Sunny Saturday

A fine day to be out! It was very cold, but at least the sun came out for a change on the weekend. Its been at least three weeks since we have had sun on the weekend.
I checked out the north end of Rondeau Park. This is where the only significant number of birds are in the park. The usual wintering birds were milling around.



Several Red-bellied Woodpeckers were checking out the trees. One, perhaps two, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were drilling various trees. Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers were around and I am sure I heard a Flicker as well. I had one there two weeks ago.

The sapsucker looked a little worse for the wear, as a result of spending the winter here.

Also in the campground were at least six Brown Creepers, five Yellow-rumped Warblers, some White-breasted Nuthatches, one Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets. There were quite a few Blue Jays as well. No sign of the Evening Grosbeak, but it could still be around. We last heard it three weeks ago.

Along New Scotland Line was a flock of blackbirds. There have been a couple of sizable flocks around Blenheim this winter including lots of Grackles.

Erieau was completely frozen. Some open water was on the lake to the south that held some Common Goldeneye and Common Mergansers. A few gulls were out there, but where did the thousands that were there last Sunday go to? Probably back south!

The R/R track trail was bleak and birdless except for one Song Sparrow.

However, the dyke along McGeachy Pond was good for mimids.

I saw one young Northern Mockingbird feeding on rose hips. There may have been two, as I found a bird farther down the dyke.

Towards the west end, I heard and briefly saw a Brown Thrasher. I chased it along hoping for a good view, but I only saw bits and pieces of it and was not able to get a photo.

Too bad I did not add a Gray Catbird!

Other birds included a male Cardinal that liked standing on the trail, a Tree Sparrow, Downy and Hairy Woopeckers, and another sparrow type that I never got a good look at.

I drove some back roads on the way home, but did not come across anything significant. A White-crowned Sparrow was on Gore Road by the compost piles. It was the only bird there, but I know there are others lurking nearby. One could only hope for a Golden-crowned Sparrow!