The days start to become a blur. It is a bit like the movie Groundhog Day, same thing repeated over and over – wake up way too early, head to the tip, disperse through the park, chase a few sightings, walk, scan, listen, walk, scan, listen, arrive back home just before dark tired and hungry, have to get food, blog, emails, photos done, fall into bed before 10 and repeat. Maybe that sounds like I am complaining and not having much fun but the reality is we love every minute of it! Amongst all that repetition are lots of conversations, laughter, anticipation, elation over seeing beautiful birds, witnessing unique bird behaviour, and walking through the gorgeous green of Pelee. It has been a fantastic two weeks and while you can see these birds all across southern Ontario as well, the magic of Pelee cannot be replicated.
Monday we had a stellar day and added six new species to the list! We heard and saw a Red-eyed Vireo in the morning. A Red Knot was found out on a sand spit outside the park. The picture is truly bad just because of the distance we had to view from. A scope view was better but only marginally. Just before our afternoon hike started we found and reported an Orange-crowned Warbler at the hike meet-up and minutes later a report of a Canada Warbler came in. It was being seen at the end of the parking lot so we rushed over and saw it quickly before heading back for our hike. We were happy to get our group of 12 on a number of warblers and other migrants. After the hike I was on desk duty in the visitor centre to answer any questions visitors have about birding. When I finished at 5 we headed back out to the Northwest beach area and added a Golden-winged Warbler that had been reported a bit earlier. After that we heard about a Black-billed Cuckoo further on the path so we continued on and ended up seeing two Black-billed Cuckoos.
Golden-winged Warbler (female)Black-billed Cuckoo
Tuesday morning it was raining as we made our way to the tip and just as we arrived it started to pour. We took shelter with all the other birders under the pavilion and then decided to head back down to the visitor centre where we took refuge inside hoping to wait out the storm. It didn’t stop and we finally declared a “cottage day” and headed out of the park. We made a quick stop at a flooded field just outside the park and scoped from inside the car to see Semipalmated Plovers to add another species. We worked on photos and the blog, had some tea and pastries and finally around 11 the rain slowed and we decided to head back out. We were driving some of the fields when a report of Whimbrels at Wheatley Harbour came in but by the time we got there they had flown off. We have plans to attend the Whimbrel Watch in Toronto at the end of May but if we get them now it is one less thing to do. A report from Keiran of Hooded Warbler guided us to Kopengaron Conservation Area where we heard it singing as soon as we got out of the car and then Jerry saw it in the undergrowth and I got on it as well. He managed a few pics and then it disappeared, as warblers do. We then headed back to Wheatley Harbour because an Iceland Gull was found by Kiah and this was a winter bird we had missed. It is an expected species in Ontario but more often in the winter months so it was nice to finally track one down.
A blurry Hooded WarblerIceland Gull
Wednesday was a lovely day weather wise and we finally shed our long underwear and extra layers and by afternoon were birding without jackets. The tip was quiet but there were lots of birds in the park. We walked up the West Beach path as it is prime time for Kirtland’s Warbler and that is a known area for them. If you recall last year we walked that path almost every day and this year has been no exception.There were many warblers in the junipers and they took time to ID as you would only get bits of their bodies showing. It is an exercise in knowing undertails of birds, side views and heads to figure out what you are seeing. We were both looking at the same area of undergrowth with logs and brambles and suddenly Jerry said “Mourning Warbler”. I saw a Gray Catbird and a Common Yellowthroat but no Mourning Warbler. He gave me some directions, I looked, and nothing! How do these warblers disappear so quickly? After a few minutes we gave up and left the park to meet up with our friends Dave and Julia, as they were passing by, and enjoyed a few hours catching up with them. I was ok with Jerry getting Mourning Warbler before me because I had Eastern-whip-poor-will and he did not and I also knew that I could get Mourning Warbler in many places on breeding grounds. The afternoon was quite hot but we still managed to find two new species, Philadelphia Vireo and Gray-cheeked Thrush. We went to the Marsh at dusk to try and see Common Nighthawks but none appeared in that area. We will see that species throughout our travels but I am trying to get what I can off the list now.
Gray-cheeked ThrushPhiladelphia Vireo
Thursday was another lovely morning and there was finally a bit of a reverse migration off the tip. This phenomenon happens with south winds where birds seem to backtrack and then come back north again and then often repeat this over and over. We had Eurasian Collared Dove reverse over and over and land in a tree for many to see. We already saw this bird in BC where they are more plentiful but it was a good Ontario bird to add. Pelicans also arrived and there were a number of shorebirds. We spent some time chatting with Noah, Logan, Tanner and their family about the 100 species challenge. These young birders are keen to get their 100 pins and see and learn all they can. It is wonderful to see kids starting so young and absorbing so much knowledge. Heading up from the tip we once again did the West Beach path and arrived at the 1/2 way tram stop right when a Yellow-billed Cuckoo had been found. It was low and in the open so we had great looks at this unique bird that I think few people realize live in our forests.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
The birding was shaping up to be one of those “100 species” day. I already had 45 on my list just at the tip so I thought I might try for a 100 in a day. After the park I was at 85 and headed to Hillman where I added 14 more putting me at 99. We then headed to Wheatley Harbour thinking about those Whimbrels. When we arrived there were many shorebirds on the beach and we quickly saw 2 Willets to make the 100 for the day. They were quickly flushed by a couple walking the beach. We waited a bit hoping they would return and then suddenly 12 Whimbrel arrived and the 2 Willets landed as well. A fantastic ending to a great day! Over 100 species and added 2 more species.
