Sparrow Hunting and More Insects

 This past Friday I decided to check out Forest Lagoons.  This place has often been a hotspot for birds of various sorts.  Used to be good for shorebirds, but it has grown in too much and water levels are a bit on the high side.  This time of year it is good for sparrows.

I had the notion to look for the more secretive type such as LeConte's and Nelson's, which no doubt will be renamed in the future!  Both have been seen here in the past.

I spent the better part of two hours there, but despite a valiant effort, I did not turn up either species.   Getting to be too much phragmites as well!

There were lots of other sparrows, especially Song and Swamp.  Some warblers included Palm.  This one posed for a time.

Heading back homeward, I stopped by Marthaville Habitat for lunch break as I often do.  Not many birds there.

The last stop was at Moore Wildlife Habitat Area which I have avoided all summer.  This year it was too grown-in and wet and the river too high due to all the rain.  However, it was fairly accessible now that vegetation is dying down, but the river was running a bit high.  The area near the river has been known for a thick forest of ragweed in the past.  However, this year there is none due to all the flooding!

Some mussels were along the bank.

Deertoe

Giant Floater

Saturday it was Rondeau bound.  Birding was a bit better than the previous visit with more warblers and sparrows.  Lots of Bonaparte's Gulls were on the move, but par for the course for Rondeau, nothing was with them.

Here is a plant in the dunes area called False Indigo Bush.  It is fairly uncommon here, and listed as imperiled in Canada, but is common at Point Pelee.  It may be introduced at Rondeau though. (photos taken along a trail)

I later stopped by Keith McLean C. L.  where many birders eventually came along looking for an elusive Nelson's Sparrow.  One just has to be in the right place at the right time for those most of the time.  Luckily, I managed to see two different ones.

Sometimes they can be co-operative for photos, but often not.  This is what happens when one is not quick enough with the camera!  You can see the orange though.

Not as many butterflies this day, probably due to the wind, but this Peck's Skipper was the path.  Getting late for them.

Sunday  I had no clue what to do, but since there was a decent SW wind, I decided to head to Rondeau and do a lakewatch.  It was very disappointing as not much was moving.  Some ducks were though to keep up interest.

There was a nice sunrise to start.

Birding the rest of the day was a bust....just not much around.  So, I went for a long walk at Reid CA.

Here are some insects.

Common Buckeye (lots!)

Common Checkered-Skipper

Bare-winged Aphideater (new for me!)

These are not identified to species, but there are hundreds of them around right now.

Long-tailed Aphideater Complex

Thick-legged Hoverfly

It was quite windy, so very difficult to focus on these little insects.  This one no specifically nailed down to species, but is a fly.

Neocyptera

Monday, it was all Lambton birding as I went to Dow Wetlands, then Perch Creek Habitat.  Both places are good for sparrows, and there was no shortage of them.  Any bird I saw was too active or unco-operative to get photos!

Way at the back of Perch Creek I managed to get a quick look at a Nelson's Sparrow.  So, not a total loss.

Butterflies included Common Buckeye.  This time of year we often see the "red" form, which is neat.

I stopped by Nicholl's at Wilkesport before getting home.  With the cooler day, there were fewer insects.

Today I did not venture far, checking out Peers Wetland first thing.

No sap on this tree!

Quite a few sparrows, but nothing I wanted.  I once saw a Nelson's here a few years ago though, so there is potential.

White-crowned Sparrow

It was then off to Brander Park at Port Lambton, where there were a fair number of birds.  Quite a few Tree Swallows were near or over the lagoons.  As well, a few late Northern Rough-winged Swallows were mixed in.

Next walk was at W. Darcy McKeough CA.  A fair number of birds, but I could not come up with anything of note.  Always a chance of LeConte's there too, but I have never had one there despite all the years trying.

I went for another walk at Peers in the afternoon, but it was virtually birdless!  Amazing how things change from morning to afternoon.

I photographed this wasp.  Comes up as Catskill Potter Wasp on iNaturalist, something new for me.  Nobody has confirmed it though.

The days are getting too short......

More Running Around, and Some Halloween Birding

 

Sunday I had the notion to go up to Ipperwash and check the lake.  The wind was not right for a good lake passage of birds.  In other words, I should not have looked at the forecast!

Views from my vantage point:

Kettle Point in the distant background

After some lakewatching, I headed down to Forest lagoons.  There were lots of ducks there, but very skittish.  I had to count most of them in the air, since they flushed.  There was good variety, including two Blue-winged Teal.

A young Northern Shrike was making some rounds on this dismal day.

A couple of ravens went by at one point.  They are fairly regular in north Lambton anymore, as they have expanded their range southward.

In the shrubbery, a few Fox Sparrows were evident.  My favourite sparrow type!

Monday, I wanted to stay close to home, but early in the day I got word of three Purple Sandpipers at Erieau pier.  So much for that idea!

Long story short, I was about a half hour too late in arriving, as they were nowhere to be found.  I likely would have seen them if I had left right away, but I delayed my departure about a half hour. Still lots of chance to see one this year.

For consolation, I checked out the Erieau marsh trail.  

There were loads of birds, especially sparrows.  Warblers included the usual Yellow-rumped, a Blackpoll, a Nashville, a Palm and a Common Yellowthroat.  The one I saw was a dull female.

