Back to the Grind

Nothing really new to report here.  Winter finally arrived today as I went back to work, so we will see how long that lasts.  Looking back on the year, it was certainly interesting.  Probably the strangest thing was the weather.  Last spring was the wettest I have seen in recent memory and certainly quite cool.

The variety of birds was there if one worked hard, but there was a general lack of birds.  That "lack" seemed to continue this fall and early winter!  The continuous strong SW winds all fall were appealing for Tip watching at Point Pelee, but not a heck of a lot showed.

Sanderling at Pelee's Tip

It was a good fall for jaegers and some gulls in Ontario though as many "watch spots" recorded good numbers.  There were probably three good days at Point Edward this fall, two of which fell on weekends.  I managed to get two of those (September 5 and especially October 1).  Usually the good days fall on work days!






The spring migration can be remembered for a number of good birds including the influx of Yellow-throated Warblers.  I managed one self-found of that species in Rondeau.  Another was quite reliable at the McArthur's yard.






Life birds are few and far between for me as I do not usually 'chase' birds unless they are local.  It is fun to find your own stuff and one can only hope something of note crosses your path.  I remember Dennis Rupert saying that many of the good birds will come your way eventually (in his case, Sarnia).  The Ivory Gull I found on the St. Clair River (1995) was the last rare gull he needed for the area.

For life birds this year, the Neotropic Cormorant (found by Brandon Holden) at Wheatley was neat to see, as I got skunked on two attempts of the previous one many years ago. (I have a regular Monday-Friday job to go to!).

The Razorbill at Niagara was the other this fall, as I did not have the opportunity to go after the previous one there.


Some other good self-found birds included the Glossy Ibis at Port Lambton on May 14.  It was a surprise and just over a week later I saw two more at Hillman Marsh!





It has been a long time since I have found a mega-rarity in Ontario.  I suppose the last good one was the Black-throated Gray Warbler at Rondeau (2nd time!). It is almost a dirt bird now as I have seen three in Ontario without actually 'chasing' any.

Lots of good birds have been found in Ontario in the past year and that can largely be attributed to the number of birdwatchers we have out there. It is a popular and growing activity.  And so fun and fascinating!

It was also a pretty good summer and fall for butterflies.  Looking for butterflies is as fun and interesting as birdwatching.  The Southern (Northern Oak) Hairstreak made a decent showing this year north of Wallaceburg.  I guess that is my claim to fame as in 2008 I found the only colony known to Canada.  I got lots of good photos of butterflies (just scroll back to previous blogs).

Horace's Duskywing at Pelee

We will see what this year brings......