WhimbrelsWhimbrels in flightWilletDunlinSemipalmated PloverRuddy Turnstone
Friday was our last day at the tip and in the park as we planned to head home and stop at Rondeau on the way. The tip was again very quiet and yet migration had happened as there were many new birds in the park. We decided to not do the west beach path but head back to the Visitors Centre and do a loop of Tilden as we were leading an afternoon hike. Just inside Tilden’s we met up with Garth, Nancy and Barbara who had just seen a Common Nighthawk roosting. We had tried for this bird a couple of evenings so it was very nice to get a roosting one to add to the list. Part way through Tilden’s I got a report that a Worm-eating Warbler had just been seen back down the path a bit. It was not a “known” birder but it is always worth checking these reports out. We headed back down and it was being heard! Singing! Within minutes someone was on the bird, I saw it in the undergrowth and dead leaves, Jerry got on it and took pictures and then the hordes of birders descended. Worm-eating Warbler brings everybody out, it is that rare.
Then a Kentucky Warbler, also rare, started singing in the very same place! We already had Kentucky at the end of April but it was nice to get it again. The crowd continued to build and after a bit we left to give others space to hopefully see the bird. This Warbler does not breed in Ontario so they arrive because they have overshot their breeding grounds in the Mid-eastern States. It is also a warbler that spends a lot of time on the ground, under vegetation hunting for worms so it is usually difficult to find and see. It was one of the birds we missed last year.
Worm-eating Warbler (the highlight of Pelee)
By lunch time the temperature was 28C but we were leading the afternoon hike. Our strategy was to move from shady spot to shady spot and bird at each one and it seemed to pay off as we managed to get onto a number of interesting birds. I have really enjoyed leading the hikes and while I am not the most knowledgable of the guides I know I am enthusiastic and I try to impart some of the knowledge I do have to the newer birders.
Saturday we stopped at Rondeau on the way home for a few quick walks into areas we know often have flycatchers, which are the next species we need to finish on our Common Species List. We quickly found a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in the very same area we had one last year, but the Acadian Flycatcher we were also hoping to find, eluded us.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
To end the week I’ll share a couple of videos from Pelee. The warblers are tough to video as they move so fast but the Baltimore Orioles are a bit easier. We found this little Yellow Warbler working on her nest right beside the trail.
I’m closing week 20 off a day early to keep the Pelee weeks together. The two weeks at Pelee netted us 44 more species. I now only have 4 more #1 ranked Common Species to add and 13 of the #2 ranked birds in Ontario. For the moment we are equal in number of species but each of us have a bird the other does not have. We have two weeks left in Ontario to wrap up these last species and then we head west!
Migration happened! When we arrived at the tip at 6:30 Monday morning there were warblers in the trees and birders were pointing binoculars and cameras in every direction. Multiple Northern Parulas, Cape May, Black-throated, Chestnut, Blackburnian, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Palm Warblers and American Redstarts were everywhere you turned. It was lovely after a few days of rain and few birds but it was foggy and misty so the lighting was not great for pictures and most of us had to keep wiping glasses and lenses.
We stayed at the tip for a few hours and then twitched (chased) a Yellow-throated Warbler just outside the park and across from the cottage we are staying at. It was the 15th rarity (4th & 5th ranked birds on my list) and I need at least 20 of those ranked birds to hit the 400 if I get all the common species (1st, 2nd & 3rd ranked birds) so I was happy to add another that inches me closer to knowing I will make my goal.
Yellow-throated Warbler
We went back in the park and spent the rest of the day leisurely strolling the trails and for the most part seeing the same warbler species from the morning but better views and lighting made for some lovely encounters with these little colourful birds. We were hoping to catch up with one Golden-winged Warbler of the 3-4 reports that came in throughout the day but we never managed to be in the right place at the right time. We did manage to chat and catch up with many birders who we only see at Pelee, which is the second best thing about Pelee, the birds being first, of course. Late afternoon we decided to head back to the cottage for an early dinner when another Golden-winged report came in so we drove over to the trail and made another attempt along with about 10 other people but again came up empty. On the way out of the park we stopped for a Clay-coloured Sparrow that had eluded us on previous days and finally saw it to add another bird to the list.
Clay-coloured Sparrow
Just as we were about to leave once again for the cottage a Glossy Ibis (rarity) was found and off we went 10 minutes out of the park to twitch that bird. Many people arrived at the spot suggested on the post but no Ibis was seen. Texts were sent to verify the spot and then some cars drove off to check the other end of the road. No Ibis at that end.
