August 2008-Pelee Island Post

I was going through some old blog posts from the past this evening.  I came across this one from 2008 when I spent three days on Pelee Island at the bird observatory.
Just some memories from the past!

MV Pelee Islander

As part of my time off from work, I spent three days on Pelee Island. I stayed with the folks at the Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO), and I must thank Adam Pinch for inviting me to stay there. The weather was great and birding and butterflying was interesting. I was really more focused on butterflies for this trip, but I did see some birds and saw how the PIBO operates.

I started my trip early Monday, August 11 by getting on the Jimaan ferry at Leamington. The ferry was about an hour late, but that did not matter.

Upon arrival at the island, I headed to Fish Point Nature Reserve to eat my packed lunch. I noted the sheer numbers of butterflies along the roads. I walked along the road at Fish Point and saw lots of butterflies. They were common species, but nice to see the sheer numbers. Red-spotted Purple were numerous all over the island.

I headed for the PIBO cottage at the south end of Stone Road. After some chatting, Adam and I walked along the rocky shoreline to Glacial Grooves.This is a well-known spot where the rock is exposed in a large flat area, and one can see the grooves of glacial action. It is quite impressive!

southeast shore

Along the shoreline we saw countless American Snout butterflies. It must have been a good day for them because we did not see anywhere near that number the rest of the week. Shorebirds included Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Killdeer, Ruddy Turnstone and Spotted Sandpipers.

After that, we walked up Stone Road to the Ontario Nature property which is part of the Stone Road Alvar complex. The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Essex Region Conservation Authority and Ontario Nature own a number of properties along the road.

A good part of the trail goes through an open area that contained lots of Gray-headed Coneflower among other species. As well, Nodding Wild Onion is plentiful in this area. The best butterfly here was a Gray Hairstreak.Another one for the year! It was on Nodding Wild Onion. Red-spotted Purple butterflies were in big numbers here too. As well, one could not begin to count the number of Giant Swallowtails that were just everywhere on the island.One milkweed plant had four on it at once.

Stone Road Alvar showing Nodding Wild Onion

Not to discourage anyone, I must note that "chiggers" are terrible on the island. Although I took some precautions, I received numerous annoying bites. The Ontario Nature property was the worst spot for those it seems!

Lilo-the observatory cat

Getting up early, I headed to Fish Point with the group to see what the daily routine is. I walked with Adam around Fish Point as he conducted the daily census. Species of birds and their numbers are recorded during a 90 minute period. During this time, the other PIBO personnel are at the banding site checking the nets for birds.

It was early in the season, so birds were at a minimum. We did encounter Northern Waterthrush and Tennessee Warbler. A number of Yellow Warblers were moving through. At the Tip, the gulls and terns were congregating by the thousands. The terns are virtually all Common Terns here. The odd Caspian was seen.A couple of Semipalmated Plovers and a Ruddy Turnstone were among the shorebirds present. Needless to say, we noted thousands of Double-crested Cormorants heading to parts unknown.

Middle Island could be seen in the distance.

After the census, we headed into the banding area. There were a couple of Black-and-White Warblers and a Northern Waterthrush in the nets.

All of us had lunch at the Winery where we could BBQ our own burgers.

In the afternoon, Adam and I headed up to Middle Point Woods near the north end. It is another recent NCC property acquisition on the east shore. Part of it was donated by a couple who owned a parcel of land there. We could look towards Point Pelee and also see the Pelee passage shipping channel.

I wanted to see the old lighthouse so we walked to it. It was built in 1833 and restored a number of years ago. It was abandoned quite early in the 20th century, so it had been deteriorating for some time. It was a bit of a walk to get to, but worthwhile. Last time I was in the area was for the three Wood Storks in August 2001. This spot it included in the Lighthouse Point Nature Reserve which was obtained in the early 1970's.

Not too far south from there, we travelled along Brown's Road to some more NCC properties. These properties were obtained quite recently through a partnership of several agencies. Part of the Brown's Road portion is a significant site of rare Chinquapin Oak/Nodding Wild Onion savannah which is not known anywhere else in the world. All of these natural sites are important to maintain since so much of Pelee Island has been drained or cleared for farming purposes.

