Ontario: Fall 2020

Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov

Adam Capparelli
adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca

Josh Janvrin
josh.janvrin@gmail.com

Recommended citation:

Capparelli, A., and Janvrin, J. 2021. Fall 2020: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a2s> North American Birds.

Ontario experienced typical autumn weather in September and October, save a series of late September storms that produced an EF-1 tornado and dropped small hail in many locales in southern Ontario. The first half of November, however, brought a stretch of weather that was about as good as it gets for this time of year. Temperature records were smashed across the province, with some towns and cities recording their warmest November day ever. One of the most noteworthy high temperatures was recorded in Collingwood—26 ℃. The seasonal average high for November in southern Ontario is around 8 ℃, but this year’s average high exceeded that number by an astounding 10 ℃.

Perhaps the most significant bird event during the fall season was the irruption of boreal species. This year brought us a “superflight” of winter finches, as the search for food drove southward large numbers of Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Hoary Redpoll, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, and Pine Siskin. The spruce budworm outbreak in eastern Quebec was likely only one of several contributing factors, as the irruption of all eight species implies mast failures across much of the boreal forest. This rare event delighted Ontario birders, many of whom had great looks at these uncommon visitors.

Notable rarities included Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Taiga/Tundra Bean-Goose, Barnacle Goose, Black-headed Gull, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby, Anhinga, Variegated Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, and Black-headed Grosbeak.

WATERFOWL THROUGH SHOREBIRDS

A Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was seen for the second consecutive autumn in the far southwest of the province, this time 10–11 Sep at Kingsville, Essex (Dale Wenger). An early Ross’s Goose made a one-day stop 10 Sep at Exeter, Huron (Ezra Campanelli, Dana Latour, Tony Latour). A Taiga/Tundra Bean-Goose, Ontario’s first bean-goose, was perhaps the most stunning observation of the entire year, seen 8–22 Nov at Ottawa, Ottawa (Nick von Maltzahn) and 13–19 Nov at Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell (Kenneth Burrell). A Brant was present 11 Aug–14 Oct at Port Dalhousie, Niagara (Joshua Vandermeulen). There were several reports of Barnacle Goose in the far east of the province: 25 Jun–5 Aug at Kanata, Ottawa (m. obs.); 10–25 Sep at Mitchell, Perth (Lucy Jorna); 4 Oct–22 Nov at Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell (Vincent Fyson, Alice Tremblay); 10 Oct–22 Nov at Ottawa, Ottawa (Martha Burchat, Colin Gaskell); and 22–28 Nov at Ottawa, Ottawa (Mark Gawn). These reports likely pertain to two or more distinct individuals, as the Prescott and Russell and Ottawa birds were reported around the same time on 22 Nov.

Three Cinnamon Teal were reported in the province this period, with single birds seen 28 Aug–1 Sep at Toronto, Toronto (Theresa Dobko, Paul Prior); 7 Sep at Goderich, Huron (Brandon Holden); and 19–23 Sep at Morpeth, Chatham-Kent (Kenneth Burrell, Jim Burrell, Mike Burrell). A Eurasian Wigeon was seen 13 Oct at Erieau, Chatham-Kent (Steve Charbonneau), and another was at Kingston, Frontenac 15 Nov (Christian Artuso, Alex Stone). A King Eider was reported 7–8 Nov at Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (James Barber, Nicholas Escott, Mirabai Alexander), and another was at Kelly Lake, Greater Sudbury 28 Nov (Chris Blomme). A Common Eider made a one-day appearance at Wicklow Beach, Northumberland 17 Oct (Margaret Bain). Several Barrow’s Goldeneye were seen away from their expected wintering area: reports came from Stoney Creek, Hamilton 26 Oct–5 Nov (Richard Poort); Oshawa, Durham 31 Oct (Sam Collins); Toronto, Toronto 10–20 Nov (Paul Prior); Demorestville, Prince Edward 14–25 Nov (Mark Patry); Owen Sound, Grey 15 Nov+ (A. Nicholson); and Whitby, Durham 28 Nov+ (fide eBird).

