Christmas Season Birding and CBC's

Weather is the talk of the season.  For a season of Joy, the weather has certainly made it depressing.  It is difficult to believe it is the winter season.  Warm, rain, drizzle and fog!

I have not gone far the last few days.  A few ducks have been around, but not like it used to be.  Lots of Gadwall have been hanging around Roberta Stewart Wetland.  On one occasion, I saw as many as twenty, but 13 seems the usual number.

The day before Christmas, I encountered several Sandhill Cranes near Port Lambton on another foggy day.

Now, on to the Wallaceburg Christmas Bird Count which was today, December 27.  As usual, the weather forecast was wrong, and we had completely miserable weather......again!  I was looking forward to a day without precipitation and fog, but that is what I woke up to.  It was rain, drizzle, dense fog all morning off and on and well into the afternoon.  Not in the forecasts I looked at!

However, as always, we persevered with little choice.  

I started at Roberta Stewart Wetland at first light as usual.  Thirteen Gadwall were there on cue.  A couple of Marsh Wrens chittering in the phrag were a nice addition to the list, as were the two Pied-billed Grebes in the reeds just offshore.  The grebes are often found here this time of year, and not an unusual species on the Wallaceburg CBC.  I recall one year we tallied 21!

(old photo at same location)

No sign of the Sandhill Cranes this morning.  I think they looked at the weather and took a day off!

Connected to the Stewart Wetland is MacDonald Park.  This area used to be all marsh, but was filled in and two cuts were made.  Connecting these two cuts is a neat little channel that is well hidden.

After checking out this area, it seemed to stop raining and I was going to go for a walk nearby on private property.  As soon as I started driving, it poured rain again, so I just drove around for a while.

I then walked Peers Wetland in the rain, no less.

The precipitation let up a bit as I headed west of town on Baseline Road.  There was nothing on the Snye (Chenal Ecarte), but farther along Bluewater Line I suddenly encountered some blackbirds.  I was in a bad position, and could not see a lot.  However the flock moved and grew to an enormous size.

This was my kind of blackbird flock!  We used to get these in the earlier years of the CBC, consisting of thousands of birds.  On a few occasions, I have found Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  

I was absolutely certain that I would find a Yellow-headed Blackbird or two with today's flock.  At one point I saw white wing flashes, and I knew immediately what it was.  A male Yellow-headed Blackbird!  The flock kept moving and I spotted yet another.  Could have been more, but the flock moved some distance towards the Snye into some trees.

That made my day, so I moved on to the private property I wanted to walk.  It was quiet at first, but at the very back corner of the woodlot there was some bird activity.  Highlight was an active Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  Another bonus bird for the day!

I could not get a decent photo though.

Dense fog had rolled in by this time, so I spent the rest of the time driving around, walked Peers Wetland again, and Crothers Park along Running Creek.

I ended up with 38 species which was OK all things considered.  The blackbirds made it worthwhile, as well as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet (first in 8 years on the count).

I am told, final tally is 82.  Although numbers down, that is pretty good for a slow year in horrible weather.

Next CBC locally is the Skunk's Misery on Saturday.  Pray for decent weather......!

Sunset off Stewart Wetland from a previous CBC (this is the way it should be!)