Some 'goon Birding

Another fine day weatherwise, so I did a bit of a tour.  I started at Rondeau and did a quick walk of a portion of south point trail.  There was not really anything of note except a female Purple Finch.
I then headed over to Blenheim which seemed to be the highlight of the day.  The one weedless sprinkler cell was full of shorebirds!

I estimated somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 bird packed into that cell.  There were at least 13 species (plus 2 Red-necked Phalaropes in pond 1).

Took some time to sort through, but I did not find any rarities.  Thought for sure a Western Sandpiper was hidden in the mass (or mess?).  There was one Baird's, 7 Stilt, 5 Solitary, and about 10 Short-billed Dowitchers among the others.  One Wilson's Phalarope was amongst them.

In pond 1 two Wilson's and two Red-necked Phalaropes were swimming around.  They were reported yesterday too.

Wilson's Phalarope (mid)

After an early lunch, I decided to head over to Port Stanley lagoons.  Habitat is good there in cells 1 & 2 for shorebirds.  Here I found 13 species, including at least one Baird's and one Wilson's Phalarope.  Some Solitary Sandpipers were in front of viewing stand #2 at cells 3 & 4.

A Solitary Sandpiper

A Great Egret and several Great Blue Herons were present also.

Since Fingal WMA was nearby, I stopped there as well and went for a walk.  A Canada Warbler was along the forest edge with a pair of American Redstarts.

Spiked Blazing Star

A darner in the shadows

On the way home I stopped at Ridgetown lagoons.  Not too many birds today!  A few species of shorebirds, but I did not see the Wilson's Phalarope that Kory Renaud reported yesterday.

Seems Blenheim is the hotspot right now.  Keep checking as we may not get in after Labour Day!