Eared Grebes were seen 10 Sep at Exeter, Huron (Ezra Campanelli, Dana Latour, Tony Latour); 17 Sep at Rondeau Provincial Park, Chatham-Kent (Jeff Skevington); 5 Nov at Toronto, Toronto (Andrew Keaveney); 9–11 Nov at Salmon Point, Prince Edward (Jon Ruddy); 12 Nov at Amherst Island, Lennox and Addington (Jon Ruddy); and 16–18 Nov at Toronto, Toronto (David Pryor). Western Grebes were reported 1 Sep–3 Oct at Mississauga, Peel (Chris Boccia); 2 Oct at Wicklow Beach, Northumberland (Margaret Bain); 12–13 Oct at Stoney Creek, Hamilton (Mark Patry); and 14–18 Nov at Kettle Point, Lambton (James Holdsworth).

One Eurasian Collared-Dove decided on a lengthy stay at Leamington, Essex 10 Jul–22 Sep (m. obs.), while others made only brief appearances in the province this period, at Newark, Oxford 30 Aug (Janrik VanGinkel) and Long Point, Norkfolk 10 Sep (Brett Fried); also, two individuals ranged far north, one to Lappe, Thunder Bay 2 Oct (fide Brian Ratcliff), and another to Marathon, Thunder Bay 17–18 Oct (fide Mike Burrell). Several White-winged Doves occurred this fall, including a long-staying visitor at Rondeau Provincial Park, Chatham-Kent May–15 Aug (m. obs); elsewhere, sightings came from Alvinston, Lambton 23-27 Nov (Lori Clancy) and Coldwater, Simcoe 26 Nov+ (Anthony Glenesk), the latter a county first. Yellow-billed Cuckoos were observed farther north than usual, with reports from Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma 22 Sep (Debbie King); Thunder Cape, Thunder Bay 24 Sep (Steph Davis); and Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma 29 Sep (Nathan Earle, Evan Sinclair). The Thunder Bay bird constituted the most northerly occurrence of the species in Ontario. A Rufous Hummingbird was notable for Suomi, Thunder Bay 31 Aug (Christine Syroid), and a Virginia Rail was rare for nearby Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay 5–19 Sep (James Barber). Purple Gallinule is seldom seen as far north as Ontario, but one stayed for nearly three weeks at Blenheim, Chatham-Kent 25 Aug–12 Sep (Steve Charbonneau). A Yellow Rail was observed 14 Sep at Pukaskwa National Park, Thunder Bay (Kenneth Burrell).

