Monday we returned to Pelee, a bit late in the morning as we had a late night emergency with Jerry’s mom and only got to bed at 2am. I wish we had left even later so that we were close to Long Point when a report came in for the first Ontario record of a White-tailed Kite seen by Rowan of Hamilton. Instead we were minutes from arriving at Pelee, 3 hours away. Kites can stick around in an area but more than not they arrive and leave. I made the decision not to go and apparently it was seen again by a very few birders. Instead we spent an enjoyable day in the park finally catching up on some warblers and talking to a lot of people and helping others get on birds. The leaves are out A LOT and the birds were feeding very HIGH. I had “warbler neck” very quickly. A term birders use for the cricks and pain we get in our necks from looking straight up with bins held to our eyes. It was lovely hearing the songs of warblers too and we were pleasantly surprised that we recognized a few more than last year. Merlin is definitely helping with that as we can take a guess at a song before seeing the bird and get Merlin to confirm that is what it is. A useful tool if used properly.
We ended up seeing another 6 species of warbler and added a Wood Thrush that we heard singing in the woods. We then headed to flooded fields and Hillman Marsh and added 2 shorebirds and a Black Tern.
Magnolia WarblerNorthern Parula
Tuesday morning was a little cool with north-east winds, the worst winds to have at Pelee and predictably there was only a few new migrants in the park and no reverse migration taking place. We only checked the tip for a short time and then wandered up into the middle of the park. Each day we check the west beach path either going to the tip or coming back for the possibility of unearthing a rarity like Kirtland’s Warbler that is almost always found on that West side. The park still had nice pockets of warblers but nothing that we didn’t already have. We met up with Pelee friends Cindy and Judy for a walk through Tilden and almost immediately saw a Golden-winged Warbler that had been reported in the area earlier. This is a highly sought-after species and often tough to get so we were very happy to see it.
Golden-winged Warbler
It would turn out to be the only bird we added for the day despite walking 16km through the park.
Wednesday morning the anticipation was high after south winds and a rain storm but nothing much happened at Pelee. Reports from along Lake Ontario came in with numerous warblers about but not so much where we were. I was a tad disappointed but there is always something to get at Pelee and we quickly added another common species, the Red-eyed Vireo. I now only have 2 more common species to get and that list of 144 can be put aside. We also added a Bay-breasted Warbler leaving us with only 2 more expected warblers to see, the Canada and Mourning. I got on a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that a group had spotted on one of the trails but despite my best efforts Jerry did not see it before it flew off. It is a bird that often appears in our back yard and we see often in Brantford so I know he will get it, but for the moment I am one bird ahead of him. He is taking it more graciously than I probably would.
Bay-breasted Warbler
Just before noon a report of a Kirtland’s Warbler came in but instead of at Pelee where they traditionally are, this one was in Grimsby! ARGGGGH! 3.5 hours away. What to do? What to do? I knew I should go for it but at the same time I also felt if I went for it I would miss something at Pelee and maybe one would be found at Pelee or Rondeau, the more traditional areas. So we did not go. And I was upset most of the afternoon that I had not gone as the reports kept coming in that it was still being seen. Around 4 a late report came in that a Worm-eating Warbler had been seen at noon in the same area as the one on the weekend when we were not here at Pelee. Cell service is bad and people try to report but messages don’t go through. So we decided to go over and stake out the Worm-eating Warbler. We took water, snacks and stools and sat and walked the path that it was last seen. Our hope was that it would sing as they spend most of their time on the ground, I assume, looking for worms and are difficult to see. We were prepared to sit until dusk. Then at 6:14 my phone started going crazy with dings and whistles, a Ferruginous Hawk, a western species, was 30 mins away in a tree. We headed back to the car, not running, but walking quickly and then had a tortured drive out of the park behind cars driving 32 kmph! It is the one time I did not feel calm. I bugged Jerry to drive faster. How long would the hawk sit in the tree? Messages were being sent that it was still in the tree and people were being asked to stay in their cars so the bird did not flush. When we finally arrived there were easily 30-40 cars pulled over on Highway 3 and people at the back ends had to be out of the car to see the bird in a tree just off the road on the opposite side. It was a crazy sight and I forgot to take a pic of all the cars and people in my excitement to be there and SEE THE BIRD! The record shot is of the hawk’s butt and from a distance but I’ve added Jerry’s best pic of a Ferruginous Hawk taken in Alberta in 2022 so you know what it looks like.
Ferruginous Hawk Port Alma 2024
And suddenly I felt better about not going for the Kirtland’s. Although that would be short-lived, as ,it would turn out that the Hawk was refound the next day and the Kirtland’s was not and so some birders did end up getting both birds. Sigh!
Thursday was cool in the morning with rain starting in the afternoon. We staked out the Worm-eating area again in the morning instead of going to the Tip and while we heard and saw a variety of warblers the Worm-eating was not one of them. We walked our usual West Beach Path ever hopeful of turning up a Kirtland’s and then decided to head back to the car and check the local fields for shorebirds. On our way out a report for a Black-billed Cuckoo came in from the area we were driving past so we stopped to check it out. A group of birders with cameras pointed up are a sure sign of something good but instead of the Cuckoo it was an Olive-sided Flycatcher. A nice surprise and a bird that we often do not see in the spring but we have migrating through our local area in the fall. A bit further up the path were the two kinds of Tanagers, Scarlet and Summer, as well as an Orange variant of the Scarlet Tanager.
It rained into the evening and we were happy to just stay in our hotel, order pizza and catch up on photos, blog and lists.
Friday morning we were up really early, that happens when you fall asleep at 10, and into the park by 5:12. You might think we were first into the park at that time since it only opens at 5 but the parking lot was half full and the first tram was easily almost filled. We chose to walk, our only cardio of the day usually, and enjoyed hearing the birds start to wake as the sky lightened. There were few birds at the tip which was not a surprise with north winds but we hung out a bit socializing with friends.
At the Tip before the crowds.Hooded Warbler ActionPeople looking up = warblers!