It was nice to see a lot of birds, so the day was not lost.

Today, I headed down to Rondeau and area for some Halloween thrills.  

The weather forecast was useless.  Sunday, they said it was to be a decent day, then Monday they said mostly rain for Tuesday.  But, the skies were mostly clear today, and little wind!  It was actually a pleasant day, so a word of advice, do not have much faith in weather forecasts!

I started with a lakewatch at dog beach.  Lots of ducks, grebes (Horned) and loons.

Coming back to the parking lot, Steve and I found a multitude of passerines.  Right away, I spotted a yellowish bird, which turned out to be an Eastern Palm Warbler (or "Yellow" Palm Warbler).  

I usually see one of these each year.

I moved on to south point trail, which was fairly birdy in some spots.  A couple of 'latish' Blackpoll Warblers were hanging out together, but I failed to get decent photos.

There were lots of Eastern Bluebirds at one point.

I did the usual walk to the Washout".

Site of the old campground office!

I walked back along the beach.  The sun had come back out at this point.

I found a Fatmucket mussel shell at one point.  It looked remarkably similar to one I photographed a few weeks ago.  I do not see how it could be the same one!

After the park, I stopped by Keith McLean Conservation Lands.  It was quite pleasant there, and I was looking forward to some decent birding.

Vesper Sparrow

Not long after arriving, I received word of a Cattle Egret on Lagoon Road north.  Well, I had to go see that since I missed the others this year!  In typical fashion, it was with cattle.

After getting a glimpse of the stocky little egret, I went back down the road to the lagoons.  Bonaparte's Gulls were the bird of the day here.  Over 1000 were there, but nothing else was with with, surprisingly.

There were lots of ducks to sort through.

Shorebirds included a single Least Sandpiper at the back.

Others included three Greater Yellowlegs, a couple of Dunlin, lots of Killdeer, and the surprise of the day, a Sanderling.  It was in the sprinklers cells!

A Sanderling is not usually found at a sewage lagoon.  Occasionally, some birders report them at lagoons, but I think mis-ID's are involved in some cases.  They are almost always along the beaches.

It was first here for both Steve and I.

Greater Yellowlegs

On to some November birding......

North Lambton Musseling, Rondeau Rambles, and Norisle Farewell

 A couple of days ago, I headed up to north Lambton to look around.  It continued to be extremely slow for birds!  I had the notion to check out Forest lagoons first thing, spending the better part of two hours there.  There was nothing of note, except a flyover flock of 28 American Golden Plover.

I concentrated on sparrows, but could not come up with some hopefulls such as Le Conte's or Nelson's.  Habitat has changed there in the last year or so though,  with denser vegetation and more phragmites.

A few Marsh Wrens were present.

I continued on to Ausable River Cut CA.  I knew there would not be any birds, so looked at a few mussels.

Wabash Pigtoe

Fatmucket

Threeridge

Deertoe

Nothing of note was at Kettle Point either, so I headed back south.  After a stop in Sarnia for shopping, I went to Moore WMA.  The high water surge earlier this summer certainly left its mark.  Back in July, I noticed a large oak tree that had fell perpendicular to the river bank just upstream of the causeway.

Well, this is where it is now!

It has moved a bit downriver and completely covered the causeway!  Water levels highly fluctuate here, and this shows how powerful moving water can be.  It is now totally impossible to cross the river.  Amazing, the forces of nature!

I managed to find a few mussels here as well.

White Heelsplitter

Fragile Papershell

Yesterday I stayed fairly local.  Very few birds at the places I visited.  In the afternoon I took a walk around the back field at Reid CA.  This time of year various asters are in bloom.  I am no expert at aster ID, except New England, which is very common.

I photographed a couple of insects as well.  One has an interesting name:

Eight-toothed Cuckoo Leaf-cutter Bee

Bramble Mason Wasp

Silver-spotted Skipper

Today, it was down to Rondeau Park for some exercise!  I did a short lakewatch at dog beach.  The wind was not all that  ideal, but we have been in a drought with appropriate winds for lake-watches, and I was anxious to for one.  A few ducks were moving, including the first four White-winged Scoters of the season for me.

I then walked south point trail.  Kinglets were the main attraction, but I did come across a nice little pocket of warblers at one point.

Feeling ambitious, I then walked out marsh trail to the half way point.  I thought I would come across something of interest, but that never materialized....again!

Asters....

To finish the outing, I checked out Keith McLean C. L.  Where are those Nelson's Sparrows this year?

Of interest today, an historic ship tow is in the St. Clair River as I write this.  The Norisle, built in Collingwood in 1946 is being towed to Port Colborne for scrapping.  It was one of the passenger ferries that ran from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island before 1974 when the Chi Cheemaun took over.  It was steam-powered to boot!

post card view

The Norisle became a museum ship in Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island after its retirement.  It remained open for about 20 years, before it was closed due to deterioration.  There were pipe dreams of restoring it back to service over the years, but who has tens of millions of dollars for such a venture?

Back in 1978, my father and I took a camping trip circling Lake Huron, and one of the stops was to visit this particular ship.  Here is a photo of me on the top deck!

It is unfortunate this tow took place after dark, otherwise I would have gone out to bid it farewell.  I guess we can say it will now be put out of its misery.