A group of Black-necked Stilt pushed its way into the province at Leamington, Essex 9–19 Sep (Dale Wenger). American Avocets were sighted at Point Pelee National Park, Essex 11 Aug (Paul Pratt); Southampton, Bruce 12 Aug (Bruce Wilkinson); Point Pelee National Park, Essex 16 Aug (Jeremy Hatt, James Burk); Long Point, Norfolk 15 Sep (Adam Timpf); and Dashwood, Huron 7 Oct (Brandon Holden, Kenneth Burrell). Several Hudsonian Godwit made an unusual pit stop at Algonquin Provincial Park, Nipissing 4 Aug (Andrea Ruzzo, Dawn Sherman, Lev Frid). Marbled Godwits were reported from Morpeth, Chatham-Kent 8 Aug (Blake Mann); Exeter, Huron 15 Aug–8 Sep (Peter Blancher); Fort Erie, Niagara 16 Aug (John Spirko); Ottawa, Ottawa 17 Aug (Michelle Martin); and Sarnia, Lambton 19–24 Aug (Deryl Nethercott). Western Sandpipers were reported in four different counties: Hamilton, Hamilton 30 Jul–1 Aug (Richard Poort, Bob Curry); Essex, Essex 16–18 Aug (Jeremy Hatt); Dundas, Hamilton 28–29 Aug (James Lees); St. Catherines, Niagara 29 Aug (Mourad Jabra); and Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Northumberland 14 Sep (Kurt Hennige). Several Long-billed Dowitchers were notable in northern Ontario, with reports from Cochenour, Kenora 6 Aug (Merle Nisly); Pass Lake, Thunder Bay 7 Sep (Lindy Wagenaar); Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay 7–9 Sep (Brian Ratcliff); and Desbarats, Algoma 23 Oct (Jane Smith); as well as three separate occurrences at Bar River, Algoma on 12–13 Sep (Carter Dorscht), 25–26 Sep (Trent Massey), and 18 Oct (Barb Good). Red Phalaropes were observed at Ottawa, Ottawa 10 Sep (Michelle Martin); Hamilton, Hamilton 10–11 Sep (Jeff Skevington); Lake Dore, Renfrew 3 Oct (Bruce Di Labio); Oakville, Halton 19 and 25 Oct (Marcy Rogerson, Mark Jennings); Tweed, Hastings 26–28 Oct (Tom Wheatley); Amherstburg, Essex 26 Oct (Jeremy Bensette, Kate Derbyshire); Whitby, Durham 17–19 Nov (Michael Hatton); and Wiarton, Grey 26–29 Nov (Kiah Jasper). Willets were spotted at Kettle Point, Lambton 10 Aug (James Holdsworth); Point Pelee National Park, Essex 11 Aug (Paul Pratt); Turkey Point, Norfolk 17–22 Aug (Steve Moore); Point Pelee National Park, Essex 20 Aug (Dave Martin, Linda Wladarski, Pete Read, Sue Read); and Hamilton, Hamilton 30 Aug (Peter Thoem).

GULLS THROUGH PELICANS

An early Pomarine Jaeger was observed 11 Sep at Port Weller, Niagara (Joshua Vandermeulen), not a surprising location for this rarity; another found its way down the St. Lawrence and was seen at Ottawa, Ottawa 23 Sep–4 Oct (Aaron Hywarren), likely constituting a first for the county. A Long-tailed Jaeger blew into Ottawa, Ottawa 28 Aug (Michelle Martin), also excellent for the county. Black-legged Kittiwakes were reported at Hamilton, Hamilton 31 Aug (m. obs.) and Dashwood, Huron 2 Sep (Brandon Holden, Kenneth Burrell), and unusual weather brought several more at the beginning of November, with sightings at Kettle Point, Lambton 1 Nov (James Holdsworth, Mike Bouman); Fort Erie, Niagara 2 Nov (Marcie Jacklin); Ottawa, Ottawa 2 Nov (Jamie Spence); Dashwood, Huron 2 Nov (Dana Latour); Forest, Lambton 2 Nov (Matt Parsons); Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Northumberland 8 Nov (Doug McRae, Gray Carlin); and, finally, at Niagara Falls, Niagara 24 Nov (Ben Oldfield).

A Sabine’s Gull was observed 10 Sep at Ottawa, Ottawa (Bruce Di Labio). Black-headed Gulls were seen 15 Sep at Port Franks, Lambton (George MacDermid); 16 Sep at Turkey Point, Norfolk (Brett Fried); and 23 Oct at Morpeth, Chatham-Kent (Steve Charbonneau). A Laughing Gull was reported at Fort Erie, Niagara 27 Aug–13 Sep (Wally Parker, Brandon Holden). Franklin’s Gulls were observed 26 Aug and 4 Sep at Sarnia, Lambton (Lance Allin, Deryl Nethercott, Sharon Nethercott); 10 Sep at Kettle Point, Lambton (James Holdsworth); 15-28 Sep at Kincardine, Bruce (Dustin Young); and 5 Oct at Owen Sound, Grey (A. Nicholson). There were three reports of Mew Gull, possibly all pertaining to the same bird: 23–24 Nov at Niagara Falls, Niagara (Jamie Spence); 24 Nov+ at Brantford, Brant (Sarah Lamond); and 26 Nov at Hamilton, Hamilton (Alvan Buckley). Lesser Black-backed Gulls were noteworthy in the north of the province, with reports from 18 Sep at Marathon, Thunder Bay (Nicholas Escott, Christopher Escott), 21 Sep at Timmins, Cochrane (Peter Burke), and 8–11 Oct at Timmins, Cochrane (Andrew Davis). A Slaty-backed Gull made appearances in Mississauga, Peel 21 Sep+ (Luc Fazio, m. obs), as well as in Toronto, Toronto 28 Sep+ (Amanda Guercio).