We walked up to Sparrow field with Barry and Margaret from Toronto but it was pretty quiet until we got to the Red Bud Path and saw a beautiful Hooded Warbler. As we walked out a group of us were sure we saw a Mississippi Kite fly over. I had a poor view but the others were very sure. We rushed to the Visitor Center hoping it had flown there and others would have seen it to confirm the sighting but no one saw anything. Some birders already had scopes set up hoping the Ferruginous Hawk would be moving through Pelee so they checked out some distant birds and one seemed a candidate for Kite, pictures were taken and shown to an excellent birder who confirmed it was a Kite. Excitement and happy dance ensued. And then a report of a Cattle Egret 5 minutes away just outside the park came in so we headed for that. A Swallow-tailed Kite was also reported at Rondeau just an hour away. We got the Cattle Egret quickly and I decided to head to Rondeau for a chance to see the other Kite. 20 minutes later the report is the Kite was now heading to Pelee! We turned around and headed back down the highway now at least 10 minutes behind the Kite. It was the first time I’ve lost it this year, so disappointed that I had made the “wrong” decision yet again and most of the birders at Pelee would likely see the Kite and I would not. To make matters worse, Margaret texted me to say Sarah (another stellar birder) had reviewed the photos and our Kite was not a Mississippi Kite but a Broad-winged Hawk. The only consolation was the Kite didn’t head into Pelee and so only a few people outside the Park saw the Kite as it went through further north so I was only one of many frustrated birders. But on a positive note we did add a Cattle Egret, another rarity on my list! My hope is that this year will make us better birders from all the mistakes we make along the way and those future Big Year Birders reading this will also learn what not to do. LOL!
Saturday we were back at the Tip after south winds and still quiet. Some new migrants appeared in the park but it still didn’t feel like many arrived. A thunderstorm rolled in quite early and put a stop to all bird watching as we all headed for cover at the Tram stop. The rain persisted for a bit while we all chatted about, well, birding, and when it slowed we headed out to bird with our niece Theresa. We managed to see a few warblers and hear many singing but not visible in the leaf covered shrubs and the high leafed out trees. It was a challenge to ID anything and a challenge to share the information. We only added a Common Nighthawk roosting on a tree branch but Theresa, as a new birder, added a few lifers which is also exciting for us to remember that feeling.
Common Nighthawk
Late afternoon we headed to Hillman after a report of a Western Sandpiper and managed to find the small piper with a limp (injured, not a trait of Western Sandpiper) among all the Dunlin. Just as we were finishing up another rainstorm hit and we headed for the car and called it a day.
Sunday we opted to head to Rondeau as it was Mother’s Day and Pelee gets packed with families. We were waiting on a report of a Blue Grosbeak we were thinking of chasing. It was pleasantly birdy at Warbler Way but nothing new for our list. Still it was nice to just enjoy the birds and Jerry tried for better photos of some. The Blue Grosbeak was refound so we decided to head out only to get a report 20 mins later of a Townsend’s Warbler (a Western Species) from Rondeau. Man, we just cannot get a break, every decision seems to be the wrong one. We opted to turn back and try for the Townsends but it had flown by the time we got there and was not refound that day. By the time we did a few loops hoping to find the warbler we opted not to go for the Grosbeak and of course it was seen again around 4. We spent the day at the park but did not add any species. We did had lovely conversations with many people including Susan and Jim who will also be doing a Canada Big Year in 2025. Susan has helped me with this Big Year as she is a veteran of one in 2022 when she saw 335 species!
On the way home we stopped at Wheatley Harbour, our habit, and managed to add the only bird of the day, a Whimbrel. And so the week that feels like a month comes to an end. And where will I be tomorrow? AT THE TIP!
Whimbrel
The stats are: 1 Common Bird left – Willow Flycatcher, 9 spring migrants left, 2 Warblers left, Canada and Mourning then we move to finishing Special Trips for Birds and then all that is left are the few Fall birds that come through and rarities. We have driven a shocking 21,800 km and walked 603 km so far.
Week 19 26 rarities so far 21 species added this week 281 total species E 280 total species J
Pelee Target Birds: Last week my targets were the Avocet and Willet. My targets now are birds that tend to overshoot their nesting grounds, show up at Pelee and then, I assume, return south not to be seen again. I don’t get a second chance at these species in the fall so they are the birds I am most after. Worm-eating Warbler, Kirtland’s Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Summer Tanager and Yellow-breasted Chat. There is also the rare Chuck’s-will-widow and the Henslow’s Sparrow. I saw the Kentucky on Saturday evening so one is already off the list.
Sunday morning we were in Pelee National Park at 6:15 and at the Tip by 7am. It was a bit rainy but clearing once we got to the Tip. There are two reasons to go to the Tip each morning – to see if any new migrants have arrived and to witness what is called “reverse migration”. It is still not known why birds do this but many birds will fly repeatedly back off the tip and then circle back to land and then reverse off again. You would think they would be happy to have arrived and be tired from the flight across the lake. Birders stand with their backs to the tip and watch the birds as they head off the tip and try to ID as many as possible in flight. Many birders have telephoto lens cameras to take pics and determine species. Many of us have rarities on our birding lists from these reverse migrations as long as you actually get on the bird they are identifying.
Despite south winds it did not appear that many new migrants had come in but there was a bit of a reverse migration. We stuck around only for an hour or so and then started working our way up through the Park. A report came in to watch for a possible rare Bell’s Vireo and as I walked up the path I could see what looked like a vireo, I called over to other birders and Jerry got on the vireo to see that it was a White-eyed Vireo and then Barb looked at a bird beside it and yelled Prairie! A Prairie Warbler is one of the tougher warblers to find so we were happy to have that one added to the list and to see these two colourful birds beside each other. We found a few more warblers and common migrants to add to the list. A rainstorm at lunch kept us from birding for a bit and then we needed to check into our hotel for the week so it was not all birding. We went back into the park for the evening and ended the day having walked 17 kms and added 11 species to our list.
White-eyed VireoPrairie Warbler
Monday morning found us at the Tip again with much better lighting than Sunday and way more of a reverse migration and obvious new migrants in the park. Group after group left the tip to fly out over the lake and circle around. One of the best was from the Red-headed Woodpeckers, as many as 11-12 kept flying off and then returning to a tree and then flying off again. I have never put that many Red-headed Woodpeckers on my list. Warblers, Gnatcatchers, Blue Jays, Red-winged Blackbirds all were reversing off the Tip. Despite a very good reverse migration we did not see any rarities reverse off. A Cerulean Warbler was spotted along the beach and everyone got a chance to see and photograph her. Another difficult and highly prized warbler to usually see.
