Early Bird Special

Today was the day to head to Point Pelee after almost two months absence!  Even though the weather forecast was totally wrong (again!), it turned out fairly nice for a change.
One of the items on the agenda today was to activate my new blue card pass.  I totally scored last September at the OFO Convention when I won a pass plus some other items in the bucket draw. After years and years of not getting anything, the time had come!  As I already had a pass good till this June, I am now good till June 2013!

This is the time of year you can renew your pass at a discount through the "Early Bird Special".

Although very windy today, it was nice and sunny for the most part.  I started at the birdless Tip.  This spring, birders will see the absence of many trees, especially along the shoreline near the solar panel.  All shrubs and deciduous trees were cut, but the Red Cedars were left.  Also you can see Sparrow Field from the road now!  It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Bat on Tip Washroom

While at the Tip area, Horned Larks were flying overhead in a northerly direction.  Also some Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were flying around.  Another two I thought were the Rusty type--not positive though.  Other than a few Golden-crowned Kinglets, no landbirds present.

East Beach

I next walked Shuster Trail and found a group of birds including a Carolina and Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, kinglets and a Robin.  Of course, Golden-crowned Kinglets too.

De Laurier was rather quiet when I was there.  No sign of an early Woodcock.  One was actually sighted there January 16 probing in snow (by Mike Bouman)!

I could not find much out in the concession roads.  A Song Sparrow was at the corner of Concession D and Mersea Road 19.  I did not find any spring migrant sparrows in the park today.

I checked around Hillman Marsh and lots of geese were around.  Quite a few scaup and Surf Scoters on the lake.

A couple of mergs at Wheatley Harbour

Needing some more exercise, I walked all around Wheatley Provincial Park.  Very few birds except for a nice flock of Juncos.  One would think a Mountain Bluebird would be in the vicinity the way things are happening in Ontario this winter!  (A couple were there many years ago).

I checked along the Thames River, and Lake St. Clair on the way home.  At Jeannette's Creek, a Belted Kingfisher and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker were along the road.

All along the way home I could see hundreds and hundreds of waterfowl in the air over and around Lake St. Clair.  Mostly geese and swans, but lots of ducks too.  I could see lots in an unfrozen area off Bass Haven from Mitchell's Bay.  Also two adult Bald Eagles there.  Near Bass Haven I found a half dozen Gadwall in a creek.

Some of the thousands of swans today

I also checked Bear Creek Marsh along the Snye.  Another Kingfisher was here and only a couple of ducks.

female Canvasback at Bear Creek