Remarkable for Ontario, a Sooty Tern travelled well north of its usual range, appearing briefly at Hamilton, Hamilton 8 Sep (Rob Dobos). An Arctic Tern was reported 24 Sep at Lake Dore, Renfrew (Jon Ruddy), and another two were at Long Point, Norfolk 8 Nov (Stuart Mackenzie). At least two Pacific Loons were a fixture at Barrie, Simcoe 17 Sep–30 Nov (Dave Szmyr), and others were seen across the province at Birch Point, Manitoulin 14 Oct (Jarmo Jalava); Howe Island, Frontenac 29–30 Oct (Gerard Philips, Stew Hamill); Toronto, Toronto 30 Oct (Andrew Keaveney); Dashwood, Huron 31 Oct (Brandon Holden, Kenneth Burrell, Elaine Gosnell, Ethan Gosnell); Point Pelee National Park, Essex 7 Nov (Jeremy Hatt); far north at Algonquin Provincial Park, Nipissing 14 Nov (Jeff Skevington); and at Hamilton, Hamilton 27 Nov+ (Rob Dobos). Two storm-petrels, unidentified to species, were briefly spotted, one at Wahnekewaning Beach, Simcoe 4 Sep (Adam Capparelli), and another at Hamilton, Hamilton 12 Oct (Hugh Currie). Reports of Magnificent Frigatebirds came from Whitby, Durham 1 Sep (Glenn Coady); Sauble Beach, Bruce 2 Sep (fide Kiah Jasper); Port Credit, Peel 10 Sep (fide David Pryor); and Fowlers Corners, Peterborough 13 Sep (Matt Garvin). Another was late on 4 Nov at Erieau, Chatham-Kent (John McGuigan), and likely the same bird turned up the following day at Leamington, Essex (Jeremy Bensette). A frigatebird sp. was seen 25 Aug at Port Stanley, Elgin (fide Stuart Mackenzie).

Brown Booby is excellent for Ontario, and reports of the species came from Port Darlington, Durham 24 Aug (Brendan Boyd); Toronto, Toronto 26 Aug (Meaghan Tearle); and Hamilton, Hamilton, where one lingered 8 Sep–28 Oct (Nathan Hood, m. obs). An Anhinga was briefly spotted soaring over Halton Hills, Halton 14 Sep (Nathan Miller). Neotropic Cormorants were seen Hamilton, Hamilton 26 Aug (Chris Escott); Wheatley, Chatham-Kent 5 Sep (Brandon Holden); Leamington, Essex 10 Sep (Dean Ware); and Hamilton, Hamilton 14–19 Sep (Alvan Buckley). American White Pelicans continue to be regular in the lower Great Lakes, and the species was seen 9 Aug–6 Sep at Point Pelee National Park, Essex (m. obs); 2–3 Sep at Jordan, Niagara (fide Marcie Jacklin); 3–10 Sep at Hamilton, Hamilton (m. obs); 9 Sep–13 Oct at Pelee Island, Essex (David Britton); 23 Sep at Schomberg, York (Leslie Mondolo); 16 Oct at Holiday Beach, Essex (Maryse Gagne); 3 Nov at Point Pelee National Park, Essex (Michael McAllister); 8 Nov at Turkey Point, Norfolk (Markus Legzdins); and 11 Nov at Holiday Beach, Essex (Maryse Gagne). A Brown Pelican was seen well north of its usual range 18–20 Aug at Algonquin Provincial Park, Nipissing (fide Rick Stronks), and likely the same bird was present 31 Aug–5 Sep at Mallorytown, Leeds and Grenville (Glenn Seeholzer).