Cerulean WarblerChestnut-sided Warbler
We finally left the Tip and chose the tram to save a few steps and headed up through the park to see if we could re-find a Yellow-breasted Chat that had been reported. It was hot again, with temperatures in the mid-twenties and the birding was decidedly uncomfortable. There were more birds around though and we were adding species regularly through the day. Blue-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, our first Hummingbird, Orchard Oriole to name a few. With no luck with the Chat we opted for a lunch in the park by our car and then we walked another trail where we finally got some nice pictures and video of a Northern Waterthrush. I got a report from Rondeau (1 hour away) of a Summer Tanager and we decided to go for it as the birding was slowing in the park.
I could see I had many Discord messages but the cell service can be horrible in the park at certain times so I got Jerry set with directions and finally could read my Discord messages. Markus (of Hamilton Big Year Birding Fame) had sent a note telling me I had a wrong ID on my list from the night before. I knew right away what it would be – the Tanager! Summer and Scarlet Tanager males are easy to tell apart but the females are more difficult and we had put in a female tanager as a Scarlet when in fact it was the Summer Tanager we were currently driving to find. I told Jerry to pull in and stop and he turned into Hillman Marsh, a birding spot that just happened to be where we were. I confirmed with Markus that it was the Tanager that was wrong and we both changed our checklists laughing about how ridiculous it would have been to drive an hour away for a bird we already had seen! Crazy! Since we were at Hillman’s we figured we would check it out although our stop yesterday had yielded no shorebirds and we had ended up not even putting in a checklist.
Summer Tanager NOT Scarlet
Paul and Liz from England quickly came over to tell us a Glossy Ibis was in the marsh! What?? You might remember that weeks back we drove from Pelee the 5 hours to Orillia to add a Glossy Ibis to our list and this week there is one right in Hillman, minutes from Pelee this week! Such is the birding life. We stayed and birded a bit and added another 3-4 species including a beautiful Wilson’s Phalarope.
While we were there other birders from Ottawa came over to let us know they had just come from getting the Snowy Egret – it was still in the same marsh. Jerry and I looked at each other and decided we would give it another try. We didn’t arrive until 5:30 and they were calling for thunderstorms in the next hour so the pressure was on. A photographer told us they had seen it just before but it had flown out of view. We went and checked the marsh carefully. And, no Egret. We walked, we scoped, we moved. We were viewing through reeds and shrubs and grasses and nothing. I was calming myself, willing the bird to please come out. Finally, one hour later Jerry saw some white birds fly in from where he was standing and we got the scope on them to see that one of them was very much smaller and had a black bill. It flew up a bit and the bright yellow feet were clearly visible. We had ourselves a Snowy Egret, another rarity! Jerry managed some distant record shots and the rain drops started. We drove down the road to a spot in Southwestern Ontario that you can get Yellow-headed Blackbirds to see if there were any around. The owner of the Trailer Park allowed us to go in and we found one by a feeder to end the day with 15 more species added.
Great Egret with the Snowy EgretYellow-headed Blackbird
On Tuesday before heading to the Tip we stopped at Cactus Field to try for the Chat. They are often more vocal in the morning and we were hoping to at least hear it. It was raining and then it was pouring and we were quickly drenched but it was short-lived. We made a couple of rounds on the path and then stopped at an area close to the first report that I had commented on being “good chat habitat” the day before and suddenly I heard the burbling and ch-ch-ch-ch of a Chat! I had Merlin running trying to record it and Jerry got his bins up and saw a bit of yellow in the tangle under a downed cedar tree! I got bins on it and it moved enough for both of us to see the yellow underparts, white spectacles and the olive back. It did not come out for a full view and Jerry could not get a picture before it disappeared on the other side of the log. But we had our Chat! Nothing much was happening at the Tip and the park seemed less birdy. South winds bring birds in but they also take birds out as they continue to head north to their breeding grounds and it seemed as if that might have happened. The only other bird we added to our list that day was the Prothonotary Warbler, a stunning bird with a golden yellow colour that really pops.
Prothonotary Warbler
I made a mistake on Tuesday. A report came in while I was at the Tip that a rare Tricolored Heron was at Sky Lake – I tried a few times to get google maps to show me Sky Lake (shitty cell service again) and when it finally popped up I quickly clicked and it said 11.5 hours away so I instantly made the decision that it was too far. It wasn’t until mid afternoon having seen a few reports that it clicked that there are two Sky Lakes and the Heron was in Bruce-Grey County and not Algoma. UGGGGGH! Only 4.5 hours away. We could have gone for it. I was upset with myself for making a stupid quick mistake without taking the time to read the initial post properly. Later it was reported the bird had flown away around 2:30-3:00 so I rationalized that we probably would have missed it anyway. You cannot get them all.
Wednesday was even quieter in the Park and we started considering leaving early with north winds and cooler temperatures forecast for the next few days. We added a Veery and saw another Chat and then around 1:00 a report came in that the Tricolored Heron was back in the spot and had been seen by a number of people in the morning. I wish that someone had reported it to Discord first thing in the morning but not everyone thinks to do this so while some reports are instant many go unreported for hours or days. We made the decision to try for the Heron Thursday morning and head home a day early. It meant leaving Pelee for 5 days, which made me very nervous that I would miss something good but its all about playing the odds.
Thursday we drove up for the Tricolored Heron and waited around for about 3-4 hours hoping it would put in an appearance but it never did. Small consolation was 2 Brewer’s Blackbird that we would see in Rainy River but with it off the list gives us more time to spend on other species we will need to see.
Brewer’s Blackbird
We drove home disappointed but trying our best to foster our zen state of mind. We decided to try and get out to hear a Yellow Rail that had been reported in Guelph so headed up there after dinner. The Yellow Rail is a tiny, very secretive bird that you seldom see but can be heard. Its call sounds like stones/rocks being tapped together. We can generally get the Yellow Rail at Carden or Rainy River in June but nothing is guaranteed so, again, if we can get it off the list now, all the better. There were quite a few birders out, lined up along the area it had been heard and being very quiet. We all listened. It was a bit windy, the spring peepers were very loud, there was street traffic a short distance away and I was beginning to think that it had been a bad idea to try the night calling. After about an hour a few people at either end of our “line” heard the bird call with just a tic-tic. And then another birder thought he saw a small rail fly and that it might have been it. I could not honestly say I had heard it or seen it and Jerry had not either. We made the decision to leave as it was not likely even if it called again we would hear it clearly. A disappointing day with just 1 species added.
