An avid birder in my tweens and early teens, I downgraded to a fair-weather birder from around 15 to 45 (birding mostly while in new regions). But since moving out of Toronto in 2022, I’ve become avid again. Our place is blessed with a great variety of habitats: wet meadow, dense forest, creek valley, “prairie.” Since July 2022, we’ve been documenting all the bird species we see on or from the property.

As of early 2026, the links on the birds’ common names will lead to photos taken of that species on the property–when I have them (these names will be shown in bold). Otherwise they’ll lead to photos in the Macauley Library.

In June 2025, I reached the milestone of 100 bird species seen or heard on (or from) the property! The bird that put me into the three digits was a green heron. On June 15, 2026, I registered bird species #119, a spotted sandpiper. Here is the complete list (July 1, 2022, to present):

1. Snow goose, Anser caerulescens (Oct 20, 2025)
2. Canada goose, Branta canadensis
3. Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii (Sept 26, 2025)
4. Trumpeter swam, Cygnus buccinator (May 4, 2025)
5. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
6. Wood duck, Aix sponsa (May 2025)
7. Common merganser, Mergus merganser (Feb 1, 2024)
8. Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (2023) (bred on property in 2023 and 2024)
9. Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus
10. Rock pigeon, Columba livia
11. Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura
12. Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus (July 16, 2025; lifer)
13. Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
14. Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica
15. Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
16. Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (April 2025)
17. Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria (June 25, 2025, heard only)
18. Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius (June 15, 2026)
19. Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (September 15, 2025)
20. American woodcock, Scolopax minor (April 10, 2025; mating display; lifer)
21. Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis
22. Great blue heron, Ardea Herodias
23. Green heron, Butorides virescens (June 14, 2025)
24. Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum
25. Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura
26. Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
27. Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus
28. Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius
29. Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus
30. Cooper’s hawk, Accipiter cooperii
31. Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus
32. Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
33. Merlin, Falco columbarius
34. American kestrel, Falco sparverius (Sept 1, 2025)
35. Barred owl, Strix varia (Dec 11, 2025)
36. Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon (breeds on property all years)
37. Red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus (breeds on property all years)
38. Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius
39. Downy woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens
40. Hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus
41. Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus (bred on property in 2025)
42. Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus
43. Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus
44. Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus
45. Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe (bred on property in 2024)
46. Eastern Wood-Pewee, Contopus virens (May 29, 2025)
47. Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus (May 8, 2025)
48. Alder flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum (May 30, 2026)
49. Golden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapa (March 2024)
50. Ruby-crowned kinglet, Corthylio calendula (Spring 2024)
51. Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus (March 26, 2026; lifer)
52. Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum
53. Blue-headed vireo, Vireo solitarius (Sept 2024)
54. Eastern warbling vireo, Vireo gilvus (Spring 2025)
55. Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus
56. Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata
57. American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
58. Common raven, Corvus corax
59. Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapilla
60. Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
61. Bank swallow, Riparia riparia
62. Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor
63. Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis (May 29, 2026)
64. White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis
65. Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis (Sept 2024)
66. Brown creeper, Certhia americana
67. Northern house wren, Troglodytes aedon (bred on property in 2023-2025)
68. Winter wren, Troglodytes hiemalis (Nov 2024)
69. Grey catbird, Dumetella carolinensis
70. European starling, Sturnus vulgaris
71. Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis (February 2023)
72. American robin, Turdus migratorius
73. Veery, Catharus fuscescens (June 14, 2025, heard only)
74. Swainson’s Thrush, Catharus ustulatus (Sept 2024)
75. Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus (Nov 8, 2025)
76. Wood Thursh, Hylocichla mustelina (May 11, 2026)
77. House sparrow, Passer domesticus (2022)
78. House finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
79. Purple finch, Haemorhous purpureus
80. Pine siskin, Spinus pinus (Feb 15, 2026)
81. Evening grosbeak, Hesperiphona vespertina (Jan 2 2026)
82. American goldfinch, Spinus tristis (2022)
83. Chipping sparrow, Spizella passerine
84. American tree sparrow, Spizelloides arborea (Winter 2023)
85. Swamp sparrow, Melospiza georgiana (Sept 2024)
86. Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis, including a rare “Cassiar” subspecies two winters in a row (2025 and 2026).
87. White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis
88. White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys (Sept 17, 2024)
89. Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia
90. Fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca (Oct 24, 2025)
91. Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula (bred on property in 2025)
92. Red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus (bred on property all years)
93. Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus (Oct 6, 2025)
94. Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater
95. Common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula
96. Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla (May 9, 2025)
97. Black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia
98. Tennessee warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina
99. Nashville warbler, Leiothlypis ruficapilla
100. Canada warbler, Cardellina canadensis
101. Wilson’s warbler, Cardellina pusilla (Sept 14, 2025)
102. Mourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia (May 25, 2025)
103. Blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata (Sept 2024, female/immature; lifer)
104. Bay-Breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea (Aug 25, male)
105. Northern Parula, Setophaga americana (Sept 2024; lifer)
106. American redstart, Setophaga ruticilla (Sept 2024)
107. Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina (May 9, 2025)
108. Black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens (Spring 2023)
109. Black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens (Sept 2024)
110. Pine warbler, Setophaga pinus (Fall 2022)
111. Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca (Aug 2024)
112. Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronate (Fall 2022)
113. Chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica (Fall 2022)
114. Magnolia Warbler, Setophaga magnolia (Sept 2024)
115. Palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum (Sept 1, 2025)
116. Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas (Sept 2024; bred on property in 2025)
117. Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus
118. Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea (July 2024, bred on property in 2024 and 2025)
119. Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis

Plus: unidentified Asio owl, Asio otus or Asio flammeus (March 2024)