A sure sign there is a rarity aroundBirders search for a Glossy Ibis
We decided to head to the cottage for food and hope the Ibis would show up at Hillman Marsh later. While we ate two more reports came in quickly followed by reports that it had also flown. We ate quickly and by then it was back at the original spot and we drove over and saw it with many other happy birders. A nice way to end the day. Rarity #16.
Glossy Ibis
Monday night just at dusk I changed into pyjamas saying “I guess its safe that nothing else is happening” and all three of us started working on blogs and photos. Discord notifications at this time of night are generally more chatter and less sightings but I looked at the notification immediately and saw Chuck-will’s-widow near the tip. Jude was off the couch and heading to the door in seconds. This is a rarity to Ontario that has been non-existent here the last few years. We did not follow Jude out. He had a bike. We would have had to do a 4 km walk there and back with no tram running after 8pm. A thunderstorm complete with crazy lightning started about 30 minutes later. Jude got back very wet but elated that he had heard and seen the bird flying around. The bird is from the Nightjar family and spends the day roosting on branches and then, like owls, flies at dusk and through the night catching insects and moths in their huge mouths.
Tuesday morning we were once again at the tip with even more fog and fewer birds. Early birders had heard the CWWI (birder code for the Chuck-will’s-widow) singing again at dawn and had watched it fly into the trees and disappear. Many people scanned logs and branches in the area, some even using thermal imagers to find heat but the bird was not found during the day. We met up with Angela and Michael from Hamilton and birded with them for the morning. More warblers were high up in the trees so the views were not great but we had a few at eye level. Most of the morning was spent laughing as Michael loves to deliver zinger after zinger generally in my direction. We always have a good time with them. At noon I went into the visitor centre to use the washroom and came out with two extra hikes to lead! The Friends of Point Pelee who organize and run the Festival of Birds offer hikes for novice birders and for some reason our names were suggested as potential leaders. So we will lead our first hike at Pelee tomorrow afternoon.
We left the park to have lunch with another group that is leading a hike up in Carden that we have volunteered to help with too. I believe in giving back and we had so many birders help us when we started I want to pay that forward a bit by sharing our scant knowledge and enthusiasm with newer birders. In the afternoon we had a lovely encounter with a Scarlet Tanager.
Scarlet Tanager
At dusk we met up with other birders and went back into the park to try and see the Chuck-will’s-widow. We took the final tram down to the tip and then waited patiently with about 30 birders by the spot it was last seen in the morning. The atmosphere was nervous expectation as we strategized about whether it would show or would our noise or mere presence keep the bird from appearing.
As the sun set the group got quieter and phones and camera were readied to record anything. It had started singing at 8:40 the night before and that time passed. And then at 8:50 the bird flew from the north east side of where we had thought it would be, zooming over a birder’s head and then landed directly in front of us just a foot or two from the forest floor and just a short distance off the road. There was an audible gasp from the group and then we surged forward till we were shoulder to shoulder to enable everyone to see the bird. I helped a few people get to a better spot to view it and the cameras clicked away in the dark. The bird then flew up and around, landed back in the same area, flew around a few more times and then landed out of sight.
Chuck-will’s-widow
Just after seeing the CWWI a number of us heard an Eastern Whip-poor-will singing further down the road but Jerry missed hearing it. We will hear and see this bird up in Rainy River but for the moment it is on my list and not Jerry’s.
Wednesday was quieter with less birds to see and we had to lead a hike in the afternoon so only added one species, the Prothonotary Warbler. Thursday a large number of birds arrived even though the winds had been from the north. A heavy rain storm early at the tip put a damper on people seeing the warblers there but the birds moved into the park and we were seeing larger numbers of warblers, thrushes and flycatchers. Jerry fell on his knee at the tip and while he said it felt fine it swelled up enough to be uncomfortable by lunch and so we opted to spend some time back at the cottage icing it. We then went out and drove the fields in the afternoon and then went back into the park and drove into each picnic area and got out and birded a short distance and then back to the car. We managed to see 45 species in that short time and lots of warblers at eye or ground level. It was a fantastic time and we managed to add 3 more species despite the down-time.
Tennessee WarblerBlack-throated Blue WarblerBlackburnian WarblerChestnut-sided WarblerBay-breasted WarblerGreat Crested FlycatcherYellow Warbler
Friday it appeared many of the birds had fed on Thursday and left the park during the night. We were back to lots of walking with nothing much to show for it. We opted to leave the park and drive to some of the shorebird spots and got our first Black Terns of the season. We also went back into the park at night hoping to hear a Whip-poor-will so Jerry could add it and we would be even in species again but we did not hear one. It is crazy to me that we are in the peak weeks of migration and we are only managing to add one to two birds a day. Granted, I have a lot of birds already and we are down to needing only 18 more of the common species and a few more of the 2nd ranked birds. Some we will be more likely to get in the fall but the ones we still need just are not showing up in large numbers yet. And so we wait…we walk the park, we talk and commiserate with other birders and we wait. Saturday was the warmest day yet and also the busiest in the park with weekend birders arriving for what is traditionally the peak of migration. Many of the “hard-core” birders find other places to bird after they visit the tip as the paths and trails are packed and people are excited about the usual birds we have already seen many times.
