Monday, October 12, 2015

Rondeau Report: Going Cuckoo

Back to Rondeau on this Thanksgiving Monday.  It was very windy and difficult to find many birds. Certainly far fewer than Saturday, and less variety.  I birded with Steve and we basically did the same route.

Trail washout area


No, I am not going cuckoo even though some of you think I am already, but Steve and I did find another cuckoo.  This time, a Yellow-billed.  The bizarre thing about it was that it was in the exact-same spot we found the Black-billed on Saturday.  No kidding!  I first spotted the bird and said that the cuckoo is still present.  However, this one had a yellow bill.  I only got one quick photo.



For the most part, Yellow-billed Cuckoos depart earlier than their counterpart, so this was a decent record.  However, others have been seen later in the month, including my sighting of one at Rondeau 20 October 2002 way out south beach of all places.

Most of the warblers were Yellow-rumped today save for a Pine on south point.  After Steve departed, I lingered on and found a Black-throated Blue and a couple of Black-throated Green.

There were still a number of Blue-headed Vireos plus one Red-eyed that I found.

Blue-headed Vireo


There was not much on the lake today despite the strong SW wind.  Except for last Saturday, lake watching has been disappointing this fall.

I checked out Ridgetown lagoons for the first time this fall.  Lots of geese including a few Cackling. Also a few Tundra Swans were there.

At Blenheim lagoons, there were only a few shorebirds including the long-staying Red-necked Phalarope.  No sign of that Willet, at least when I was there.  The most numerous shorebird, you guessed it, was White-rumped.
Lots of Ruddy ducks as usual.



Most of the Tree Swallows from Saturday were still present.  The same Bronze Copper was still hanging on.



Congratulations are in order for Wallaceburg naturalist Tom Chatterton and his daughter Jennifer for finding Algonquin Park's first Townsend's Solitaire.  Jenn was visiting from her home in Oregon and taking a vacation in Algonquin with her father.  Tom and Jenn were hiking Track and Tower Trail and stopped to eat lunch at the lookout. While there, the solitaire alighted atop a spruce tree!
Tom mentioned the sighting at the Wednesday meeting with Mike Burrell and I told him it was a fairly significant sighting.
Here is a photo taken by Jennifer.



2 comments:

  1. the willet showed up later plus a flock of 12 pipits!

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    1. I saw your eBird report! I wonder where it hides at times. I searched quite thoroughly, but did not see it.
      Good to see you today.

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