Rondeau Lakewatch and Warbler Mob

Rondeau was the destination today.  Weather was rather crappy (expected Saturday stuff!) first thing, so Jim Burk and I did a lakewatch from the park's Dog Beach.  This spot seems to be the best vantage point as you are close to where the shoreline starts curving in a westerly direction and you get birds moving along the east side.
Northeast winds are the best, but the strong west wind today produced some action.  There was a constant flow of Bonaparte's heading NE with some Common Terns mixed in.  The only notable gull was a Little Gull.

On Thursday, a Sabine's Gull was seen from this vantage point and was actually the park's first record.  And, it was on a SSW wind.  There are only two other records that I am aware, being within the Rondeau birding area.
Some ducks are starting to show up finally as we saw some Greater Scaup and others.
I saw up to six Common Loons this morning.

While there, a couple different migrating warblers came straight in off the lake and dove into the forest.  Some American Pipits flew over and a Golden Plover made two passes.

After close to two hours there, the skies started clearing and we headed to south point trail.  There were lots of warblers, but many were streaming by at tree-top level, or buried in the dense shrubbery.
Today there was a large number of Wilson's, Magnolia and Tennessee.  I counted a total of 19 species of warblers after the day was done.
Almost impossible to get photos of those warblers!

A young Red-headed Woodpecker made an appearance at one point.  Been a while since I have seen one.  I could have gotten closer, but I did take this record shot.

Some flycatchers were around.

Next spot was the north end of Harrison Trail near maintenance.  A few things were along there, but farther down, I noticed a large number of warblers streaming across the trail.  By the time we got to the spot, there was a flurry of activity of agitated birds at a tangle.  No doubt, an indication of an owl!
Turned out to be an Eastern Screech-Owl.

It was interesting to the the large number of birds swarming the tangle.  I tried to get a photo, but this one did not do it justice.

Find the warblers!

Sometimes in the fall we get the same thing with Northern Saw-whet Owls as well.

On the way to Blenheim Lagoons, I checked some fields, but no shorebirds were evident.
At the lagoons, two of the sprinkler cells finally have some water.  A few yellowlegs, a Stilt Sandpiper and a Least (bad leg) and Semipalmated Sandpiper were present.
Yesterday, J. Bruce Falls listed a Hudsonian Godwit there.  Naturally it was the only bird not present today!

Lots of swallows at the lagoons today.

I will not be doing a blog post for several days, so do not look for one!