The highlight of my trip occurred here. Along one of the trails I spotted a White-M Hairstreak!This is a rare butterfly for Ontario, but this year a few have been seen. In fact, three were seen on the island in early August during the butterfly/dragonfly count weekend. One was also at Point Pelee in early August. It sort of has a similar look to the Southern Hairstreak!

I later walked the Stone Road Alvar again and noted more plants, but no new butterflies.

Birding the Last While

As per usual, I am out birding this time of year and have little touch with the internet.  Nice to get away from the computer for a while. lol.
Last Thursday I got off work after lunch and headed down to Rondeau.  It started off with a bang.  First stop was the visitor centre to see what was happening.  I met Reuven Martin who is this year's bird hike leader.  Just after heading out the VC door, I was shocked to see a flash of blue at my feet.  No, I did not get hit by lightning, but it was the tell-tale sign of a White-M Hairstreak!
I did not have my camera in hand, but I ran to the car and came back to take several photos of what was likely a recently-emerged White-M Hairstreak.

I co-operated nicely as it rested on a post, then it went to the ground upon a leaf.

Since it is very early in the season, and this species was present for the first time last summer, and there have been virtually no immigrants this spring, I surmise the larva overwintered.  Quite a record.

Birding was rather slow the whole few days.  The volume of songbirds is just not there for whatever reason, but there certainly have been some good birds around the province.
The Friday morning was fairly decent on south point trail where a number of warbler species (a lot of ones and twos!) were flitting about.  I did see Golden-winged Warbler as well as Blue-winged and Hooded.  Turns out that was the first of three Hooded for the day. It is a desirable species for many birders, but I do find quite a few each year.

Hooded Warbler in flight!

Some other first of year species were seen this day.

I also saw one of the Yellow-throated Warblers.  Quite some distance up the road later in the morning I heard one singing.  I assume it was one of the two present ones as they wander widely.

Blackburnian Warbler

Saturday was slow, but a very nice bird made up for it.  Steve Charbonneau and I were walking along the eroded shoreline when a bird came gliding by from our right.  It was perhaps no more than 20m distance and not very high.  We both looked at it and soon as it went by we virtually said "kite" at the same time!  It was an adult male, but it was cruising east.  This was about 7 a.m.
I think this is only the second record for Rondeau, as we had the first 25 May 2003 when we saw a sub-adult from the marsh trail.
Steve walked along the edge of the woods, while I walked the trail in case it perched somewhere.  But, it was never seen again.  Apparently one was seen late in the day at Pelee, but I would consider it a different bird.
Soon after the sighting, I ran into Mike Burrell who had camped the night in the park. I mentioned the Mississippi Kite to him, but that was bizarre because later in the morning on his way to Pelee he spotted the Swallow-tailed Kite!  You know the rest of the story.
However, I left Rondeau before noon on my way to Pelee. I stopped at Sinclair's Bush as Steve had just found a fine male Cerulean Warbler at eye level.  I got to see it, but it did not co-operate for a good photo.

 Cerulean Warbler

Just as I was heading out of Blenheim, I got the message that a Swallow-tailed Kite was heading into Point Pelee.  I rushed over, in hopes it would stick around, but.....no.  I was aiming for a two-kite day!

Sunday at Pelee saw a few more Hooded Warblers, and talk of the town was the number being seen this year.  I saw some more first-of-the-year birds including Wilson's Warbler.
Around 3:30 I got the message of Black-necked Stilts at Hillman.  I rushed over there as did others, and we did not find them in the cell.  However, two were found as seen from the Hillman bridge.  We ran over there, some risking heart attacks, to see the two in the distance.  A fine way to top off a slow day of birding.

(there is a Black-necked Stilt there!)

Today I started at the Tip and was one of the first ones there.  Lots of gulls were milling about including a couple of young Little Gulls, a young Glaucous and a Lesser Black-backed.  Soon after I spotted an immaculate Laughing Gull fly in.  Many got to see this beautiful bird.  I think it is one of the nicer-looking gulls.

Laughing Gull!

lots of White-crowned Sparrows around

Red Phalarope Steals the Show

A fine day for birding at Point Pelee today.

