Looking at birds in Thunder Bay

Julianne wrote this post, May 2023

Delta Marsh Bird Observatory - DMBO in Thunder Bay, ON.

A kind group of volunteers operate mist nets spring and fall, to keep a record of migrants making it to this northern shore of Lake Superior. They are kind to visitors too, allowing me to hold and release this American Goldfinch.

This is one of a series of Bird Observatories which band and count birds across Canada. We visited Oak Hummock Marsh near Winnipeg and hope to get to Tadoussac Bird Observatory northeast of Quebec City.

For more info on species increase or decline since 1970: http://nabci.net/resources/state-of-canadas-birds-2019/

Volunteers are active in spring and fall, but not during the nesting season.

American goldfinch.

White-throated sparrow

Tree swallow nest boxes were occupied. The chain of Bird Observatories across Canada has found that insect-eating birds have diminished since 1970 when the system began keeping records. So the group has put up nest boxes to help. They have purple Martin towers but no martins so far. They are also concerned about chimney swifts.

Tree swallow guarding occupied nest box.

Now Nancy is chiming in: This was a beautiful day in a place that could only be used for a wildlife reserve. The ground, next to the Kam River, is marshy and home to alders, evergreens and beautiful wetland understory plants. There is a storage yard for train cars, a very poor road, and a trail into the wetland that ends in the place of mist nets and the river.

Getting onto McKellar Island involves making a hairpin turn around a train yard. The road is not perfect, and quite wet, so driving is an adventure.

The bridge to McKellar Island has about a dozen fish sculptures, implying that the main interest of people here might be fishing.

Marsh marigold, blooming in profusion on McKellar Island.