We walked a bit in the morning and helped people identify what they were seeing and then we opted to head to Holiday Beach for a quieter birding experience. We had three Prothonotary Warblers together in a slough and Jerry had fun photographing them. I’ve added some other great pictures from Pelee in the gallery.
Prothonotary WarblerOrchard OrioleBaltimore OrioleOrchard Oriole FemaleBlack-throated Green Warbler
Sunday was Mother’s Day and the park is usually even busier so we opted to stay at the cottage and have a day of rest and catch up with photos, blog and a bit of housekeeping. We said that we would not bird at all but by 9:15 we were in the backyard of the cottage listing 18 species of birds including 4 warbler species. In the afternoon we headed to Hillman and stayed for a few hours as more bird species continued to be found. We added 2 more sandpipers to our list and spent some time letting other birders see things through our scopes.
Every year Point Pelee National Park runs the 100 Species Challenge. If you see 100 species in the Point Pelee area during your stay in May you get a pin with a different bird on it each year. I’ve collected a few of them and generally try to do the 100 species in a day but this year I opted to just get 100 over a number of days. Many of the people coming to Hillman are a few birds away from their goal of 100 so we had some fun finding ducks and shorebirds for them to add to their lists to get them to 100.
We started the day at the tip of Pelee National Park just after sunrise. Despite south winds overnight there did not appear to be any influx of birds. We stayed for a bit witnessing some reverse migration and added a few birds to the year list. I got a report that an American Bittern was in a tree behind the washroom so we walked over to view it and got some nice pictures.
American Bittern
We then heard about an Olive-sided Flycatcher up at Sparrow Field so we walked up the road to that area but the bird was not being seen. We met up with the Hunters, birders from England that come to Pelee most years and chatted with them until Barb, Garth and Nancy arrived and it became quite social for a bit. We saw our first Baltimore Oriole of the year while we were standing there and then decided to take the interior path back up through Sparrow Field. As soon as I turned on the path I saw a bird in the very top of a tree and just knew it would be the Olive-sided. A quick look with bins and then I shouted out to the people on the road. Everyone was happy to see this very early Flycatcher.
Olive-sided Flycatcher
With things being quieter in the park we opted to leave around 11 and visit another favourite spot, Kopegaron Woods. It was noisy with bird song but not with any new species. Around noon a report of a Ruff up in Alliston came through on Discord and while I would love another chance at a Ruff (we missed that one by minutes in BC) I just could not leave Pelee and drive the 4 hours for it. We stopped for an early dinner at Freddies for delicious perch and that perked us up enough to go back to Pelee for another round of Tilden Woods where we managed to find our first Ovenbird (namesake of my blog) of the year and maybe Jerry’s best pic of one yet.
With lots of light left we opted to head over to Hillman Marsh and see about adding some new shorebirds and we were lucky enough to have Jean Iron, renowned shorebird expert, arrive just as we did. With Jean’s assistance we managed to add American Pipit, and a Least Sandpiper that I found but Jean confirmed. We managed to add 6 birds for the day and while not fantastic for spring it was a pretty good day.
Monday night Birdcast had predicted strong migration through the US and so Tuesday we were back at the Tip. There was more reverse migration than yesterday and it was clear there were more birds in the park as we started to see species along the beach in the shrubs. It was a great birding day where we added 10 more species and had the chance to get views of other species we had just had glimpses of.
Great-crested FlycatcherRed-headed WoodpeckerGray CatbirdSedge WrenScarlet TanagerVeeryBlack-throated Green Warbler
We were due to head home so decided to leave Pelee and head to Rondeau where there were a few rarities including a sighting of another Yellow-throated Warbler. They seem to be everywhere except where I am! When we got into our car it would not start and we had an error message that our battery was dead. We had stupidly charged our phones while we ate lunch. We have CAA but there is literally no cell service at the Pelee Visitor Center. I went in to talk to staff and they kindly gave us a small self boost thing which we tried but with no instructions we were not sure if we were powering it or not. Anyway, the other staff member was Cam, who helped me out last year many times at the Tip with bird ID’s and where and when to find things, he offered to get another booster from his car which was a bit bigger and it did the job of getting us started. By this time an hour had passed and we just decided to head home. We will be purchasing one of those self boosters to have with us from now on.
Wednesday we had the Lions Bottle Drive and our house is the sorting centre so we spent the morning crushing 1,500 beer cans and sorting hundreds of wine and liquor bottles. We make around $250-300 each drive and hold 2-3 a year. Then another oil change was on the agenda, with all the kilometers it seems like we change the oil every few months. While that was happening a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher from the deep south was found on the Toronto Islands. I started doing the calculations and looking at ferry schedules but it was apparent that we would be battling rush hour traffic and it would be late to arrive there so we thought we might do it Thursday. Instead we headed down to Long Point after a Summer Tanager that had been hanging in someone’s yard all day. It only took us about 10 minutes of chatting with the owner before the bird once again arrived. Bob is not a birder and at first thought the all red bird was a Cardinal but realized after taking pictures that it was different. He put out (some oranges and the bird kept returning. While we did not get stunning close views, we managed to see the bird very well until it was chased into the trees by a Cardinal. We took a walk at the banding station and saw our first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds of the year and then added a Black-throated Blue Warbler that was foraging high in the trees. I had not expected to add any birds with the items on our calendar but 3 new birds anyway.