 I met up with Steve Pike and Marianne Reid at De Laurier first thing.  Many birds were flying over, especially warblers.  We then headed to the VC, meeting up with Jeremy Hatt to get the first tram to the Tip.

The first bird of interest was a waterthrush just south of the solar panel.  Not sure what species as we never got definitive views.  Maybe a Louisiana?

At the Tip we could see hundreds of gulls.  As we stepped out onto the sand, Steve spotted a phalarope.  Obviously a Red!  This creature was working the sand and not bothered by our presence.  In fact it walked right up to us for stellar shots.

Steve spent considerable time sitting on the sand at the surf-line as this bird came right up to him.  An incredible experience!

Phalarope vs. Pike

At one point the phalarope looked up as if a predator was approaching.  It then hunkered down in a depression.  Neat to see!

Can you see me?

Ironically, we talked about Red Phalarope on the way to the Tip and that Jeremy needed that one.  Turns out it was his 300th Ontario bird for 2012!  A nice bird for the 300 mark.

Other shorebirds at the Tip included Sanderling, a Ruddy Turnstone and a juv Golden Plover.

Quite a few hawks moving today, but nothing of note.
We worked our way up to Sparrow Field, noting some Common Gray-Hairstreaks.

Ian Woodfield joined us and we searched for White-M Hairstreaks.  After a while, Marianne and I spotted one at the same time on goldenrod.  It was the crappiest-looking one anyone has seen!

However, it was a lifer for Marianne, so it did not matter.

We had lunch in the Red Bus---nice to have a Green Goddess again!

We checked for shorebirds behind the Day's Inn.  There were quite a few, but we had to walk out onto the mudflat to see them at the north end.  Two Red-necked Phalaropes were here.
We later checked Blue Heron area and found an Ovenbird for the day.  Quite a few warblers were in the trees at the parking lot.
A check of Northwest Beach area revealed more Gray Hairstreaks and Common Checkered-Skippers.

Lots of Monarchs today!

Night-Herons to Hairstreaks

I went down to Rondeau on this cool morning.  Almost needed a jacket!  I met up with the Burk's at south point trail and we had a pleasant walk out the south beach.  Lots of warblers were around, but it was difficult seeing them in the foliage.  They were even all the way out the beach in the shrubbery.
Lots of gulls were moving westward today.  Some of which were far out and left to speculation--Laughing, Black-headed, Franklin's.....etc.  None of the above.

Several Bald Eagles were around today and many hawks migrating.
Birds flying overhead included American Pipits.  I saw the first two while at Strathroy yesterday.

As we arrived at Sora City, the rails were calling like crazy.  One wonders how many are really out there.

We went as far as the "old" break and Jim spotted a Gray Hairstreak.

By this time it was warming up and we headed back keeping eyes peeled.  At the area of the wild rice, some Black-crowned Night Herons popped up.  We did not even see them on the way out!  They rose in bunches and there was around 80!  Keith counted 78 to be exact.
I have never seen so many of them at once. It is not the record high though as one spring 120 were counted by Dick Ussher many many decades ago.






As I walked back, I kept an eye on goldenrod.  Sure enough I spotted a White-M Hairstreak!  It was a bit worn and a chunk was out of its right side revealing the blue of the upperwing.

Rondeau's 2nd White-M Hairstreak

It was rather quiet walking back and few birds were seen and no more hairstreaks.
However, I checked the entrance area of marsh trail and found 3 more Gray Hairstreaks.

After lunch, I headed down to McGeachy Pond.  I figured it would be a good day along the dike.  I found at least 12 Gray Hairstreaks.  I had 9 one way and 12 going back, so who knows if I counted twice.

Next stop was Blenheim Lagoons.  Few shorebirds today, but 8 Red-necked Phalaropes were circling around pond 1.  They finally settled. The number varies at times, but the maximum last week was nine.






I spotted a Bronze Copper at one point.  Believe it or not, it is the first one I saw this year.  I think the dry year has had some bearing on numbers.





A few Common Checkered-Skippers were around.

Some butterflies are getting worn.  This Red-spotted Purple has seen better days!