HERONS THROUGH THRUSHES

There were a handful of reports of Great Egret north of its usual range: at Desbarats, Algoma 22 Aug (Jane Smith); Gore Bay, Manitoulin 22 Aug (Michael Arthurs); Lively, Greater Sudbury 31 Aug (R. Tammi); and Nickel Centre, Greater Sudbury 14 Sep (Alice Oliver). A Snowy Egret was reported 16 Oct at Port Burwell, Elgin (Adam Timpf), and likely the same bird was seen the next day, 17 Oct, at Long Point, Norfolk (Abby Ciona). Cattle Egrets were widely observed this fall. A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was photographed on 22 Sep at St. Thomas, Elgin (Damian Gorman). There were observations of Glossy/White-faced Ibis at Mississauga, Peel 27 Aug (Alf Adamo); Owen Sound, Grey 3 Sep (Camilla Kipp); Barrie, Simcoe 2 Oct (Logan Baldwin, Trevor Baldwin); and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara 11 Oct (Debbie Loveridge).

Away from their customary location on the Niagara River, Black Vultures were observed at Markdale, Grey 13 Aug (Mark Cranford); Shakespeare, Perth 17 Sep (Brent Musser); Courtice, Durham 20 Sep (Peter Hogenbirk); Lakefield, Peterborough 8 Oct (Iain Rayner); Dundas, Hamilton 20–27 Oct (John Pleizier); and Sarnia, Lambton 7 Nov (Darrell Parsons). It was a good fall for Swallow-tailed Kite, with five reports in the region, including the continuing bird present from July until 15 Aug at Grand Valley, Dufferin (m.obs.). Elsewhere, the species was seen at Espanola, Sudbury 14 Aug (Sherry Shamess Brunne); Goderich, Huron 21 Aug (Jim Gillies); Leamington, Essex 5–9 Sep (Alexandra Annibale, Jeremy Bensette); and Oshawa, Durham 16 Oct (Tyler Hoar). Early Golden Eagles were seen 26 Aug at Emily Provincial Park, Kawartha Lakes (John Pries), and 29 Aug at Wyebridge, Simcoe (Mak Soden). A Swainson’s Hawk was photographed 13 Oct at Leamington, Essex (Jeremy Bensette). Well to the north of its typical range, a Red-headed Woodpecker was photographed 20 Sep in Kenora, Kenora (Laureen Parsons).

Out-of-range Acadian Flycatchers turned up in Hamilton, Hamilton 19 Aug (Rob Dobos, Cheryl Edgecombe, Rob Waldhuber); Salmon Point, Prince Edward 12 Sep (Jon Ruddy); and Toronto, Toronto 30 Sep (Gavin Platt). A Say’s Phoebe was observed 10 Sep at Pass Lake, Thunder Bay (Christine Johnson) while another was photographed 5 Oct at Algonquin Provincial Park, Nipissing (Lev Frid, Amanda Guercio, Michael Runtz, Britta Gerwin, Dawn Sherman, Jeff Skevington). Only the second record for Ontario, a Variegated Flycatcher was present from 13–17 Nov in Brooklin, Durham (Janet Lafond). Ontario’s third Tropical Kingbird was seen 7 Nov in Thessalon, Algoma (Tony Ward). There were a few reports of Western Kingbird, which came from Clarington, Durham 22 Aug (Rayfield Pye); Drummond Centre, Lanark 30–31 Aug (Jon Ruddy); Long Point, Norfolk 10 Sep (Amanda Bichel); and Toronto, Toronto 11 Sep (Cecilia Verkley).

