Weekend Birding and Purple Prize

It was all birding the last three days for me.  It is still somewhat quiet for migrants other than blackbirds and ducks so there was not much to note.
Friday I went to Rondeau Park.  It was disappointingly quiet!  For landbirds anyway.  Perhaps the best bird was an Eastern Towhee along Lakeshore Road, possibly an early migrant.
Lots of ducks were moving on the lake though which was nice to see since the lake has been "dead" all winter.
I stopped by Erieau mid-day, but it was a waste of time.  The annual Eurasion Wigeon had been spotted the day before, so I wanted to look for it.  The wind had picked up considerably out of the north and was pointless to try and look at the Bay.  There was too much activity anyway with shoreline work, etc.

Saturday, I opted to go to Point Pelee.  I was going to go Sunday which might have been a better day, but I was anxious to go there for a change.  Again, rather quiet.
A couple of Ruby-crowned Kinglets that have been wintering around the Tip tram loop made themselves visible.  Not co-operative for the camera though.

I stopped by Hillman Marsh, where there was a fair bit of waterfowl, but not as much as I had hoped.  The shorebird cell had some waterfowl, but lighting was brutal.  Nothing of note though.

Over by the boardwalk area, I could pick out the two resident Trumpeter Swans and a number of ducks.

Wheatley Harbour was virtually dead, but I ate my lunch there anyway!

On the way home, I stopped by Mitchell's Bay.  As one would expect, there is lots of waterfowl activity.  Most seemed to be Canvasback.
At one point, an airboat took off and scattered the ducks.

Sunday (today) I went back to Rondeau Park.  I thought a lakewatch at dog beach was in order so I started there with Steve charbonneau.  I did not get to the park early enough to hear some of the woodcock which are now in.  I was having difficulty adjusting to the time change!

A number of ducks and geese were moving, but nothing of note that we could see.

Steve and I walked south point, then the campground.  The sapsucker was on the same tree as last week.  Highlight there was an Eastern Towhee which we think just came in.

I stayed in the park, while Steve left, but things changed in short order.  Craig Anderson and his girlfriend had taken the long walk out south beach and stumbled across a Purple Sandpiper!

Unfortunately it was WAY out, so Steve and I discussed the situation.  Well, nothing better to do, so we headed that way.  The only thing is that it was a six kilometre walk ONE WAY!  And to boot, not the easiest walk along the beach where there was some bush-wacking and trudging though soft sand.

Some ducks were seen along the way.

We made it out to the spot and found the subject bird no problem.  True to its nature, it was quite co-operative.

This creature was not on anyone's radar today.  Purple Sandpipers are very rare in spring, let alone fall.  To have one this early is a novelty.  One has to speculate if this wintered somewhere nearby or is a very early migrant.
These sandpipers commonly winter on the east coast of the US, but on rare occasion one may be found on the Great Lakes in winter.
I looked up records on eBird.  Alan Wormington had one around Hamilton March 1, 1969.  One was at Humber Bay March 8, 1985 (same day of month as our's!), and one was at Niagara Falls March 23, 2013.  There is a wintering record at Cleveland, Ohio this year.

Certainly a record-early for Rondeau, and nice way to end the weekend!

A Long Way to Tipperary!