Friday morning we were heading into Hamilton to care give and bird a bit when a report of a Tufted Duck in Exeter came in from Max. We turned around and headed to Exeter. Rain started about an hour later and it was still lightly raining when we arrived. Jerry realized he had no rain boots in the car but a Tufted Duck was waiting. It was brutal conditions, with heavier rain and almost a fog as we tried to scan duck after duck. Not seeing it in the first lagoons we eventually made it around to the last back lagoon and I did a quick scan. We were looking for a duck with a tuft of hair (think mullet) off the back of its head and a blacker back then the other Scaup that are similar. We scoped and then I scoped again and suddenly there it was in the scope! I did a happy dance in the rain! Even though we were soaked we enjoyed watching him preen and toss his tuft around like humans toss their hair. He seemed very happy with his tuft LOL. Jerry got some pictures in very poor lighting and we headed back to the car sharing the sighting with a couple of other birders coming in. Jerry was sloshing in his shoes (he needs new ones) and we took off as much wet stuff as we could for the ride home. I love my heated seats in these circumstances! We headed home to change and get Jerry different shoes and then headed back into Hamilton to help out his Mom.
Tufted Duck
Our birding friend Cindy had gone back Friday morning and heard the Rail call around 7 so we opted to go back on Saturday morning to try for it without the spring peepers and other noise. It was much quieter at the marsh and a few birders from Hamilton came out to join us. Just after 7 the Rail called for about 30-40 seconds the tic-tic-tic-tic call.
We then birded a bit in Hamilton and Burlington in between visiting our daughters family and seeing Jerry’s mom again. We added 5 birds including an American Redstart in our yard when we got home. Unfortunately, we missed another Tricolored Heron in Collingwood and a Worm-eating Warbler at Pelee. Still migration is just starting so you never know, another Tricolored Heron was reported near Rondeau in the morning, Cattle Egrets and Little Blue Herons all have been seen but not staying in one place long enough to chase.
Sunday morning I woke early and looked up the Tricolored Heron in Collingwood and realized it had been there in 2023 and had stayed almost 2 weeks. I woke Jerry and we headed up there to try and see it. Jude from Hamilton was also on the way and let us know that it was there when we were still 15 minutes away. By the time we got there it had been flushed by a photographer getting a bit too close and was no where to be seen. Jude then refound it but it disappeared before we could get to where he was. We moved out into the Bay area for better site lines, walked around the area and waited. I was determined to see this bird. About an hour later the bird finally flew out of the reeds into full view. We have seen this species in Florida and the southern states and it is stunning.
Tricolored Heron
After some time feeding, the bird headed back into the reeds and then while we were still talking with some local birders Roy and Will, the bird flew out and returned to its original spot. We left and added a Least Flycatcher on the path on the way out and then headed to the airport where Roy had suggested we might find Upland Sandpiper and we did. A beauty on the fence.
Upland Sandpiper
Since we were 20 minutes from Wasaga Beach it made sense to stop and see the Piping Plovers that had already returned to the beach to breed. The Piping Plover is an endangered species in Ontario that returned to breed on our beaches in 2007 after a 30 year absence. Volunteers guard the plovers when they arrive and once nests and eggs are laid the nests are protected with wire cages and the area is cordoned off to avoid disrupting the birds and the young when they hatch. Wasaga Beach still has an active population but the numbers are still very small and the nests are not always successful. Our picture is just a record shot as the volunteers make sure that people stay a good distance away from the birds to give them every chance for success.
Piping Plover
We headed home to pack for Pelee and spend some time with our other grandkids and son. After dinner we took a short drive around the corner to Grass Lake to see if the Bobolinks were back and we heard and then saw two performing their mating dances. Bobolink was our 260th bird! Only 40 away from our 300 goal. We have only 4 more common species to see and then continue to add migration birds. It was a wild first week of migration and much more to come.
Week 18 3 more rarities for a total of 23 rarities 44 species added this week to bring us to 260 species seen J&E
Background on Pelee: Point Pelee National Park (not the Island) is arguably the best place to bird in Ontario because of the migration of 40 warbler species in the spring and fall and the 400 species of birds that have been seen there. The southern most point of Canada sits at the same latitude as northern California – It’s true, look at a map! It is a mecca for birders in the spring and the Festival of Birds every May is a rite of passage for any birder to experience at least once. We have been every year since 2013 but there are birders who have been going for 50+ years! The stories they can tell of the sheer numbers of birds back in the day. Pelee is packed, it is busy, but it is exciting to be with your tribe, to stop and talk with anyone and have a connection. Some people we only see at Pelee each year but enjoy their companionship and stories. It can be daunting in time and energy. The early tram to the tip leaves at 5:15 now, it used to be 6, so that means up at 4:30, in the park by 5 because that first tram is FULL. Otherwise, it is the 3km walk to the tip, which we sometimes opt for. Then 2-3 hours at the tip and then working your way back up through the park through the day. We usually have an early dinner at 3-4 and then get back in the park for the evening when it tends to be empty of people but some good birds can be found. We often walk 14-20km in a day. Then it is back to the hotel for an hour or two to sort pictures and notes and bed before 10 to get up at 4 the next day.
What birders want more than anything in the spring is south winds because birds want to fly over Lake Erie or Ontario with tailwinds to push them and help them use less energy. Bird Cast is an online migration tool (birdcast.info) that forecasts how heavy migration will be based on those winds and fronts. In spring I check the weather and Birdcast daily. The second thing birders hope for is a “Fallout” situation where migrating birds suddenly hit heavy rain or north winds that cause them to be forced to land, hopefully at Pelee or your backyard. We have been at Pelee for a couple of these events and it is fantastic to witness. Colourful warblers can be just hopping on the ground, landing on people and sitting while they regain strength from feeding. There can be so many birds it is difficult to know where to look. These events are now few and far between though as bird numbers have declined and there are many more days of fewer birds and lots of walking and talking about birds and the weather. Still Pelee is always worth the visit and have the chance to experience birds you would not normally see in your yard.