White-eyed Vireos were observed at Rondeau Provincial Park, Chatham-Kent 21 Aug–21 Sep (Blake Mann); Long Point, Norfolk 28 Aug (Stuart Mackenzie); Toronto, Toronto 29 Sep (Eildert Beeftink); Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma 2–3 Oct (Gord Ross); Point Pelee National Park, Essex 4–8 Oct (Jim Burk); Long Point, Norfolk 20 Oct (Ryan Leys, Leanne Grieves), and Toronto, Toronto 10 Nov through the end of the period (Mark Cranford). A Bell’s Vireo was photographed 30 Oct at Point Pelee National Park, Essex (Charisse Sharon). Rounding out the rare vireos at Point Pelee National Park, Essex, a Plumbeous Vireo was seen 3–7 Oct (Jameson Nagle). Away from the species’ stronghold of Carden and Napanee, Loggerhead Shrikes were reported from Mississippi Mills, Ottawa 18 Aug (Kevin Hannah); Port Elgin, Bruce 3-4 Oct (Dean Post, Patricia Quackenbush); and Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay 19 Oct (John Woodcock). The long-staying Black-billed Magpie was reported again from 12–24 Oct at Echo Lake, Algoma (Barry Lyons). A Boreal Chickadee was reported 14 Nov at a feeder in Prescott, Leeds and Grenville (fide eBird), well south of this species’ normal range.

Cave Swallows were reported from Blenheim, Chatham-Kent 29 Oct (Steve Charbonneau); Point Pelee National Park, Essex 31 Oct–2 Nov (Jeremy Bensette); Dashwood, Huron 10 Nov (Kenneth G.D. Burrell, Brandon Holden, Dana Latour); and Point Pelee National Park, Essex 11 Nov (Jeremy Bensette). There were three reports of Northern Mockingbird from north of their typical range this fall, from Tarbutt, Algoma 4 Aug–7 Sep (Jane Smith); Smooth Rock Falls, Cochrane 4 Oct (Angie Williams); and Marathon, Thunder Bay 17 Oct (Christine Drake). The only Mountain Bluebird of the fall was a flyby at Dashwood, Huron 9 Nov (Brandon Holden). A Townsend’s Solitaire was seen by many 7 Nov at Ipperwash, Lambton (Mike B–ouman), and another was photographed 12 Nov at Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma (Debbie King). A Varied Thrush was the unfortunate victim of a window strike on 19 Nov in Toronto, Toronto (Tom Masters), while another came to a feeder in Dorion, Thunder Bay 21 Nov through the end of the period (Norma Maurice). Ontario joined in on the influx of Northern Wheatear into the Northeast, with four reports, from Algonquin Provincial Park, Nipissing 17 Sep (Kelly Balkom); South Porcupine, Cochrane 18–30 Sep (Roxane Filion); Maryhill, Wellington 26–29 Sep (Jay Solanki); and Armour, Parry Sound 5 Oct (Daniel Hoops).

FINCHES THROUGH BUNTINGS

A Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was present at a feeder in Marathon, Thunder Bay 16–20 Nov (Alexis Delray). Out-of-range House Finch reports came from Dorion, Thunder Bay 9 Aug (Norma Maurice); Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay 12 Oct–28 Nov (Balec Family); and Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay 27 Oct into Dec (Sarah Ferguson). An early Hoary Redpoll was photographed on 8 Oct in Woodlawn, Ottawa (Jon Ruddy). A Smith’s Longspur in Timmins, Cochrane 13 Nov (fide Mike Burrell) constituted an excellent record for the Northeast. Lark Sparrows were observed in Walsingham, Norfolk 14–16 Aug (Adam Timpf); Spring Bay, Manitoulin 2 Sep (Roy Geiger); Kingston, Frontenac 24–25 Oct (Gerard Philips); Ottawa, Ottawa 31 Oct (Gordon Johnson); and Ipperwash, Lambton 6 Nov (Matt Parsons). Two Spotted Towhees were reported, one from Vaughan, York 2–3 Nov (fide eBird), and another in Barrie, Simcoe 17 Nov (Victoria Evans). A Yellow-breasted Chat was observed 3 Oct on Long Point, Norfolk (Kyle Cameron).

