Thanksgiving Weekend Birding

I was out as much as possible birding during the holiday weekend.  However, due to the usual crappy weekend weather, some time was lost.
Saturday I started with a lakewatch at Rondeau.  It was fairly active but there was nothing of note.  Visibility was not all that great.
A Great Blue Heron had thoughts of a big breakfast.

Some Sanderlings were working the shoreline.  A Dunlin and some Killdeer were the only other shorebirds.

It was obvious that a large number of kinglets and White-throated Sparrows had finally come in.

A good variety of birds were seen, including a fairly late Scarlet Tanager near maintenance. (no photo)

I made various stops including Keith McLean CA, Erieau rail trail, Erieau, McGeachy Pond and Blenheim Lagoons.
McLean's had a number of sparrows, but the elusive Nelson's evaded me.  It is a good spot to harbour a Nelson's.  I had to cut my visit a bit short due to an incoming storm.

At the Erieau rail trail, there were lots of kinglets and sparrows again.  I had to cut my visit a bit short to an incoming storm....again!

Junco getting wet after the storm

I checked out Erieau and was hoping to find a Little Gull, but obvious these only show on weekdays.  I have not seen this scarce species yet this year!

After waiting at McGeachy for the rain to pass, the sun finally came out briefly for a pleasant walk.  Many geese came in including a Snow Goose.

Some butterflies were on the asters, including several Bronze Coppers.

Sunday, I decided to head to Sarnia under gloomy skies.  There was a NE wind blowing so I tried a lakewatch with some local Sarnia birders.  However nothing of note showed, not surprsingly. Obviously the good stuff only appears on weekdays.

Wawanosh Wetlands was very quiet, as were other places.

Checkered Skippers are plentiful right now in several locations.  This one was at Peers Wetland.

Monday I went back to Rondeau, but the unpredicted fog continued to build as I approached the park.  There was a stiff east wind, but dense fog prevented one from seeing anything.  I wanted to do a lakewatch again, but that was a lost cause.  No doubt Tuesday it will be clear!

Practically the only things visible were Sanderlings.

I walked south point trail with Steve Charbonneau and found lots of kinglets again.  There was not much variety in warblers apart from Yellow-rumped and Blackpoll.  A single Magnolia Warbler was the oddity.

I checked around maintenance where lots of sparrows were around.  At pony barn, a late Least Flycatcher (I assume) was hanging around.

On the way out, I stopped by Keith McLean's again.  There were a number of birds to sort through, but nothing of note.  I checked the sparrows again.

White-crowned Sparrow

Some Bronze Coppers were in the asters.

As well as moths.

Yellow-collared Scape Moth

The weather had cleared a bit by the time I got to McGeachy Pond.  A few birds were seen including another Least Flycatcher.  The asters were attracting butterflies and moths.

Corn Earworm Moth

Soybean Looper

Green Cloverworm (?)

Bronze Copper

A few Red-breasted Nuthatches are still around.

Hopefully we will get back to more seasonal weather this week.