Week 17
Monday we were getting ready to head to Pelee on Tuesday when a report of a Swallow-tail Kite came in from the Long Point area. While not a chaseable bird we talked about going down and driving the lakeshore and the marsh areas in case it was re-found. Then we thought if we drive there we might as well continue to drive to Pelee so we quickly finished up packing and were on the road by noon. We had a leisurely drive along Lake Erie, stopping at areas with good views and never found the Kite but we did have great views of a Golden Eagle at Port Rowan. I had two target birds for Pelee this week – American Avocet and Willet, both southern shorebirds that show up in Ontario fairly regularly. The Avocets generally in the window of April 21-May 7 with a 53% chance the third week in April. One had crossed over the Tip of Pelee on the 21st but was not seen again. We arrived in Leamington at dinner time and had our usual hotel travel meal.
Not bad for a microwave hotel meal!
Then we headed into the park for the evening. Things were starting to green up a bit and it was lovely to walk some of the trails we had missed on our half day here last week. Pelee is a beautiful park with trails that all have different habitat. Before the birders arrive in the next week we had the place mostly to ourselves.
Shagbark Hickory or Green Monster Foot?
It was pretty quiet, not a lot of birds but we managed to add 3, Chimney Swift, Louisiana Waterthrush and Northern Waterthrush. There are very subtle differences between the two Waterthrushes and although we did not get pictures we are confident in the identification as other birders had them in the same spots and the ID had been confirmed. That left us at 199. What would bird 200 be?
The forecast was for south winds Monday night and Birdcast had predicted low migration so Tuesday morning we were up and in the park just after 6 for the 3km hike to the tip (the tram doesn’t start early runs until May 1) and met up with 2 birders to watch the skies and lake.
There had been no migration that we could see, no warblers, no thrushes, if birds had migrated they had blown right past the Tip which does happen. There were also no shorebirds out on the sand of the Tip which is also why birders head there. The temptation to look and leave is strong, but the rule at the Tip is you start every day there and you stay a few hours because good things can come by at any moment. Lake watching is very boring for hours and then super exciting for seconds so much of the time is spent talking with whoever else happens to be there. While scanning for birds we passed the time talking to Cameron and Keith about, well, birding and weather.
At 7:50 Jerry yelled out and all of us saw a flock of 58 American Avocets fly down the east side, land briefly on the tip and then take off over the west side. Our 200th bird was American Avocet! We were thrilled! We had picked the right day by coming early.
American Avocets
About 20 minutes later they made another pass, coming down the east side, stopping briefly (seconds) and then continuing on across the lake heading west. Now all we needed was a Willet. We waited another hour but nothing else appeared and so we headed into the woods to see if we could find some new birds. The woods were pretty quiet again but we did find a few pockets of birds and managed to add 1 more new bird, a Blue-headed Vireo before it started to rain. Four Avocets had been re-found a bit earlier by Max, who had missed them at the Tip earlier, so we headed to the spot hoping to get better pictures.
The wind was howling and the rain was coming at us sideways but we made it down the short path to see the birds and there in the pond with them was a Willet. It had been reported the day before but we did not have the right directions to look for it. We had both of our targets on the first full day!
Willet -this is not the picture he took in the rain – we went back the next day for this better picture.
I had booked the hotel for the week not knowing how long it might take for these birds to arrive and we had just got very lucky! It was nice after the bit of a mess last week. With the rain coming down quite hard we opted to celebrate getting our targets with the standard go to at Pelee – Freddy’s for perch!
Freddy’s Perch and Chowder – YUM!
Wednesday morning we once again were in the park by 6am and at the tip before 7. It was much colder with north winds and very little was happening. We did add Common Tern for bird 203 and then headed back to the visitor centre through the woods and added Common Yellowthroat as well. We decided to check out Hillman Marsh to see if there were any shorebirds but there was little around. We were hungry and chilled so headed for an early dinner of delicious Mexican food in Leamington and then decided to stop in Kopegaron Woods after dinner. It seemed full of bird calls and birds, more than we had seen at Pelee and we quickly added Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Blue, Eastern Wood Pewee and Swainson’s Thrush. Although we only heard the Pewee and Thrush we know that we will be seeing and hearing lots of them in the next weeks. We also heard Louisiana Waterthrush and hung around trying to find it so Jerry could get pictures. We added 7 new birds on Wednesday!
Gorgeous Black-throated Blue Warbler
Having got our targets and with north winds continuing until Friday we opted to head home Thursday and moved up returning to Pelee to Sunday. We stopped at a few places on the drive home and added Green Heron at Erieau Marsh Trail. Friday we headed down to the Trail Head in Glen Morris to see if the Cliff Swallows had returned and saw 5 of them with some already checking the nests from last year.
I haven’t said much about the Top 100 Birders but we have been in the top spot for quite a few weeks now. I don’t know if we will remain there. Migration can make or break things depending how the rarities fall and where. So, I’m taking the screen shot now so there is “proof” that at one point this year we were quite comfortably in the lead LOL.
We have been in the number one spot for a number of weeks but will we maintain it through spring migration?
There was Hype about the weekend forecast – 4 days of south and southwest winds with rain and some front coming up from Texas – I don’t understand much of it but the keen birders were getting pretty pumped that “something” was happening this weekend and it might be big, or epic, or so-so, LOL. The forecast is rain most of the day tomorrow after south winds and we will not be at Pelee.
Saturday the Discord dings started coming in mid morning not only from Pelee but from Rondeau and Long Point – Kentucky, Worm-eating, Chats, Henslow’s, a Snowy Egret near Chatham etc etc. It was excruciating to continue our caregiving chores knowing that great birds were 3 hours away. We finally left around 12:30 and headed to where the Snowy Egret was. A friend had it about 45 minutes before we arrived and no one was “on” the bird when we got there. The weather had gone from cloudy and cool to 25C and humid and I was overdressed. I paced the area back and forth, sweating and hoping for a sighting of the Egret through the branches but only saw Great Egrets. After 90 minutes we called it and headed to Pelee hoping to get at least one of the target birds that had been reported.
We arrived at Pelee 5:20pm and optimistically thinking we could see the Kentucky Warbler, bounce over to where a Yellow-breasted Chat was seen and then walk to the Tip for the Henslow’s Sparrow. Ahhh, the naivety!! LOL! Seven o’clock and we were still standing on the path where the Kentucky had last been seen, apparently minutes before we had got there because I had stopped to use the washroom! People told us it pops up every 10-15 minutes but it had been 90. Finally around 7:15 Jerry and Cameron saw it on the other side of the path we were all watching and then disappeared again. Ugggh I was trying to control my negativity – Jerry had a bird I didn’t – and a good one! We kept looking, other people had not seen it either, the tension was building and then it popped up, flew back across the road, we all raced to the spot and got good looks of it on a log. Yes! Stunning yellow and black! Jerry did not get a picture as it was too quick but perhaps we will have another encounter. And most importantly he went home with a happy wife! Whew!
