Birding in the Water

Here we are at the last weekend of May.  Today was one of the better birding days of late, and even the sun came out this afternoon!  It rained most of the week and it showed.  Well, actually it rained all month.  Rondeau was virtually flooded.

Large portions of South Point Trail (east side) were under water.  I have been birding since the 1980's and have never seen anywhere near this much water in Rondeau.  Some parts of the trail had 15+ cm of water.  Apparently it was worse in the early 1970's during the high water days.  Tall boots were a neccessity today!

South Point Waterway






Good numbers of birds were present from warblers to vireos to flyatchers.  Birding with Steve Charbonneau, we had perhaps 21 species of warblers with large numbers of Blackpoll, lots of Bay-breasted and Blackburnian and two tardy Yellow-rumped.  Many were females as expected.

Blackpoll Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

I did hear a Blue-winged Warbler while I was driving Lakeshore Road.  I am sure some will nest there as they quite often do.  I finally managed to see a Cape May Warbler (female) for the year!  It did not co-operate for a good photo, but it will do.

elusive Cape May Warbler

Alder, Willow, Least and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were present, and we did find two Olive-sided Flycatchers.  One was even singing, finally!

Lots of Bonaparte's Gulls were moving this morning along the east side.

The only shorebirds were 10 Sanderlings. 

Later, at the lagoons I only found Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpipers.  With all these wet spots there should be more shorebirds somewhere.

Most sparrows have left, but a single White-throated was behind maintenance.  A few Lincoln's are still lurking in the underbrush.