New Year's Day

Another year has passed.  This year was much better than the previous on many fronts.  Birding was good and certainly more interesting.  Lots of rarities in the province......which I did not see!  I am not a "chaser" like many people.  It is more exciting to find your own stuff or get a look at something nearer to home that has been reported.  Some birders just have incredible luck at finding rarities or good birds and being in the right area at the right time.  I am usually in the wrong place at the right time or whatever.

Swan in the fog

Today I was not interested in doing another CBC, so I went down to Lake Erie starting at Pelee.  BIG mistake.  (wrong place at the right time).  Dense fog and rain all along the lake.  I was anticipating a big waterfowl movement something like there was two years ago after a thaw.  There was, but the fog did not lift until noon.  I could not wait till then.
Saw some land birds such as Yellow-rumped Warblers along Shuster Trail, Brown Creepers, White-throated Sparrows, etc.  Some of these along Shuster Trail, including a Northern Flicker.  They seem to be scarce this year or did they flock to Walpole Island?  In Tilden's Woods I scared up a Great Horned Owl.
A flock of blackbirds was along Road E containing cowbird, starling, Red-winged and I think a Rusty too.  A Yellow-headed would have been nice.  Been many years since I have seen one in the winter.

Coming back along Hillman Marsh I caught sight of a Red-shouldered Hawk. 
Wheatley too fogged in. Four Mallards and a Black were at Muddy Creek on the ice.
Erieau too foggy as well.  I think I was moving with the fog and rain!  Some bonies and various ducks in the dock area.

Canvasback and Redheads are plentiful on the St. Clair River.  I had a bit of time at the end of the day to check out Port Lambton.  No puddle ducks moving.  The Pintails yesterday were with lots of Mallards and Blacks no doubt came out from somewhere due to the thaw.