Horned Grebe, Gray Island, Aaron Rusak

Hawks and owls are being seen or heard throughout Muskoka, but a lone PEREGRINE FALCON up in Huntsville was the only rarity seen. Large kettles of TURKEY VULTURES are still being seen throughout Muskoka and hawkwatches are reporting good numbers moving through, so keeping your eyes to the skies is still a great idea.

Several robin-sized birds have made a brief appearance this past week. A trio of CANADA JAYS were seen north of Huntsville. A late YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was still continuing near Bala, perhaps one of the last individuals from what has been one of the best years for cuckoos in Muskoka in quite some time. Additionally, a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER is still being seen regularly at feeders in Georgian Bay.



Canada Jay, Algonquin Park, Aaron Rusak

Our smaller birds are where we’re seeing some good movement across all the species. Late warblers have made a potential last push south, with NORTHERN PARULAS, MOURNING WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED-GREEN WARBLERS, and several other species still migrating through Muskoka. A couple late vireos have also been seen mixed in with these flock.

LAPLAND LONGSPURS and HORNED LARKS are still being seen somewhat frequently and should continue to move through the next week. It may be worth checking farm fields or open spaces near Georgian Bay, as large numbers are moving there. VESPER and FIELD SPARROWS have been spotted at several areas, with rock barrens being one of the best places to pick up late sparrows.



The real highlight of the week is the beginning of a large finch movement. EVENING GROSBEAKS and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS have been spotted in several areas around Hunstville and Baysville, a good sign of a strong finch migration. Some early COMMON REDPOLLS have been spotted as well in mixed flocks with PINE SISKINS. A trio of possible HOARY REDPOLLS were also seen moving in one of these flocks, and if these trends continue, we’ll be in for a great winter for finches.

Common Redpoll, Southeast Wood Pine Island, Aaron Rusak

What to Look for this Week

A going theme for fall birding is scanning larger bodies of water for rare ducks and waterfowl. This will be true for this week and several upcoming weeks as well. CANVASBACKS and BLACK SCOTERS are two species that have been seen starting around this time in past years. However, all three SCOTER species remain strong possibilities, as well as other ducks or geese. Kirby and Muskoka Beach are two fantastic places to start scanning with a scope and a trip out to Georgian Bay may turn up a lucky find.



Finches are coming back! Be sure to brush up on some flight calls, so that you can identify any wayward flyovers. You can expect any of the finches seen this past week and there’s even a chance for a bird like the BOREAL CHICKADEE or PINE GROSBEAK to show up. Huntsville is the best place to start looking for them, then moving further south throughout the week as they begin to move. Monitoring what’s being seen in Algonquin may also provide quite useful in seeing some of the more uncommon finches.

White-winged Crossbill, Algonquin Park, Aaron Rusak

Got a rare sighting of your own? Feel free to send it to aaron@shrikebirding.com and it may be used in our next weekly report. We’re hoping to add additional information in our future weekly reports, so unusual sightings within Muskoka are hugely appreciated.

Happy birding!