I’m including Sunday on next weeks blog as this has gotten rather long and migration means long days and no time to write. Pelee to be continued…
So Week 17 ends with 19 rarities 216 species seen J&E
NOTE: Some of you might have noticed in my list of birds seen there was a question mark at #158. I can now add that this bird was a Varied Thrush we were invited up to Ottawa to hear because we are doing a Big Year. It was coming to a small yard for a number of weeks and the owners absolutely did not want birders coming to the home as there was no access to their yard. A very few birders were allowed to visit an area close by and hear the bird as it sang at dawn every morning. It will remain a Heard Only bird unless another shows up later.
The strategy has shifted a bit in the last week to trying to get as many common and early migrants as possible off the list before Pelee. I’m still not chasing common species but rather birding in local areas that I likely will see one myself. It’s a bit frustrating because it is just the beginning of migration so most birds are yet to come, but seeing hourly reports from hours away makes it tempting to drive and get it off the list. I’m resisting. We have ramped up our birding considerably and most outings we are walking 10-16km in a day. Unfortunately, that often only nets us one or two species. We also welcome some of the rain days so we can rest up a bit. Unlike the 20 somethings that go all out for their Big Years, us older folks need to consider our aging bodies and energy LOL. I spend quite a bit of time on my yoga mat willing my muscles to stretch so I can get up and do it again the next day.
On Monday we checked our local marsh again for Rails but heard nothing. Then we headed into Burlington/Hamilton to check various parks along the lake hoping to catch some early migrants with limited success. We only added a Gray Catbird, so called because it has a “meow” call.
Gray Catbird
There was a nice movement of Broad-wing Hawks through Hamilton later in the day but we had already headed to Jerry’s mom’s for dinner and missed them. Tuesday we headed down to Rondeau for the day with sun and warm temperatures in the forecast. We hiked far out the Marsh Trail and heard a Marsh Wren near the very end but did not see it tucked in the bullrushes. We will see lots of these in the next months and should be able to get a photo too. I got a text some American Golden Plovers were in a field in Erieau, 10 minutes away from Rondeau, so we headed there and along with another birder re-found the birds in the flooded field. That is a good bird to get as it is not always reliable at Pelee or later in the year. The views were not the best but Jerry managed a few record shots.
Here is the view we saw with the naked eyeHere is the scope or camera view
Wednesday was a bit of a rain day but we we headed out for a quick walk on the trail and watched 100 Tree Swallows feeding just on the top of the river in a steady wind. As they flew upstream into the wind inches above the water the bugs must have been blown into their mouths and then they would swoop up, fly downstream, and then fly upstream again just above the water. It was cool to watch and gave us a great view so that we could pick out the 2 Bank Swallows and the 1 Barn Swallow that were part of their group. In the evening we popped over to our local pond at dusk and heard a Virginia Rail calling with it’s kid-dik, kid-dik call. Listen to the call below…
Thursday we started our day back at the marsh hoping to get a pic of the Rail, we had it fly across the road and back but did not manage a picture. Then we headed into Hamilton for care-giving but stopped for a few hikes along the way. In a flooded field in Flamborough I spotted a Broad-winged Hawk flying over a field so we added another bird for the year. Friday we just checked some local marshes and then called it a day.
I wasn’t sure where we should head on Saturday, we had considered birding in Toronto, or visiting the Hawkwatch at Beamer for their 50th year celebration or we could head to Pelee and hope to re-find some Willets (rarity) that had been reported late Friday. For some reason I was stressed with the decision and feeling like whatever I chose would not be the “right” one. I have been pretty chill so far with the birding decisions made but the decision kept me awake Friday. Because both of us were awake at 4am we opted for Pelee.
It did not feel like a mild southerly climate!Wild West Winds at the Tip of Pelee
We didn’t find any Willets at any beaches or marshes so we went into the Park and enjoyed seeing small groups of migrant warblers making their way up the east side of the park. We added 2 common species and then I heard the Discord ding…Glossy Ibis, Orillia. I wanted to leave right then, Jerry wanted it confirmed. It was confirmed 40 minutes later and we were on the road from Pelee. UGH!, why had we not opted for Toronto? With still 2 hours till we arrived another DING!… it had flown. Now things got a bit heated in the car. What to do? In bumper to bumper traffic, will the bird be found or do we turn around? We were both tired and hungry and our ETA was 5:30. We opted to keep going, once you commit you have to follow it through, the bird could return, or be re-found. Ten minutes later it had been re-found! One hour to go! When we finally pulled up there was a birder, Rick, pulled over at the spot and we could easily see the bird from the road without bins (always the happiest when that happens). We spent about 30 minutes watching, taking pictures and video and just enjoying the dopamine buzz of GETTING THE BIRD!
A country road and a great bird!Glossy Ibis
We had started our day at 4:30am, drove 10 hours, hiked 8.6 kilometers and were back home at 8:30 with only 3 birds added. Not very efficient but the Glossy Ibis is a rare visitor from the south and you gotta do what you have to do. Of course, Sunday morning at 7:57 there was an American Avocet at the Pelee tip! Seems I am always a day early LOL! Not likely to stay in the park but I hope it heads to Hillman Marsh and sticks around a few days and some of its friends also show up as we will be at Pelee soon. At 1:45 a text came in from Barb to check the ‘Whats this Bird” in Discord. Pictures of a Yellowlegs that did not really look like a yellowlegs and could be a Eurasian rarity had been posted for help with the ID and where was this bird? back up in Simcoe County where we had just been yesterday for the Ibis! We got in the car at 2:30 and arrived at 4:30. Many birders were there with scopes trained on a field of grass with 200 Greater Yellowlegs looking for the one that looked paler and not patterned. Most of us did see that paler bird but it never got close enough for definitive looks to positively ID the bird. The thought was it could be a Common Greenshank, a huge rarity and a lifer for us but after 2 hours of scoping, pics taken, experts weighing in, the consensus was maybe just a Yellowlegs. If photos can be found from one of the birders that can change that opinion then at least we have seen it. So for the second night we arrived home late, tired and hungry and this time with no bird to show for it. It happens…
Week 16 1 rarity added 17 total rarities so far 8 birds added 196 for J&E
Reminder! Keep checking the 2024 Gallery as we are continually adding and updating pictures as Jerry takes better shots of birds we had in the winter and finally gets pics of birds he missed earlier.
