Most of this week we birded locally, stopping at shorebird habitat on our way back and forth to Hamilton for care giving. There were a few more reports of Baird’s but we were still not able to confirm one. The juveniles will be coming through over the next few weeks and so we will just have to be patient and wait until the numbers increase our chances of seeing one and getting a decent picture. It is hard to be patient when I get those hourly pings that means somewhere in the province someone has seen one. Reports of American Goshawk have started up again. Reports are hidden during the breeding season because of potential falconers stealing from their nests so we have not had the opportunity to chase this hawk much, and of course, it is not always easy to chase these birds, they have wide territories. We may try to get up north a bit over the next few weeks and see if we can encounter one so that we do not have to count on fall hawk migration to find one.
Late Thursday a report came in of a Lark Bunting up in Sault St. Marie seven-eight hours away. It would be a great bird to have on our list but would it stay? We had a discussion. Could we get up there and back before our care giving commitments on Saturday? A 16 hr round trip plus finding the bird? It would be a long way to drive if the bird was not re-found but the only way we might be able to do it would be to leave before the bird would be confirmed there the next day. Jerry felt it was just too far for one bird and not a lifer. I was torn, I thought we should risk it but I also recognized that we might not get back in time on Saturday for his Mom. We also knew that there would not be another chance to go for it because of commitments we had from Sunday and through next week. We opted not to try, it was hard to say no to going for it and I knew there would be regret from not trying for it. Of course it was re-found the next day and continues to still be there today (Sunday) but our window has closed and we have Grandkids with us for the next week now. Will it still be there next weekend?
On Saturday I decided not to write a blog this week as nothing much had happened but of course, like clockwork, a rarity report came in late Saturday. Happily, we had just got home from Hamilton and were only an hour away from a Marbled Godwit! This was a species that I had expected to get up in Rainy River in June but there were only a couple of reports of them this year and we searched every day we were there without seeing one. We arrived at the Alymer Sewage Lagoons (yes, the best birds always seem to be in those lagoons) and Michele, who had found the bird, was on it as we walked up. Thank you Michele! A Willet was with the Marbled Godwit and a Glossy Ibis had flown before we got there. The Godwit was feeding in the lagoon so it appeared to have a bright green bill and legs before it washed off to show its true colours.
We hung around as we knew other birders, Jude, Jason and Jenny, were on their way and I wanted to make sure we knew where the bird was in case it moved around. It stayed in the same general area and everyone that came got to see the Godwit. Shorebirds continued to arrive until we had a plethora of great shorebirds in the lagoon.
As well as the shorebirds a Juvenile Black Tern arrived to catch dinner and an Eared Grebe was found further out in the lagoon to complete a great late afternoon birding experience. It did not quite make up for the disappointment of not going for the Lark Bunting but it was a good bird to add to our list. The 4 Grandkids arrive for their traditional week with us so I’m hoping for a slight pause to any rarities this coming week until we can get back to birding next weekend.
WEEK 32 1 new species added 313 for J&E