 😊
That Wren was feeling particularly fiesty and territorial!
Nice magpie, unfortunately they are not rare here and are quite a nuances here.
I can imagine, I grew up with the similar Eurasian variety in England. A bit more exotic here in Southern Ontario, though lol
That was great footage of the black-billed magpies. I used to see some a long time ago in Nebraska.
Thanks Nathan. I wish it had stuck around on the fence post a little longer - and maybe turned around lol... but I'm glad we saw it.
Nebraska sounds a bit warmer for them than here!
Great video, gets me excited for the spring. In Newfoundland I still have about 6-8 inches of snow in the backyard. I think you had a Lesser Scaup in your video (that said I’ve only seen about a half dozen in Corner Brook over the years).
Thanks Keith. I'm excited for it to get going a bit more here, too. Had a couple of false starts. It just snowed a tiny bit again last night. I think once this weather turns, we will finally be done with it.
Thanks for the feedback on the Scaup 😊
My problem is I watch your videos right away and then have to wait for the next one lol! Great video as always! I’m a fellow Ontario birder and wish more made videos like you!
Thank you Robert, very kind words. Appreciate it 😊
love your channel thanks😊👍🦆🦅
Thank you so much 😊
Lesser scaup for sure. The end of the bill has a neat dark bit - not sure the anatomical name of that bump/strip at the end of the bill, but that’s the only part “painted” black. Greater scaup have a messy black dark blotch. Also, not sure if that was a common merganser? I didn’t get a good look and I was too lazy to rewind the video. Cheers. Enjoyed the video so just smashed that like button.
Looool "smashed that like button".
God help me if I reach the point of saying that.
The merganser is pretty horribly overexposed and bleached out but you might be right. I saw the spikey head, forgetting the gale force winds.
Congrats on 103! You can have and keep all the Magpies in ON.😂
Haha thanks Tracy. I'll try to see if there are some more exotic birds for you next time 😉
@@BritHikesOntario Thanks, that’s what I like to hear! 🦜😉