Sunday Sun and Fun

It certainly felt good to be out today.  Warm, little wind and sunny!  What a novelty for the weekend.
Although for some reason it was difficult to get up this morning, I made it to Rondeau just after 07:30. No birds to look at but it was nice to be out.

Hermit Thrush

Probably saw only ten Yellow-rumped Warblers and two Nashville Warblers in six hours of walking, but I took advantage of the nice weather.  Butterflies were out in numbers today.  Especially American Painted-Lady.  I saw around 25 in various states of wear.  As well, Question Marks were out.

Another Red  Admiral

Finally saw the first sulphurs of the year.

Dragonfllies included Variegated Meadowhawk.

I stopped by Sinclair's Bush SE of Blenheim.  No birds there either!  But, Question Marks were all along the road.

Sometimes when few birds are at Rondeau, Sinclair's has a few birds since it is inland.  But not today.


full frame shot!


At the lagoons I wandered in without checking the book.  Seldom do people write anything in anymore.  Norm Holden was there with his wife and was searching for an Eared Grebe reported yesterday.  Whaat?  We finally spotted it in Pond 4.
It was probably there yesterday when Steve and I stopped in, but the weather was so crappy there was little ambition to look closely at everything.  The grebe was difficult to find at times since it was diving much of the time.  Seems we get one every spring at Blenheim.

Shorebirds were in the sprinkler cell area as usual.  A couple of Least Sandpipers were different from yesterday.  This is a good spot to check every day!   While there, we observed a flock of approximately 35 Lapland Longspur wheeling about.  As usual, they never stayed any length of time.  Always nice to see them in breeding plumage.  Shorebird habitat is scarce, but with the current drought conditions, McGeachy Pond is drying up.  Some nice mud is now showing!

We desperately need rain.  Never have seen it so dry this time of year.  Opposite to last year!!