Saturday Stuff

Checked out the Rondeau area this morning.  Terribly quiet!  It got too cold too fast in early December and many birds got frozen out or just plain left.  The Bay is almost totally frozen over and other small ponds frozen.  Even Erieau Harbour is frozen.  I did check Blenheim Lagoons as well and they are frozen except for a very small spot.  I was half expecting to see a phalarope carcass, but did not find one.  The last report of the Wilson's Phalarope was on Sunday by Dobos/Charleton.

Nothing to mention at Rondeau Park.  Yellow-rumped Warblers are going to be scarce this winter. I have not seen one in at least two weeks, but I am sure a couple are still around somewhere.

Hundreds of geese were east of Rondeau heading somewhere...possibly to Ridgetown.  The two Ross's Geese were last seen at dusk last Sunday at Erie Beach.

I did find the Ruddy Turnstone on the public beach at Erieau.

This bird was originally found by Allen Woodliffe 29 November.
One wonders why this shorebird is hanging around!  It is not record late for the area.  One was here January 5 or so a few years back.

Some Snow Buntings were on the beach as well.

At the R/R track trail, some decent winter birds included two Common Yellowthroats  (Jim saw one, I saw another), two Killdeer, a Winter Wren and a House Wren.  The House Wren is elusive--usually heard but not seen!  House Wren was here last year at this time.  Yellowthroats are not unusual here at this time.

Along McGeachy Pond dike, there was little to see. Some White-throated Sparrows, etc.  Nobody has seen a Mockingbird in quite a while.

Here at home, this little accipiter popped in to stir things up....