Crossbills on the Move

The sun always rises at Rondeau!

It was a very nice day weatherwise, with practically no wind. I checked out Rondeau Park this morning. There were not many birds around, but the highlight was the fact that White-winged Crossbills were flying through. This is an excellent species to get on your Rondeau list, as they usually only appear every few years. I think I have only had them three times before in the over twenty years I have been birding there.

I could hear them coming with their distinctive flight calls. The first group I did not see, as they were very high and a bit ahead of me, but their calls gave them away. Later on near the start of south point trail, I heard another group. This one was a bit lower in altitude and contained about 50 birds. I could see the white wing patches and many were males (red in colour). This was immediately followed by a small group of about ten individuals.

I then decided to head a bit up Harrison Trail, since there are many pine trees there. I heard another small group, and these may have hesitated in a pine tree, but I never saw them.

I had one more male circling around the area of the maintenance compound later on.

It would be nice to see Red Crossbills, but this species is a real rarity in these parts. I have only seen one at Rondeau (January 25, 1998) and it was not a good look. Its call note was quite obvious.

Crossbills are certainly rare in southwestern Ontario. I have had a White-winged in the yard here on two occasions. One was a female March 11-13 1990 and an immature female on November 15, 2001. This latter bird was so intent on feeding on the nyjer seed, that I could walk right up to it. I used the macro lens on the camera to photograph it!

female White-winged Crossbill--note crossed bill! (It can vary in which direction the mandibles cross)

Other birds at Rondeau today included Purple Finches, a couple of Pine Siskins, a few White-throated Sparrows, and a Chipping Sparrow with Tree Sparrows.

A nice flock of Eastern Bluebirds was at the south end of the Campground, but I never got a good look as they seemed to be on a mission south.

The odd Golden-crowned Kinglet was around, and I found two Yellow-rumped Warblers. One was on south point trail along the beach, and the other in the campground.

I also caught a glimpse of a Hermit Thrush on south point trail.

I came across some type of moth this morning (see photo). Likely a very common (and hardy) species since I saw at least three of them.

moth in below zero temp

There were hundreds of gulls out on the ice of Rondeau Bay from Erieau, but too far to identify. Most of the ducks have left Rondeau Bay, according to a local hunter. I did not see many from Erieau, so that was an indication. While there, a female Wood Duck flew into the harbour.

Still hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls, but I did not see anything different. It is always better on a cloudy day to look at gulls!