Bird of the Week and other Sightings

 This week's Bird of the Week in Chatham-Kent attracted many birders to the Blenheim sewage lagoons.  A Purple Gallinule was discovered by Steve Charbonneau!  It is a juvenile, so the brownish colour is far less attractive than the purple.  However, it is a neat bird!

It is a somewhat secretive bird as it lurks among the phragmites/reeds.  Just look at those feet though!

It is apparently Chatham-Kent's first record, so we all added one to our C-K list this week.  There have been about two dozen records in Ontario.  The nearest one to C-K was at Stoney Point marsh in May-Jun 1984; this bird found by Ron Pittaway.  Stoney Point used to be an excellent place to go for birds, and I recall going there in my early years of birding.  It is all phragmites now.

Solitary Sandpiper

Migrants have been passing through our favourite birding haunts.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Eastern Phoebe with Blue Dasher

Peck's Skipper

The above were taken at Peers Wetland, Wallaceburg.  The place is a mess this year with high water, so one cannot walk too far.  Much of it was impassable this summer and has grown in to the point where it is impossible to walk.

Today I had plans to go to McLean's, Rondeau and Blenheim.  Although rain was forecast today, as usual, we got way more than predicted, so it was mostly a washout.  I spent the first two hours watching the lake at Rose Beach Line to pass the time.  There was quite a bit of activity, but of course no rarities.  Visibility was not the best though.

When the rain stopped, I went into the park and walked south point trail.  A few migrants were seen.  As I got back to the car, the rain started again.  So, more time was spent sitting!

It stopped again so I walked down Harrison to pony barn.  I encountered a nice pocket of migrants along the way that kept me occupied.

As I got back to the car it started raining again, so I headed over to Erieau.  I got a bit of a walk at the rail trail before the rain came down once again.  I then drove around endlessly hoping it would stop.  I actually ended back at Erieau pier for nothing else to do.

By the time I got back up to the lagoon area, it was clearing, so I went for a walk at the lagoons.  I did not see the Purple Gallinule, but did not spend much time looking for it.

Short-billed Dowitcher

Solitary Sandpiper

Semisand

A few butterflies came out with the sun.

Common Buckeye

Some gliders were wandering about.

Wandering Glider

I was on my way out when  I met up with a couple from Mississauga looking for the gallinule.  I left, and not five minutes later they found it!  I was not going back....

Hopefully Saturday will be a better day for weather.  We certainly do not need any more rain!