With the eclipse on Monday we birded locally in the morning before heading to watch our grandkids so their mom could go to work. We did another drive past Paris Plains Church Road and saw and heard a Vesper Sparrow but no chance for a picture. Then we walked the TH&B Rail Trail off D’Aubigny Rd, one of our favourite spots in Brant County. We quickly added an Eastern Towhee that we heard and then after some effort, found singing away in the shrubs. We had super views of a local Peregrine Falcon cruising over us doing lazy circles and Jerry managed a few pics of it in flight.
Peregrine Falcon
The clouds moved aside so that we had great views of the eclipse with our grandkids and then after the sun came back out we headed to Safari Road Marsh in the evening to see if we could hear American Bittern and Common Gallinule that had been heard that morning. This marsh area along Safari Road near Valens has been flooding across the road for a few years now so the city blocks the section of road from traffic which, we the birders, absolutely LOVE! It used to be you took your lives into your hands to see the speciality marsh birds there when traffic was still allowed. Now it is a birders paradise to get the marsh species. We met up with Mourad, an excellent Hamilton birder, and we passed the time talking birds, waiting for dusk and listening for either of the species. And nothing! Maybe the eclipse messed their schedule but we ended up “dipping” (birder slang for missing a bird) on them. Just as it was getting dark a large number of swallows appeared and among them was a larger, all dark bird giving us our FOY (first of year) Purple Martin. Some consolation. All three of us also saw what we all believe was a River Otter in the marsh!
Tuesday morning we headed to Long Point. The forecast was sun and heat and with south winds during the night I felt it might be a decent day to pick up some early common migrants and hoping for some cool rarity. The Long Point Bird Observatory has been banding and studying birds since the 1960’s and is a spring ritual for most birders. At the Old Cut Research Station you can watch birds being banded. If you have not been, it is worth a trip, the station bands spring and fall from 9-12 each day.
Golden-crowned Kinglet in netCommon Grackle getting banded
We walked the paths and quickly saw birds that while not new for the year were giving Jerry the opportunity for pictures, numerous Eastern Towhees were scratching at the ground, Winter Wrens were moving low, Kinglets were flying past and we soon added Ruby-crowned Kinglet for the year. From Old Cut we checked out the nearby neighbourhood and saw our first Pine Warbler. Not in full breeding colours but a welcome sight anyway.
Pine Warbler
We then checked out the campground and saw numerous Thrush, Towhees and Sapsuckers offering us great views and photo opportunities. This Golden-crowned Kinglet was only interested in finding sustenance and ignored me walking beside.
A bit further along we found a FOY Brown Thrasher. Didn’t get great pictures as they can be a skulky bird but Jerry did get his eye!LOL
Brown ThrasherEastern Towhee
At the end of our walk we were standing in a campground when a tiny brown bird flew in front of me and behind Jerry just a foot off the ground. It was a Winter Wren, a bird we went weeks without seeing and had just heard on Sunday. At 4″ long and weighing only 0.3 oz these tiny birds have huge voices with a wonderful song. I managed a video (audio muted as we were talking) as it moved along and then it curled up on a branch for a bit of a rest. I suspect that it was exhausted from its flight across the lake as they generally are not that still around people.
Winter Wren
While we were birding a report came in that a Black-necked Stilt was at the Strathroy Sewage Lagoons. The Stilts are a southern species that are rare to Ontario but nested at the lagoons last year and had a successful brood. It was only 1.5 hrs away so we headed to get the rarity even though it and others perhaps will be there all summer. The rule for a Big Year is always get the bird as quickly as you can.
The wind was picking up when we arrived but Trish, a London birder, (thanks!) gave us quick directions where to go and we found the Stilt without too much difficulty. It is a bird that is difficult to mistake with its long bright pink legs! It was a distance away so not a great picture but a record shot at least. We also saw a Spotted Sandpiper (the first reported in Ontario) and then heard a Sora on the way out.
Black-necked StiltSpotted Sandpiper
Trying to be efficient as possible we decided to stop on the way home for pictures of a Great Horned Owl family that is nesting at a cemetery we were going past. Normally, we do not worry about getting pics of all the birds and especially bothering nesting birds but we are trying to get a pic of every bird seen this year so we stopped and spent all of 7 minutes at the site just before dusk.
Great Horned OwlGreat Horned Owlets
We arrived home at 7:10 and were eating dinner at 7:45 and in bed by 10. I was tired having only managed to sleep 4 hours the night before and suffering from acute allergies. But we were back up at 6am Wednesday to head to Safari Road determined to hear the Bittern. This time we also remembered our rubber boots so we could wade down the road. We heard and saw Common Gallinules right away and then walked back and forth until we heard the strange oong-KA-chunk sounds of the Bittern. Google that call – it is one of the weirder bird calls. With not many other species around and the temps hitting 20C we headed home to do a house chore – putting more Feather Friendly dots on the rest of our windows.
We live in a solar passive house with lots of southern windows and we have had our share of bird hits and deaths – in the early years we used those big decals with limited success but a few years ago we found out about the dots and we did all the major south windows that got the most bird hits. With the dots up not one bird has hit those windows. Last year Jerry drew lines of soap on the other windows and that worked reasonably well. Most hits come during migration time as it seems our resident birds have figured out the perimeter of the house. Last week we were devastated to have two birds chasing each other hit our bedroom window and both died. One was a Junco and the other was a Purple Finch that Jerry had just photographed. We ordered more dots the next day.
It’s a two person job on wide windowsAbout an hour to do this windowNo more bird deaths!Please consider these dots if you have windows that birds hit.
After completing the windows we headed out in the evening to our local marsh, Grass Lake to see if any rails had returned but all was quiet. This is the spot where Sandhill Cranes nest too. It will be a regular spot for us to check over the next few weeks to try and see and hear the marsh birds and it is only 5 minutes from our house.
Thursday was a rain day and gave me time to start on this blog, hence the length of this blog, lots of time on my hands!