Summer TanagerRuby-throated Hummingbird
Our hopes of going for the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher were dashed by a sick grandson who we needed to watch on Thursday and so we spent the day packing for our return to Pelee on Saturday hoping we could get to Toronto on Friday if the bird remained. And then, a crazy afternoon happened – a Painted Bunting was found on Pelee Island, another ferry ride needed to that bird, shortly after, ANOTHER Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Pelee on the Tip!!! UGGGGGH , how I wish I was still there! Then a Franklin’s Gull on the Tip! The storms and winds had definitely brought rarities to Ontario. A Little Blue Heron and White-winged Dove showed up in Thunder Bay. All of these birds are usually in the southern US. While I would love to chase them all and they would be great birds to have on the list if I am going for 400 I do not need to chase every rarity. Jude was busy trying to stay ahead of everything and chase everything, as I was last year. I had the plans set for the Flycatcher and then a report came in that 8 birders had just witnessed it being caught and eaten by a Cooper’s Hawk! Poor bird. And sadly, just like that I didn’t need to get up at 4 to be in Toronto by 6.
Friday we had some errands, and needed to see Babi but we took a few hours in Burlington birding some local hotspots hoping for warblers but there were few around. If I had given it more thought I would have contacted the cottage owner for Pelee and seen about adding a night and gone early so we could have strolled up the beach and viewed the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Pelee but my personality is such that I often cannot imagine deviating from the “Plan”. Anyway, I didn’t and so we focused on getting ready for the trip and then went out in the evening to Safari Marsh and saw our first Sora of the year.
Sora
Storms came in Friday night so when we arrived at the beach at Pelee it was windy and rainy and really not ideal for a southern flycatcher to be flitting about catching insects. Hurricane winds came to mind as I struggled down the beach in thick wet sand. So, no Flycatcher. Instead we focused our sights on exploring some of the birds out and about at Pelee despite the drizzly rain most of the day and managed to add 8 more species to our list. The most excitement was a report of a Worm-eating Warbler at Rondeau only an hour away, but we know how difficult they are to re-find so we opted not to go for it.
With more rain in the forecast for Sunday we decided to head to Rondeau for the day as it is better for getting off trails to your car than at Pelee where you can often be 30 minutes or more from your car. We slept in till almost 6 LOL and then stopped at Blenheim Sewage Lagoons to see a Wilson’s Phalarope in beautiful breeding plumage but as we got inside the gates a report came in that the Worm-eating Warbler had been re-found so we opted to head there as we were only 15 minutes away. It would be a lovely bird to add to our list as we missed seeing it last year. There were many birders on the trail and so no shortage of eyes looking enabling us to look at other warblers around and add birds to our list. After a couple of hours we were behind a couple who stopped to look at something and Jerry and I saw movement in the underbrush but could not identify a bird. I asked her what she had seen and she said Worm-eating Warbler! I thought she was joking! But we looked into the area where the “bird” had gone and Jerry thought he saw something with the right colouring, I saw something as well that could have been but unfortunately nothing definitive. It might be the bird that got away, who knows…we passed the info to Jude who arrived minutes later but the bird was not seen again. We ate a leisurely lunch in our car and then the most amazing news arrived! Another, the third, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was found at Long-Point! Another chance, how could that even be possible that we would get a third chance at this species. It was 2 hours away, we immediately started driving. As we drove, a report that a Prairie Warbler was at the same place. Double bonus!
When we arrived and got out to the beach where the Flycatcher was being seen there was only one birder to tell us it had not been seen for about 30 minutes. Ahhh, the highs and lows of birding, excitement on the drive, disappointment it might be gone. We scanned the trees, more birders arrived, and suddenly Jax, way down the beach started waving and running towards us pointing to the trees, we all started sprinting (in my mind) but it was more like a slow plodding because of the deep sand. He went up into the dunes, some of us followed, the bird flew out, we ran down the dunes. It would have made a very funny video watching all of us birders with binoculars and cameras, coats flapping, hats askew, all trying to chase this very fast bird. Finally, it perched. We managed to stop gasping enough to take pictures and enjoy seeing this beautiful bird. And then it was off again and we headed to see the Prairie Warbler that was just a minute away. We heard it before we saw it and that led us to the shrub it was in. Woo-hoo! two great birds at once.
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherPrairie Warbler
Totally worth the 5 hours in the car, because now we had a 3 hour drive back to Pelee. We stopped at Blenheim again on our way home where we had started our day and saw the beautiful Wilson’s Phalarope. We took some pics and drove the final hour.
