Events Calendar

Current Weather

Birds of Algonquin Park

To report updates and corrections to Birds of Algonquin Park by Ron Tozer, please contact us.

Updates and Revisions – December 31, 2013

The observations listed below comprise all the updates and revisions since Birds of Algonquin Park was published in April 2012.


Birds of Algonquin Park by Ron Tozer Birds of Algonquin Park by Ron Tozer The following records are earlier than the previous earliest spring arrival dates given for the species in Birds of Algonquin Park:

Wood Duck
20 March 2012: male, Davies Bog north of Mew Lake (Rory Eckenswiller)

Blue-winged Teal
22 March 2012: male, Long (Park) Lake (Ron Tozer)

Ring-necked Duck
21 March 2012: pair, West Smith Lake Pond (Ron Tozer)

Bufflehead
21 March 2012: male, Old Airfield Marsh (Justin Peter)

Common Loon
1 April 2012: 1 (photo), Lake of Two Rivers (Christine Luckasavitch)

Great Blue Heron
20 March 2012: 2 perched on nests, beaver pond southeast of km 52.1 on Highway 60 (Ron Tozer)

Turkey Vulture
13 March 2012: 1, Leaf Lake Ski Trail entrance (Luke Hillyer)

Northern Harrier
19 March 2012: male, Old Airfield (Justin Peter)

Broad-winged Hawk
7 April 2012: 1 soaring with a Red-tailed Hawk over Highway 60 west of Mew Lake (Lev Frid)

Sandhill Crane
21 March 2012: 1+ heard near Pioneer Logging Exhibit Pond (Glenn Forward)

Long-eared Owl
23 March 2012: 1 roosting in pines (photo), south side of Old Airfield (Justin Peter and others)

Chimney Swift
25 April 2012: 1, Tea Lake (Jan Richmond)

Belted Kingfisher
21 March 2012: 1, Smoke Creek at Highway 60 (Laura Tozer)

Alder Flycatcher
15 May 2012: singing male, along Madawaska River near Old Airfield (Emily McKinnon)

Eastern Phoebe
20 March 2012: 1, East Gate (Jason Lorbetskie)

Eastern Kingbird
3 May 2013: 1, Spruce Bog Boardwalk (Rick Stronks)

Winter Wren
18 March 2012: singing male, Big Pines Trail entrance (Deanna Hergert)

Cedar Waxwing
6 May 2013: 1, Found Lake (Lev Frid)

Common Yellowthroat
3 May 2013: 1, Visitor Centre (Gordon Atkins)

Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 May 2013: 1, Crotch Lake (Chris Boettger)

Blackpoll Warbler
8 May 2013: 1, Canoe Lake (Jan Richmond)

Pine Warbler
14 April 2012: singing male, West Rose Lake (Lev Frid)
14 April 2012: singing male, along Barron Canyon Road (Michael Runtz)

Grasshopper Sparrow
17 April 2012: 1, Old Airfield (Justin Peter); last seen 18 April (Justin Peter and others)

Le Conte’s Sparrow
18 April 2012: 1 (photo), Old Airfield (Kevin Clute, Justin Peter, Brad Steinberg, Rick Stronks and others)

Fox Sparrow
22 March 2012: 1, East Beach of Lake of Two Rivers (Michael Runtz)

Lincoln’s Sparrow
30 April 2012: 1, Canoe Lake (Jan Richmond)

Eastern Meadowlark
20 March 2012: 2, Old Airfield (Justin Peter)


The following records are later than the latest spring departure date given for the species in Birds of Algonquin Park:

Ruddy Turnstone
12 June 2013: 2 (photo), Lake Opeongo (Arni Stinnissen)

Semipalmated Sandpiper
12 June 2013: 1 (photo), Gull Island in Lake Opeongo (Michael Bertelsen, Arni Stinnissen, Eleanor Kee-Wellman)

Snowy Owl
9 April 2012: 1, km 38 on Highway 60 (Steve Wagg)

American Tree Sparrow
15 May 2013: 1, Track and Tower Trail (Roger Bird, Arthur Goldsmith)

Common Redpoll
19 May 2013: flock of 15 feeding on white birch catkins, Km 8 Logging Road (Bill Crins)

Hoary Redpoll
28 April 2013: female, Visitor Centre feeder (Lev Frid, Rick Stronks)


The following observations are of a very rare breeding species in Algonquin Park:

Peregrine Falcon
22 June 2012: adult (photo) and young heard in nest on cliff, undisclosed location (Daryl Coulson)
4 August 2012: adult and juvenile flying, near same location (Ian Shanahan)
11 August 2012: 3 flying, near same location (Sonje Bols, Breanna Hall)
(First breeding recorded in Algonquin Park since 1962.)