Friday was another rainy, windy day and we were in Hamilton to watch our grandson play in his hockey championships so in between games we walked along the lake at Confederation Park and added Northern Rough-winged Swallow and then we HAD to stop at Hutch’s for fish and chips! Then we headed to Valley Inn and found a Great Egret had arrived before heading back to another hockey game.
Great Egret
Sunday morning, prime time to bird found us yet again at the hockey rink as Benson’s team played the final and won their Division Championship! Go Bulldogs!!! We then headed west to Backus Woods near Long Point. It is a new spot for us and hosts Louisiana Waterthrushes every year. A few have been reported in the last few days around Ontario so we took a chance that an early one might be visible or heard at their prime territory. NOPE! But it was a lovely hike through beautiful scenery and we now know where to go in the next weeks when they will surely arrive. We then checked out Long Point again to see if any new migrants had arrived but again dipped on adding any new bird. On the way home we stopped at Port Rowan Wetlands and saw 2 Bank Swallows, finally a new bird and a quick stop at Turkey Point gave us our FOY Dunlin so we managed to add two more birds in the last hour of our birding day. A good week for mid April! the 15th week and 15 birds added.
Week 15 1 new rarity for a total of 16 rarities 15 new species 188 species seen J&E
Monday, we headed to Niagara Falls to try for a Black-legged Kittiwake and make a concentrated effort for a Black Vulture. We have been in the Falls 3-4 times this year to visit friends and family so our time has always been limited to quick stops hoping to catch sight of one. The vulture that is most common in Ontario is the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture is a southern species that is very rare in Ontario. It just happens that a very small population reside in Niagara Falls New York and so any birder in Ontario who wants to add Black Vulture to their list heads to Niagara Falls Ontario and hopes to see the US birds in Canadian airspace or some count them for Ontario if they see them in the US but are standing in Ontario. Because this is a Big Year I wanted to make sure the birds themselves were in Canada.
We arrived at 8am and between scoping for the Kittiwake and looking for the Vulture the time passed. By noon I decided we had to stay the whole day and just keep trying different areas and trying back and forth for the two birds. We made 3 attempts for the Kittiwake, scoping about an hour each time and feel confident that we did not miss it. Basically, we were looking through 40 Bonapartes Gulls for one that looked identical but had a black collar on the neck. Not an easy thing to see with waves and wind but by late afternoon it was very calm and we still could not find a Gull with a black collar. We will have other chances for that bird in the fall and winter. While standing at the Queenston Heights overlook for vultures we had our first Osprey fly over but did not get a picture. Bird #168
Everyone knows the key places to see the vultures, at the Overlook and the Locust Picnic Area, but we were not having any luck so we stopped at a picnic area by the Lewiston Bridge and walked along the river as we had seen a few Turkey Vultures in the area. We saw 6 Turkey vultures on the cliffs of the river and then on the way back to the car I saw a smaller black vulture flying downriver with just the silver tips on the wings. We raced back along the path trying to keep up with it and get pictures. The bird was along the river and hard to determine if it was in Canada or the US. We decided to head back to Locust Grove Picnic Area as we know they roost there and see if it might have tucked in again. No vulture but I suggested we sit for a minute and check what other birds were around and it had warmed up. After sitting for a bit, as we got up to go, a man was moving quickly with a camera through the area and as we watched him a Black Vulture appeared in the picnic area – in Canada! Much excitement, the birder had seen it down where we had and was trying to get pics too. Jerry managed some more pics and suddenly a second Black Vulture appeared as well as another local birder who told us they have seen as many as 6-9 Black Vultures at a time. We were very happy to see two.
Black VultureTurkey Vulture
And then Tuesday to Saturday was a combination of bad weather, caregiving, spreading wood chips on our garden areas and some social time with our granddaughters and the family. Few new birds were arriving so I felt comfortable to wait it out knowing these are birds that I will eventually come across. Have you all heard that enough over the last 3-4 weeks? Are you all silently yelling at me, “Get out birding!”?
It cannot always be about birding!
Saturday after brunch with our kids we did a quick drive to Paris Plains Church Road to view the Lapland Longspurs that migrate through each year at this time. We added them to the list a while back but Jerry wanted to get better pics if he could and of the males in breeding colours. There were many birders on the road watching and the birds were not too far away giving nice scope views. Camera pictures were still a challenge as they blend into the corn fields extremely well.
Lapland Longspurs Males in breeding colours
Sunday was a gorgeous day with temps hitting into the high teens and we decided to do a birding blitz before dinner with his mom. We wanted to focus on areas where the birds that have arrived might be. Fields for sparrows, forest for Wrens and Towhees, water for Terns, Egrets and Herons. We started with another trip to Paris Plains Church Road (10 mins from home) for new sparrows and quickly heard a Savannah Sparrow, bird #170, near the spot we had been viewing Lapland Longspurs late Saturday. We searched for a Vesper Sparrow but came up empty again. We know they are there, reports have been coming in, so next time we are by hopefully we see it. We then headed to Dundas Conservation Area on the way to Hamilton and walked the 4km main loop trail that winds up and down the valley giving me 17 floors on my pedometer. It is a gorgeous, strenuous walk. We finally added Winter Wren! It was singing very loudly from some scrub near a stream but we could not see it. Wrens are tiny little birds with big voices and they blend extremely well with the branches they love to sit amongst. Hopefully we will catch up with another one so Jerry can get a picture.
Dundas Valley Conservation Area
After shedding some layers as the day warmed we headed to Windemere Basin, a water area known for Terns, Egrets and Herons but came up empty. Jerry did get some nice pics of the Tree Swallows that have just arrived and were already choosing nesting boxes.
Tree Swallow
Next stop was Princess Point where we walked around the water area and had a Caspian Tern fly past – Jerry got a quick pic and then we noticed some swallows and realized that one of them was not a Tree Swallow but a Barn Swallow with its forked tail and dark underbelly. Another new bird! We walked back into the forest around the Point to an area we often have seen Eastern Towhees but they have not arrived to that spot yet. All in all a pretty good blitz day, adding 4 more birds for a total of 6 for the week. Only two real days of birding, one at the beginning and one at the end – bookends.
Next week is a full on birding week, with local birding of marshes and wetlands, Long Point and maybe even Pelee or Rondeau or both near weeks end or weekend. Things are picking up nicely and we are going to be very busy…
