POINT PELEE JANUARY 25, 2008 Today was the first day in almost two weeks that I was able to get out birding. It was very cold and a bit windy, but the sun was very bright. I decided to check out some wintering birds at Point Pelee. There are large numbers of Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Purple Finches and White-throated Sparrows in various spots of the park.
My walking was limited due to the cold and my recent illness, but I checked out the Redbud Trail south of the visitor centre first. A large number of robins and waxwings were there feeding on the various berries.
A couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers were around as well, but they are quite regular there in winter. I also saw a few Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Northern Flicker.
A couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers were around as well, but they are quite regular there in winter. I also saw a few Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Northern Flicker.Back at the parking lot, a couple of more Yellow-rumped Warblers were flitting around.
I then headed over to Shuster Trail where I had heard that many Purple Finches and White-throated Sparrows were hanging out. I was not disappointed. Probably twenty Purples were around--the most I had seen in one spot in mid winter. Lots of White-throated Sparrows were in the underbrush, and some of them were even singing partial songs! I cannot say that I have heard a White-throated Sparrow singing in January before.
Quite a few robins and waxwings were here as well, plus a couple of Hermit Thrushes and a couple more Yellow-rumped. A Carolina Wren was also added to the mix.
I noticed an abundant supply of dogwood berries and other treats along this trail. No wonder these birds were hanging around there!
On the way out of the park, I drove slowly as there were still lots of waxwings and robins along the road.
Outside the park I saw three or four Sharp-shinned Hawks and a possible Cooper's. Also an adult Bald Eagle was perched in a tree at one point not too far north of the park.
Despite the cold, it was a beautiful day to be out with the bright sunshine. I managed a few distant photos of the Cedar Waxwings, Hermit Thrushes, and Purple Finches.
I've never seen that many Purple Finches in one location before! What was the ratio of males to females?
ReplyDeleteJeremy, I'm glad you mentioned the Purple Finches. I meant to add to my post that all the birds I looked at were females. I thought that was odd! They were spread over a large area, so there could have been some males, but certainly females were dominant by a longshot.
ReplyDelete