There were numerous observations of Yellow-headed Blackbird throughout the fall, with notable birds seen 20 Aug in Mitchell, Perth (Antony John); 28 Aug in Port Rowan, Norfolk (Joeli Robertson); 4–5 Sep in Slate River Valley, Thunder Bay (Lindy Wagenaar, Brian Ratcliff); 5–6 Sep in Long Point, Norfolk (Kyle Cameron); 15 Sep in Sarnia, Lambton (Allanah Vokes); 16 Sep in Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (Lindy Wagenaar); 19 Sep–10 Oct in Pumpkin Point, Algoma (Ross Wood); 20 Sep in Rossport, Thunder Bay (Nicholas Escott, Christopher Escott); 26–27 Sep in Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (James Barber); 28 Sep in Port Rowan, Norfolk (Ron Valentine); 5 Oct in Port Rowan, Norfolk (Brett Fried); 17 Oct in Dover, Chatham-Kent (Tyler Hoar); and 22 Nov into December in Thessalon, Algoma (Conny Poeschl). Away from Rainy River, Western Meadowlarks were reported 4 Sep from Slate River Valley, Thunder Bay (Lindy Wagenaar); 22 Sep from Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (Nicholas Escott, Christopher Escott); 4 Oct from Point Petre, Prince Edward (Paul Jones); 23 Oct from Terrace Bay, Thunder Bay (Pegg Campbell, Mark Campbell); 6–10 Nov from Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (Gregg Kendall, Jeremy Bryan); 11 Nov from Terrace Bay, Thunder Bay (Pegg Campbell, Mark Campbell); and from at least 26 Nov into December, on a feeder watch live stream from Manitouwadge, Thunder Bay (fide Mike Burrell).

A Prothonotary Warbler photographed in Ottawa, Ottawa on 9 Nov was farther north than usual (Carol Vellan Cameron). A Yellow-throated Warbler was observed on 4 Oct in Kincardine, Bruce (Bob Taylor, Anne-Marie Taylor). A Black-throated Gray Warbler was seen by many birders from 17–27 Nov in Toronto, Toronto (m. obs.). Reports of Summer Tanagers this fall were largely restricted to yards, with birds observed on 29 Oct in Uxbridge, Durham (fide Mike Burrell); 30 Oct in St. Williams, Norfolk (Ron Ridout); 4 Nov from Scugog, Durham (Douglas Apperson); 9 Nov from Toronto, Toronto (Christine Wiznuk); 11 Nov from Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma (Ron Johnston, Linda Johnston); 22–23 Nov from London, Middlesex (Erin Postenka); 23 Nov from Woodstock, Oxford (Adrian Juurlink); 26 Nov+ in Newmarket, York (John Walker, Alison Elizabeth); and from 29 Nov+ on Amherst Island, Lennox and Addington (Janis Grant, Paul Mackenzie). A Western Tanager was observed 25 Oct in Charleston Lake Provincial Park, Leeds and Grenville (fide eBird). There were two reports of Black-headed Grosbeak from feeders in northern Ontario: from 15–16 Oct in Garson, Greater Sudbury (Kevin Bryanton), and from 12 Nov into December at Sawpit Bay, Algoma (William Van Atte). A Painted Bunting was photographed at a feeder in Providence Bay, Manitoulin on 15 Aug (Judy Ratcliff). Reports of Dickcissel were widespread but largely restricted to flyover birds.

Report processed by Amy Davis, 2 Mar 2021.

Photos–Ontario: Fall 2020

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