Wilson’s Phalarope
We picked up pizza and just got in the door of the cottage, ate 2 slices and a report came in of a Snowy Egret only 40 minutes away. It was pouring rain, but a Snowy Egret is a good rarity to have. I drove as Jerry had driven the last leg and just as we got close he realized that he did not have his camera! Agggh, we were in such a hurry to leave he had not grabbed it. The Egret was off a bridge on a roadway so there was limited space to park but we pulled over, jumped out, saw the Egret, took some pics with my Iphone and then hopped back in the car in 4 minutes. One of our faster twitches and while I would have loved to stay and enjoy the bird the reality was it was pouring, the bird was hunkered down, I was hungry and tired. We headed back to warm up the pizza and to write this post.
Jude Szabo’s picture of the Snowy EgretGreat ending to a looong day!
Whew! what a week and we have just been at Pelee for two days! It already feels like a month!
Monday we were out birding locally and then heading to Hamilton to meet with our tenants. After our usual checks at Grass Lake and Paris Plains Road we stopped into Pinehurst CA. We had not been in this year and it is often very good for spring birding. While Jerry was taking a picture of a migrating Common Loon I saw a tern heading across the lake. I yelled to Jerry to take pictures as I knew that we do not often get small terns in Brant County. I got my bins on it and watched it for all of 10-15 seconds until it was out of sight. We discussed what tern we thought it was. We had two choices, Common or Forster’s. We had just added Forster’s on Friday and Common do not show up for another week or so. Based on what we had seen and the date we put it in our ebird report as Forster’s Tern and how we entered it on Discord in the Brant chat. Within minutes I had some texts about it being a great bird and a first for the County. Wow, that would be fantastic if we had seen the first record for the county. But now I was a bit worried. Forster’s and Common are difficult to tell apart at the best of time and I am not proficient but I do have some knowledge of the two species. I felt it was Forster’s but would the pics Jerry took be able to confirm it? By this time we needed to be heading into Hamilton and we had decided to stop and try for a Loggerhead Shrike that had been found the night before. This is a species we will get out west quite easily but it would be a new bird for our Hamilton Study Area Life List. So we went. There were lots of birders and the bird had been seen but not currently and when it was seen it was quite a ways back. We scoped for a bit and socialized with the other birders all lined up along the road but the bird did not reappear. We opted to leave for a bit and drove down to Grimsby Wetlands and walked around there for a bit. No new species. We went back up as the Shrike had been seen again but when we arrived it had only been seen by one person for seconds. We talked to some different birders and then had to meet with our tenants.
Tuesday we were both awake at 5am and out birding before 8. We took the usual local route and then headed to the Paris Stormpond. We both quickly saw Northern Rough-winged Swallows mixed in with the Tree Swallows fighting the wind. We knew these birds were with the swallows the other day but did not manage to see them. Now they are added to our year list.
A report came in of a rare Neotropic Cormorant in Toronto at Tommy Thompson Park and one that we really need to have on our list. We discussed it briefly and decided that we would go for it in the morning thinking it would more likely be sitting rather than off feeding. We birded Brant Park for a short bit, walking 5km before rains forced us to our car but managed to add our first Pine Warbler of the year and I finally saw a Hairy Woodpecker in Brant County to bring me even with Jerry again in our County lists.
We headed home for some lunch and then decided to head to Toronto for the Cormorant rather than wait till the morning. We got there by 2:30 and started the trek in. This is the park we went to in the winter for the King Eider and it is a 4 km walk in to where the bird was. The Neotropic was also at the 4km spot. Jean Iron had posted just before we arrived that is was still being seen so once we got to the area I gave her a call to get better directions and she guided us to a spot where we could see the bird. Whew! we had our rarity. We spent some time scoping, watching, chatting and taking pictures of the bird that was content to sit and sit.
Neotropic Cormorant
Back in the winter, if you remember, we tried for the King Eider twice and vowed not to try again. The Eider was still there! We added an Eider from Stoney Creek to our year list but have a horrible picture that shows no detail so we thought, “we are here, might as well try to get a pic”. The thing was the last location was 2 km further into the park and off the main pathway but we were elated after getting the cormorant so off we went. The wind was picking up and once we turned off the main path and got close to the lake it was very chilly, reminiscent of the January treks we had made. Well maybe not THAT cold! We scoped the area it had been seen yesterday and ….nothing! Uggggh! We started walking back and checked in at all the embankments on the way back down. Nothing! The King Eider once again beat us and we came away without a picture. We did find an early Cliff Swallow though for our 4th new bird of the day so that helped the sting of the Eider no show. With our walk that morning and the hike in and out at TommyThompson we managed to clock 19.3 km, 26,000 steps for the day. A Pelee kind of day. We arrived home at 8:15, with sore legs and feet. A looong day but totally satisfying.
Wednesday was Jerry’s 68th birthday and his present was a beautiful Brown Thrasher at our feeders! I pull out all the stops for his gifts I tell ya!
Brown Thrasher ( Jerry’s Birthday Bird!)
