Black-backed Woodpecker (2)

Picoides arcticus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: Dec 29 2021

Details: male, adult, outside normal range

Constance Bay - A few Black-backs venture south of their boreal habitat in winter but they remain a rare visitor. They are usually found in forests with red or jack pine and work on dead or dying trees. I have seen a few and heard more over the years but never had a chance to get decent photos. This bird took hours to track down but in the end I got plenty of good shots. However, getting the forehead patch of the male to show was extremely challenging. If you don't see it, the bird looks like a female.

Date uploaded: Dec 30 2021

Comments (8):
Ahmad Shah: Great find, nicely captured.
BrianMorin: It was worth the effort. For those unfamiliar with it, be listening for subtle taps, not the noisy tapping of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. If it calls, so much the better, but the bird never did call for us. We zeroed in on its tapping.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (2)

Empidonax flaviventris

Brian Morin

United States (New York)

Date taken: Jun 8 2017

Details: adult

Adirondacks

Date uploaded: Jun 9 2017

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2)

Polioptila caerulea

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: May 9 2025

Details: adult

Point Pelee National Park

Date uploaded: Jul 22

Comments (2):
Sue Bishop: Nice closeup,Brian!
Brian Morin: I spent 15 minutes trying to get a decent shot of this little guy. I got lots of pictures, a few of which worked. It was as tough as dealing with a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (2)

Nyctanassa violacea

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: Aug 23 2023

Details: juvenile, outside normal range

Toronto

Date uploaded: Aug 31 2023

Comments (2):
Ahmad Shah: Wonderful capture.
BrianMorin: I failed in an initial search 10 days prior so it was satisfying achieving my goal.

House Wren (2)

Troglodytes aedon

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: May 8 2019

Details: adult

Long Sault - Lots of House Wrens came in within the last few days.

Date uploaded: May 9 2019

Black-billed Cuckoo (2)

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: Jul 13 2017

Details: juvenile

Camden East - drying out after a recent shower. Note the eye-ring is yellowish rather than red of an adult.

Date uploaded: Jul 14 2017

Eared Grebe (2)

Podiceps nigricollis

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: May 3 2017

Details: molting, outside normal range

Point Pelee National Park

Date uploaded: May 8 2017

Solitary Sandpiper (2)

Tringa solitaria

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: Aug 18 2021

Details: immature

Crysler - Shorebirds continue their move south.

Date uploaded: Aug 22 2021

Comments (2):
Sue Bishop: Nice one!
BrianMorin: That eye ring is an easy field mark to spot. Green legs help too.

Blue-winged Teal (2)

Anas discors

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: May 21 2018

Details: male, adult

Embrun

Date uploaded: May 22 2018

Whimbrel (2)

Numenius phaeopus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: May 23 2018

Details: adult

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - I made the lengthy trip hoping to find some of these interesting birds. I had some luck in the afternoon. This is peak time for the Whimbrel flight. Presqu'ile is on the periphery of their migration. Toronto is where most of the flight passes.

Date uploaded: May 24 2018