Thursday, August 21, 2008

Across the Pond

Right, enough of this noncey "meh, i can't be arsed to go birding " shite. Courtesy of an 8 hour flight westwards from London Gatwick, i'm well and truly back in the game!!
I'm now in Canada, at Long Point Bird Observatory, just south of Toronto. Long Point is a sandy peninsula sticking out 40kms into Lake Eerie and is one of the best birding spots in North America. Just looking at the map you can see that it was almost designed as a migrant trap, and the figures over previous years certainly back that up. Since banding began back in 1960, over 750,000 birds have been banded, including over 35,000 last year, that is a helluva lot of birds. I got here on Monday night and have already been racking up the lifers. Highlights so far have been a good selection of warblers, including Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green and Black and White. An early White-winged Crossbill was also nice. I've started banding (ringing) in earnest and done some quality birds like Cedar Waxwing, Norhtern Flicker, Magnolia Warbler, Brown Thrasher etc. You get the idea, all crippling rares back in England but dirt birds over here.
Having spent a few days learning the ropes here at the Old Cut Station (LPBO HQ), i'm being shipped out to The Tip of the peninsula this afternoon, where most of the action is.
If I dont get to update this very frequently, then check out the Bird Studies Canada Long Point Sightings Page, which should be updated with all the news fairly frequently.