Pelee Tip Watch

With the strong SW wind today, I felt compelled to stand watch at the Tip of Point Pelee. There were hundreds of birds to watch. Alan Wormington and Richard Carr joined me.
Early on we saw a Brant goose fly by. This species is rather uncommon in this area, and this one the first I had seen in a long time.
The wind was howling and water was rough, as seen in the above photo with the Brant.
The weather was variable with clouds, dark clouds, and some sun.

Brant flying by the Tip

Several Common Loons and Horned Grebes were around as well. Hundreds of scaup and mergansers were flying by or swimming offshore.

Notable were dozens of Rough-winged Swallows in variably-sized groups. A good number of Chimney Swifts were with them also. The number of swallows was rather significant for this late date, as well as the number of swifts. Alan did a rough count and came up with 208 Rough-winged Swallows and 24 Chimney Swifts. Some were circling around, so at times it was uncertain as to what ones were different.

Lots of Dunlin were flying by. I saw a few Sanderlings at the start, but none later. The only other shorebird was a Wilson's Snipe. I had a very dark shorebird early on that I thought possibly was a Purple Sandpiper, but perhaps it was just a snipe.

Some Merlins and Peregrines were cruising around during the morning.

On the drive in, I notices lots of sparrows getting up off the road. On my way out, I came across a large flock at De Laurier, consisting mostly of Chipping, with Field, Song, White-throated, White-crowned and Junco.
Behind the Day's Inn were half a dozen Great Egrets, Greater Yellowlegs and more Dunlin. Lots of geese were there, but no oddities.

Paul Pratt's group leaving the Tip area!