Photo by Mike Radomski
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The Buffalo Audubon Society led its 5th Algonquin Park birding trip from January 18th to 20th 2025. Led by Naturalist Tom Kerr and Buffalo Audubon Board President Mike Radomski, we had our coldest trip yet, with temperatures dropping to -22°F (-30°C)! That didn't stop us as we visited our most reliable spots like Mew Lake, The Spruce Bog Boardwalk, The Logging Museum Trail, and Opeongo Road. Every trip to Algonquin Park is different, and while we were able to see species we did not see last year, some of the most common species from last trip were absent from the park this weekend.
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Canada Jays - One of the most charismatic and beloved birds of Algonquin Park, Canada Jays learned centuries ago that humans are a source of food. Also known as Whisky Jacks or Gray Jays, these opportunistic scavengers and thieves will "steal" food out of your hand or off your picnic table. The Canada Jays were much easier to find this year, and we enjoyed time with four individuals on Opeongo Road. Canada Jays in the park are banded as part of an ongoing study of their breeding success. Each Canada Jay is banded with a unique combination of colors making them easy to identify by sight.
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Algonquin Winter Finches - Every winter in Algonquin is different from the last, and this year was no exception. Winter Finches were difficult to find, with only sparse sightings of White-winged Crossbills, and a lone Pine Siskin at the Visitor's Centre Birdfeeders.
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The Adorable Pine Marten - We were lucky to see three Pine Martens on this trip! Pine Martens are as important to find as any bird on this trip, and we were luck to stumble across a few without having to look to hard.
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Black-backed Woodpecker - For only the second time on one of our Algonquin Trips, we found a Black-backed Woodpecker! These boreal specialists uncommon in the park but have been seen regularly at the Spruce Bog Boardwalk this winter. We were able to find it by listening for it's faint drumming just off the boardwalk trail.
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Spruce Grouse - The highlight of the trip was finding this Spruce Grouse at the Spruce Bog Boardwalk early on Monday morning at -22°F. Spruce Grouse are very well camouflaged and retreat further into the dense forest as the day goes on, so getting to the boardwalk early was important. We have seen 5 Spruce Grouse in total over our 5 trips, and 4 of them have been in the same tree we saw this one. It stayed in the same tree for over an hour and was still there when we left.
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Traveling with a group is always such a fun time. There was so much to see and do in Algonquin! Each night we ate at a local restaurant in Huntsville, and nice warm break from the cold. Thank you to everyone who came on this trip! We can't run a trip like this without enthusiastic bird and nature lovers like you.
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