Townsend Twitch: Episode III - Solitaire Redemption

As many (Ontario) birders know, Dan MacNeal, a well known known birder from Wellington County, found a Townsend's Solitaire last November, which many went out to see. Others may also know, that I was not one of these people, although I tried to be. So hence the title, when Dan refound the same Solitaire in the same location as before, I tried at a shot for redemption. Amazing that it has been around for so long! Interestingly Dan found what was very likely a different bird at Guelph Lake in  December. But it didn't stay long and I dipped on it as well... So my first chase of the year, second time chasing this individual, and third time trying for this species, I felt determined.
          I had ski practice in the morning first, which worked out well as it was known to become more reliable in the evening. On the way up I tried for Longspurs, but as seems to be a very strong recent trend with me- I came up empty.
          I was meeting up with my friend Logan Baldwin, whom I'd never actually met in real life, but we'd corresponded and had planned to try and meet up. He was already there, and told me that it hadn't been seen since the morning. Great I thought, Not again. But just as I thought this, me and Logan almost simultaneously called out a medium sized bird flitting away into the bush- with orange wingbars. We quickly searched the bush we thought it might have landed in, but had no luck. We decided to walk up the hedgerow, and inform the other people looking. They had disappeared into the bush, but just as we were about to change direction, Todd Hagedorn, an old employee of my mom appeared from the bush, and said that he had the bird in forest! We quickly followed him, but they had lost it. I noticed something flit, got my bins up, and it was indeed the bird! It was pretty obscured, and hard for everyone to get on it. Eventually it moved to a slightly more open spot, and I got some pretty decent pictures:

The first thing I noticed on this bird was the long tail, then the eyering, than the 'burnt' orange wingbars... A very very distinct bird!

Solitaire's wingbars can range from a dull, barely noticeable tint, to a bright, burnt orange. I would say that this bird is quite bright!

Quite content with my brief, yet high quality sighting, we trekked back out the opening. I called my friend Nathan Hood, who had left only a few minutes earlier- empty handed! It was a bit awkward when he showed up, and we didn't have the bird anymore... But we walked a small section of the road and saw it fly over again, in similar fashion to the first time! Feeling good, we decided to keep on heading up to our chalet, where we made a short stop at an art store in Flesherton called Local Colour, where a Carolina Wren had been coming to a feeder there. Although the bird wasn't there, the shop owner, David Turner was. He's a great birder in Grey County, and I've been wanting to meet up with him for some time! As a success present, I bought myself a wooden Piping Plover, my favourite bird! I collect bird art, and I really like shorebirds, so this was a great addition!

I did a little bit of birding on Sunday in Collingwood, where I got my FOY (first of year) Iceland Gull, Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe and others. A great addition to January, and it isn't over yet!

Blob- AKA an Iceland Gull

Female Red-breasted Merganser, maybe I should do a post on Common vs. Red-breasted females. Or maybe I should just do a general post on common similar species (that are in season), like Downy vs. Hairy, and other stuff like that

Well there's that post... Not sure what my next one(s) will be on, but I know that I will do one on my upcoming trip to Celebration, Florida! It's barely going to be a birding trip, as it's only three days after exams, and my parents don't seem willing to drive me anywhere, they say that a vacation is being able to sleep in, relax, and not drive anywhere... Ha! 

One day...