June Jaunts: Knot a Lot to See

Saturday I checked out Rondeau Park for one last time before I do other things in coming weekends.  Usually we get some migrants well into June, but this year things seem to have come to a screeching halt.  All week there was virtually nothing in my neck of the woods.  There was very little in the way of migrants at Rondeau too.
Lots of shorebirds are still moving north though.  Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Dunlin and Sanderlings are still in good numbers and this weekend was no exception.  Along the east beach of south point, there were well over 100 Semipalmated Sandpipers, with dozens of Ruddy Turnstones and some Sanderlings.

I was hoping to see a Red Knot this weekend since I have missed the others in the area due to bad timing.  Sure enough, one was mixed in with all the other shorebirds!

I could not get too close to the shorebirds, so distant photos had to do.

I had no "migrant" warblers on Saturday.  There was one Mourning Warbler near maintenance, but it could possibly stick around.  Not even a Blackpoll.  My latest at Rondeau is June 22!

I came across three singing male Prothonotary Warblers in the park, two of which were in separate sloughs on Tulip tree trail.

Lots of habitat this year for them, so one would think there should be more.

Later, I checked Erieau marsh trail.  Nothing of note there except a wayward Greater Scaup.

Another oddball duck was a Redhead in a flooded field at Shrewsbury.

The Neotropic Cormorant may have left, but could be around somewhere. 
It was no laughing matter late yesterday when Keith Burk found the second cycle Laughing Gull dead at the Erieau pier.  You can see photos of it on Jim's eBird list.

I also checked Blenheim Lagoons.  Twenty-two Semipalmated Sandpipers were in the sprinklers and that was it for shorebirds!  In a few weeks or less, southbound shorebirds will be evident!

A couple more torrential downpours and other matters curtailed birding for the rest of the day.  Is this rain EVER going to end?  Not good....

Sunday, I headed down to Essex County and eventually went into Point Pelee. Nothing was at Wheatley Harbour, so I went over to Hillman Marsh.
The Sedge Wrens are still active near the shorebird cell.

About 50 Semipalmated Sandpipers were in the cell along with a tardy Lesser Yellowlegs.  I thought I had a White-rumped Sandpiper at one point as well, but it was difficult to see in the stubble.

Three Redhead ducks were kicking around.

I went into Point Pelee park.  Once again there was little in the way of migrants.

View of Tip and useless tower

And yes, it was cloudy to start the day.

I first walked De Laurier trail.  There are poolside seats at the back of the trail.

Afterwards, I only went as far as the visitor centre and joined up with Steve Pike and Keith and Jim Burk.  After watching the skies for a while, we did some walking along the west side where no migrants were to be found! The sun had come out to make for a nice day, but there was not much in the way of interesting birds.

I did see my first Silver-spotted Skipper of the year. Things are late.  I have not yet seen a Hobomok Skipper!

Still always a chance for some interesting sightings this month as time flies on.