September 29 2018 Cootes Paradise, Hamilton, ON. My friend Jackson runs a popular Saturday morning class for those who think birding might be a healthy, aesthetically satisfying, intellectually stimulating and challenging hobby. Because it is all of those things the course fills up quickly. It may be all the catalyst someone needs to develop a lifelong interest. I usually help him lead the course and share some of what I’ve learned over the years.
Today was the first of a series of six running into mid-November. After a bit of an introduction to each other and the subject in general, we headed down to the very birdy shore of a neighbourhood lake. One man said his ambition was to see an eagle; and we did, we watched a couple of young Bald Eagles soaring around, not close but well enough that everyone was able to enjoy them. Another student said she really wanted to see an owl, but the best we could do was show her the sort of cavity in a tree where you might find one – if you were lucky and don’t give up.
Our first stop was to watch a flock of Cedar Waxwings in the top branches of a long-dead tree. It was the perfect opportunity to help some get used to using and calibrating their binoculars and the waxwings stayed put long enough that we were able to discuss field marks. A couple of Gray Catbirds allowed us some good views, they mewed their feline signature just often enough that it was easy to understand how they got their name.
Perhaps most spectacularly cooperative was a Red-tailed Hawk that sat quietly, lit by the sun on the open tip of a large Blue Spruce. Red-tails are far from uncommon but it’s not often that you have such a cooperative bird and the luxury of time to engage in pointing out some of the plumage details. After many minutes of discussion, and a bit of distraction by other birds, we saw as it readied for flight, tilted forward, slowly spread its wings and launched into low circles over our heads, its tail had the nice ochre red of an adult to clinch the identification.
Although we tried to keep moving we kept seeing great stuff: an Osprey plunged to seize a fish and carried it, still wet and wriggling, directly overhead; There were Great Egrets, bright white against the dark opposite shore and a Cooper’s Hawk passing lazily overhead.
When the class came to an end Jackson asked for everyone’s thought best of the morning, opinions were varied until someone mentioned the Red-tailed Hawk and that got almost unanimous approval. I was inclined towards the Cooper’s Hawk, but that Red-tail had us all enthralled, so Red-tailed Hawk it is as Bird of the Day.