We took some pictures and video and then headed towards Hamilton to do a few more things at the condo. We stopped on the way to see if we could hear a Louisiana Waterthrush that had been reported in Dundas. This species is present in small numbers in Dundas Conservation Area and returns to the same area most years. We have seen it a few times but mostly you just hear their song. We walked the trail a bit but with limited time we had to move on without hearing it.
Thursday we had yoga in the morning and then headed back to Hamilton because the keys we picked up for the Condo yesterday did not work so we had to have them redone and picked up before the holiday weekend. We are so close to finishing with the condo and will be moving the last couple of things on Friday and handing keys to our tenants. Just in time for the onslaught of spring birding…we hope! On the way home we stopped again for the Louisiana Waterthrush but still did not hear the bird singing. It was finally warm and sunny and we had a lovely walk through the ravines.
Friday morning we were up early and out of the house before 6:30am. Our destination was Safari Road and an area that has marshland on both sides of the road. In years past, birders had to cautiously walk a narrow edge along the road to hear and see birds in the marsh but a few years back something changed in the lay of the land and now every year the road floods completely and has to be closed through the spring. It has become a birder’s paradise! With rubber boots of course.
As soon as we stepped out of the car we heard the oong-KA-chunk of an American Bittern and it continued for much of the time we were there. We also added Common Gallinule and a Marsh Wren. The Wren became our 200th bird species so we are half-way to our goal of 400! Exciting times people! Unfortunately, all those were heard only birds so pictures will have to wait. We had the last moving of furniture to and from the condo and then happily handed over keys to our tenants around 4 and with an hour or so before a dinner at Craig and Sue’s we headed up the escarpment to 8th road in Saltfleet where we added Pectoral Sandpiper and some Dunlin for the Ontario list.
Saturday and Sunday morning were social days and we sadly watched as Yellow-throated Warbler showed up in Durham, a Kentucky Warbler at Pelee, a Glossy Ibis in Grimsby, a possible Laughing Gull that was later determined to be Franklin’s in Ottawa. Ugggggh, but I’m being zen and chill about it. I learned last year that there are usually multiple chances at most rarities and its all playing the odds. There will be more Glossy, we don’t need the Franklin’s, the Yellow-throated Warbler would be the one to chase and that is the plan for Sunday afternoon if it is refound.
Sunday Jerry took some friends of Babi’s to see her and have lunch so I walked the rail trail and some friends property on my own. I had hoped to see a Broad-winged Hawk migrating over or a Towhee but I just got lots of great views of the species I have already seen. I tested myself on bird song with Merlin and was happy that I am getting almost every one now. Next week we have to start testing ourselves on warbler songs. I also spent some time trying to get video and pictures of Ruby-crowned Kinglets who are notorious for being quick.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (a photo by Ellen!)
Jerry picked me up after lunch with plans to head for the Yellow-throated Warbler but it had not been seen since early morning and traffic was backed up so we opted to head to Niagara in hopes of getting our Black Vulture for the year. On the way to Niagara I saw a large kettle of Broad-winged Hawks off of Burlington Street and Jerry managed to pull off and jump out to see them as well. Another bird for the year and our last Ontario hawk needed.
We have tried twice before for Black Vulture on visits down for other things but this time we were going to spend all our time at Locust Grove which is where most sightings are.Two and a half hours, warm weather, blue sky, and 9 Turkey Vultures flying around but not one Black Vulture! Have I not been putting out enough good birding Karma? Sheesh! On the way home we decided to stop in at Grimsby Wetlands, we were going right by it, and see if we could pick up anything else and hoping the Glossy Ibis from yesterday would drop in again. No joy there, although Jerry managed to get some nice pictures of a Common Gallinule showing it’s lovely huge green feet!
As per usual Sunday night at 9:17 a report came in that a Crested Caracara, a non-migrating vagrant (rarity) from Texas had been photographed near Amherstburg just at 6pm. We had already decided that we could not drive the car any distance and had booked a rental to pick up at 8 when we dropped our car to the dealer. It was not ideal as you usually want to be at a rarity first thing in the morning, but hawks often roost until it warms a bit so we figured it would give people a chance to refind it and hopefully it would be sticking around a bit. At 7 the bird was found not far from where it was photographed and 2 young birders were very happy! Jude who arrived a few minutes later, was not, as the bird had flown. A while later it was refound again, but by the time birders got to it, it had flown again. We were still driving at this time but there were a lot of birders there, driving roads and searching, slowing down, making u-turns. The locals were starting to complain on local FB pages. The bird was “seen” again at another spot and this went on until we arrived just at 11 with another “sighting ” that turned out to be an Osprey. People were pretty discouraged, a few lucky people had it fly over them but each report was a flyover and the bird did not seem to land and sit. We finally opted to head into the Conservation Area where it had been last seen sort of heading that way and added some birds to our year list while hoping it would be found nearby.
