Soggy Sunday--Again!

I did not get much in today since it was mostly a rainy day (what's new?). I went down to Rondeau early this morning to see if any lingering warblers were around.  The last two days Steve Charbonneau has seen and heard a Nashville Warbler along Lakeshore Road.  We did not find it today though.  At least we had a break in the weather before the rain hit.
A couple of late Blackpoll Warblers have been around and we did find one along the road.  It has a ways to go for record late since back on June 22, 2003 I had one on south point trail!

There are a number of Acadian Flycatchers around this year.  We heard the one near spicebush on Rondeau Road this morning.  Perhaps if the weather had been more co-operative results would have been better.
We did get a pretty good walk in though from Black Oak parking lot, down Lakeshore and back up Harrison. before the rain got heavy.  With this very wet and humid spring, the mosquitoes were horrendous!
I did quite a bit of driving around afterwards thinking of Dickcissels, but did not come up with any. Back in 2000 there was a huge invasion and they were all around the Blenheim area.
Bobolinks are pretty numerous at the pasture on Stefina Line this year.

The lagoons still held the Tundra Swan (we assume it cannot fly) and a male Bufflehead.

Just before getting home, I spent about an hour at Peers Wetland.  One can walk around the whole property.  I go there often for some fresh air since it is only about a 5 minute drive from home.  I was interested in seeing what wildlife was there.

The pair of Common Gallinules was out in plain sight.  They seem very wary, and the one kept trying to hide behind a muskrat mound!  I managed a half decent photo of the one bird.

Two Great Egrets have been hanging around about a week there.  I usually see a Green Heron as well, so that is probably nesting.  I know they used to nest just down the creek on private property more than ten years ago during the atlas data-gathering period.

Lots of Wood Ducks are always here.  There were a couple of families swimming around.

Many of the common birds such as Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Peewee are resident at Peers.

A couple of Marsh Wrens are in the cattails.
Cliff Swallows nest under the adjacent bridge on Kimball Road.

Lots of frogs of course including Green Bull and Leopard.  I did see one large Garter Snake today.
A few common dragonflies and damselflies were seen.

Insects were few today, but I did see Silver-spotted Skipper, Mourning Cloak, Red Admiral, Summer Azure, etc.

Peers is an interesting little area.  Before the dike along Otter Creek was built, a wooded island was isolated by the marshy area.  That was long before my time though!  The wooded island is quite accessible now.
It has changed over the years, as there used to be a large open area that almost dried up in the summers.  During migration, it was  good spot for shorebirds.  In my notes, I have an entry dated 18 May 1999:
12 Semipalmated Plover, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 1 Lesser Yellowleg, 90 Dunlin, 10 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 30 Short-billed Dowitcher.  Also saw 2 Ring-necked Pheasants (used to be regular here).

A couple of very dry summers got some trees growing and established in the wet area.  Recent dike rehabilitation has retained water for a good wetland and some of the trees are dying out now.

"Chicken Island"

view from the south earlier this spring