The following records are earlier than the earliest fall arrival dates given for the species in Birds of Algonquin Park:

Long-tailed Duck
6 October 2013: flock of 6 flying south, Lake Travers (Jeff Skevington)

Bufflehead
19 September 2007: 3, Mizzy Lake Trail (Jan Richmond)

Lapland Longspur
8 September 2011: 2, Mizzy Lake Trail (Jan Richmond)

Palm Warbler
19 August 2012: 1, Crown Bay of Ragged Lake (Gord Belyea)


The following records are later than the latest fall departure dates given for the species in Birds of Algonquin Park:

Tundra Swan
20 November 2012: 1 (photo), Mud Bay of Galeairy Lake (John McRae, Mark Webber)

American Bittern
14 October 2013: 1 flushed, Lake Travers Marsh (Mark Patry)

Osprey
21 October 2012: 1, Broadwing Lake (Rory Eckenswiller)

Virginia Rail
7 October 2013: 1 flushed, Lake Travers Marsh (Lev Frid)

Whimbrel
27 August 2012: 1 (photo), over Radiant Lake (Michael Runtz)

Long-eared Owl
20 October 2013: 1, Old Airfield Woods (Lev Frid, David LeGros)

Horned Lark
27 November 2012: 1, Smoke Lake Hangar (Ian Cannell, Norm Murr)

Eastern Bluebird
27 October 2013: male, Old Airfield (Bruce Di Labio)

Wood Thrush
20 September 2013: 1, Opeongo Road (Michael Runtz)

American Pipit
18 November 2012: 1, Old Airfield (Michael Runtz)
18 November 2013: 2, Opeongo Road (Don Docherty, Ann Hide)

Northern Parula
23 September 2013: female, south of West Rose Lake (Blake Mann)

Blackburnian Warbler
1 October 2013: 1, Highway 60 (Kathleen Blair, Jan Richmond)

Yellow Warbler
14 September 2013: 1, Canoe Lake (Jan Richmond)

Blackpoll Warbler
7 October 2012: 1, km 50 on Highway 60 (Lev Frid)

Nelson’s Sparrow
17 October 2013: 1, Lake Travers Marsh (Michael Runtz)


The following record is the first of the species during spring in Algonquin Park:

Red-throated Loon
1 June 2013: 3 in flock of Common Loons, Lake Travers (Jeff Skevington)


The following record is the first of the species during winter in Algonquin Park:

Horned Grebe
7 February 2013: 1 (photo), in open water of Oxtongue River at Whiskey Rapids Trail (Jenn Fairhurst)


The following are additional observations of species with 15 or fewer total records in Algonquin Park:

Tundra Swan
20 November 2012: 1 (photo), Mud Bay of Galeairy Lake (John McRae, Mark Webber)

Gadwall
27 October 2011: 2 males and 1 female, Lake of Two Rivers (Hans and Madeline van der Zweep)
10 August 2012: 2, Radiant Lake (Michael Runtz)

Northern Shoveler
15 September 2012: 1, Lake Travers (Gord Belyea, Jeff Skevington)
3 May 2013: pair (photo), Lake of Two Rivers (Ken Morrison)
22 August 2013: 2 (photo), Lake Travers (Jeff and Richard Skevington)

Ruddy Duck
20 October 1991: winter male (adult or immature), Radiant Lake (Jeff Skevington)
(This first record for Algonquin was inadvertently omitted in the book.)

Black-crowned Night-Heron
16 August 2012: adult, marsh between Merchant and Big Trout Lakes (Martyn Obbard)

Great Egret
4 May 2013: 1 flying, McKaskill Lake (Chris Boettger)

Whimbrel
11 August 2012: 1, over Spruce Bog Boardwalk (Lev Frid)
27 August 2012: 1 (photo), over Radiant Lake (Michael Runtz)

Ruddy Turnstone
12 June 2013: 2 (photo), Lake Opeongo (Arni Stinnissen)

Red-necked Phalarope
18 August 2012: 1, Smoke Lake (Amber Keyser, Marilynne Keyser)
27 August 2012: juvenile (photos), Radiant Lake (Michael Runtz)
5 September 2012: 1, Radiant Lake (Michael Runtz)

Caspian Tern
7 August 2013: 1 flying west calling at night, Trailer Sanitation Station (Lev Frid and others)

Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 July 2012: 1, Pinetree Lake (Alison Lake)

Connecticut Warbler
17 August 2012: 1, Radiant Lake (Michael Runtz)

Lark Sparrow
3 May 2012: adult, Highway 60 east of Found Lake (Chris Charlesworth)

Grasshopper Sparrow
17 April 2012: 1, Old Airfield (Justin Peter); last seen 18 April (Justin Peter and others)


The following record has been accepted by the Ontario Bird Records Committee and is the first observation in Algonquin, bringing the Park list to 279 species:

Blue Grosbeak
22 May 2012: singing first alternate male (video), Odenback on Radiant Lake (Jeff Skevington)


Related Information

 

Reserve your developed or backcountry campsite for your next visit.

Share your passion for Algonquin Park by becoming a member or donor.

Special regulations for Algonquin's special fishery.