American White PelicanCaspian Tern
We met up with some local birders and photographers Noel and Mel and they offered us a tour of Holiday Beach CA since we had never been! I know, long overdue for us to hit this fantastic hotspot for migrating birds. Along the way we picked up Robert and Trish and so we had a lovely walk and some social time talking about our favourite subject – birds! I have said before that the best part of this hobby is the people you meet and I totally forgot to be bummed out at not getting to see the Caracara because of the company. We had seen this species many times in Texas but it would be a nice one to get for Ontario and for this year.
We stuck around into the mid afternoon and with no new reports and not seeing it as we once again circled the area we opted to cut our losses and headed to Pelee NP for a quick walk. It was raining/snowing as we drove but cleared up just as we got to the Visitor’s Center. We did a quick walk through Tilden’s hoping to see an early Louisiana Waterthrush but no joy. We were pretty hungry by this time having done our usual “bird diet” of not eating anything all day so we stopped for quick fast food before heading home. The food perked us up enough that we decided to stop at Erieau to see if we could scare up Lapland Longspurs that had been reported earlier and a Yellow-headed Blackbird as well. It was close to 6pm by this time and while it was still light out it was cold and really windy. No joy for either species. We did see a Wilson’s Snipe for a nice close-up photo though. Picture is further down.
Tuesday we were up and out the door by 8:30 doing the usual drive around the corn fields for our 7-8 attempt at Lapland Longspurs. We stopped at the side of the road when we saw a Vesper Sparrow and rolled down the window for better looks and suddenly a familiar song came in loud and clear. It was a Lapland Longspur. We confirmed the song with our Ibird Pro app and then started scanning with our binoculars. The birds are brown, the corn husks are brown, the ground is brown. When you are scanning you hope for movement but it was super windy so all kinds of leaves were blowing around making us think it was birds flying. Jerry got out thinking to scope but it was feeling like -16 with the wind and the gusts made it impossible to scope well. We drove down the road and then back again hoping we might see a flight or at least hear them again but after the initial song there was radio silence. Still we had it for the list as a heard only (HO) but hope to still see them in the next week.
Wednesday morning we returned the rental and picked up our car. They found a wire that was kinked and nearly broken off that was causing the problems. A mere $500 for two repairs and a rental LOL! We drove the roads for Laplands, hoping to see at least one this trip but there was very little activity and we didn’t hear or see any. It has continued to be windy and very cold. After a visit to Babi and on our way to Hamilton to meet with our new tenants a report came in from Chatham that the Caracara had been seen! We had a quick discussion while we continued in the wrong direction and opted not to go for it. We would not get there until after 4 and if we had to search it would not give us much time before dark. We figured if it stayed in the area and people knew where it was at dark we could try for it first light Thursday morning. Unfortunately, the bird remained for only about 45 mins and then it flew off again and despite people driving after it, it was lost from sight. It is not easy to chase birds like this unless they may be staying at landfills or sources of food, otherwise they are on the move a lot. The good news is that it is still in Ontario and we know it will not cross the open lake so if it continues its flight along the shore perhaps next stop will be Long Point.
Thursday was back to more of a winter/spring mix of snow/rain throughout the day so we opted to use the time to catch up on household chores.
Friday we started with the Laplands again with no joy but did hear our first of the year Swamp Sparrow at Grass Lake. Then we headed down to Long Point to at least be in the area if the Caracara was refound. We scanned fields ourselves just in case it would materialize for us! We stopped in at Turkey Point and added Forster’s Terns to our list and then headed to Long Point. One of our favourite walks is through the old campground off the main road. In spring it can be full of newly arrived migrants. We quickly heard many Golden-crowned Kinglets and saw Eastern Phoebes and a Hermit Thrush. As we were following the Thrush and Jerry was trying to get a picture something else caught his eye – an American Woodcock! snuggled into the leaf litter. It was so close I could take a pic and video with my iphone. We seldom get to see these birds except when they are doing their dizzying displays at dusk. We stopped at a few more of the regular spots at Long Point but did not get anything else new.
Wilson’s SnipeAmerican Woodcock
My fav birds of early spring. Two similar looking birds with cool flight displays and noises. If you want a laugh google “American Woodcock or Timberdoodle walking”.
Saturday we did a local walk but did not add anything new to the year. Its a frustrating time of the year because I get hourly reports of new birds being seen across the province but they are not in significant quantity that I can expect to run across them. And as per last year, I am not chasing common species just to add them a few days earlier. I have to be patient and wait until the numbers increase and the birds are at more hotspots. Easier said then done but I am way more “zen” than I was last year.
Sunday was a family day and Babi joined us for dinner. We don’t celebrate individual birthdays for us, our kids and their partners anymore. Instead we have a guys celebration in the spring ( their birthdays are Feb/March/April) and the girls in late summer (ours are Aug/Sept). I expected that a rarity would no doubt appear but no reports came in other than Brett had 100 Laplands over at Paris Plains Church Road. I left the onions I was in the middle of chopping and we quickly drove over and within 5-10 minutes we had a group of about 20 fly over us. Not good enough for a picture but we have at least seen them now. Warmer temperatures and some south winds coming so things should pick up significantly this next week. And where is that Crested Caracara? Might it show up again?
