Here are my favourite birds for 2011
5. Barred Owl - A very co-operative Barred Owl at Cranberry Marsh provided a great opportunity fo THE SON and THE DAUGHTER to get a close-up look. This bird may be #1 on my son's list as for weeks he would ask if we were going to see the owl.
4. The swarms of shearwaters off Little Catalina, Newfoundland - An impressive site and great to pick out three differrent species for the old life list
3. Golden-Winged Warbler - A singing Golden-Winged Warbler at the Carden Nature Festival provided me with a new life bird and the first in-the-feather look at my favourite bird. But if this is my favourite bird, why is it at #3 on my 2011 list ?
2. Atlantic Puffins ( Lots of them ! ) - The sheer number of Atlantic Puffins on our boat tour of Witless Bay Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland was mind-blowing. Even better, the whole family was able to take in this spectacle. Oh, the whales were petty cool too !
1. The Smew in Whitby Harbour - A late-in-the-year addition. An ultra-rarity that I dragged my family out to see ! A great Christmas present and only the third confirmed sighting in Ontario !
And looking forward to 2012, here are the five species I hope to see in 2012
5. California Gull
4. Grey-Cheeked Thrush
3. Barrow's Goldeneye
2. Connecticut Warbler
1. Kirtland's Warbler ( I'm going fo it ! )
