It was a good choice. Dickcissels were already reported down that way, and on the way I heard and saw one male singing beside Hillman Shorebird Cell. Did not hear one on conc. D from the sideroad.
On to the park.... I walked to the Tip and I was greeted with lots of activity. In fact I stayed there at least two hours!
Lots of gulls and some terns. 10-12 Caspian Terns were about among the four usual species of gulls. At one point I was trying to photograph some gulls and terns, but in the background was a Black-headed Gull. I did not realize it at the time!
But, there it was and it eventually worked to the east side of the Tip sand. I have lots of photos.
I assume this was the same one spotted by Alan Wormington last Sunday. An adult in basic plumage?!
Gulls were coming and going and at one point a first summer Little Gull flew in.
But wait, a nice adult was right beside it!
Later I spotted another Little Gull, but this one was in a slightly different plumage, closer to second winter? I did not get a photo of it though.
Many birds were flying off the Tip, or coming to the Tip. One young male Orchard Oriole flew off which I assume to be an early fall migrant?
A Great Crested Flycatcher perched at the last tree for a while. (a Western Kingbird would have been preferable!).
A Northern Mockingbird was working the Tip area as well. It was not photogenic.
I checked De Laurier with nothing noteworthy, then walked out the marsh boardwalk.
After a lunch at Birdie's Perch (perch dinner) I headed over to Hillman. The dickcissel was still singing away, but it seemed to be the only one. I walked around the entire cell. Few butterflies, but I came across my first Common Buckeye of the year. It was very worn though.Also saw a Delaware Skipper (obviously not within Point Pelee lol), and Bronze Copper, both firsts for the year.
Stopped by the Dickcissel field east of Wheatley, but did not go in. A couple of birds were singing atop old mullein stocks.
Next stop was Blenheim lagoons, but nothing of note there. Lots of mallards and 3 Blue-winged Teal. The field has just been mowed.....some pissed off grassland birds were milling about. No Dickcissels in the area though.
It was me and Steve Pike that saw the gull -- not Pete Bondy! In fact, Pete has made several unsuccessful visits trying to find either the current bird or the earlier one-year-old Black-headed.
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