End of August Report!

 Here we are at the last day of August....already.  I have been out as much as possible, except yesterday when it rained off and on all day.  Taking advantage of every hour.

Each evening I sit on the back porch watching for birds.  The odd warbler has gone through.  One of my favourite things to see are Common Nighthawks.  I have seen about seven so far, but I can only see a small amount of sky.

Some butterflies recently include those what I have seen in the garden.  Common Checkered-Skippers are almost a daily occurence.

Other common things have shown up as well.

Silver-spotted Skipper

Orange Sulphur

This past Friday I walked out Rondeau's marsh trail to the half way point.  A few birds kept me interested, including the aptly-named Black-and-White Warbler.

Another Olive-sided Flycatcher caught my eye.  I have seen lots in this year's fall migration!

There is some good matting along the shoreline that attracts shorebirds.

Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers

Yellowlegs of the lesser variety

Solitary Sandpipers were in good numbers (at least seven).

I stopped at Keith Mclean C. L. before heading home.  There was finally some mud showing.  I half-expected a Hudsonian Godwit, but I could not turn the lone dowitcher into one.

Early Saturday morning I toured locally.  Yet another two Olive-sided Flycatchers were at Peers Wetland.

I then decided to head to the Thamesville area and check for rubyspots.  It did not turn out well.  The river was running a little high, and the bank was too steep and grown-in to see much.  I was particularly interested in Smoky Rubyspot.  I may have seen one, but anything I could photograph was its common counterpart. (note:  photos uploaded here are not reproducing well for some reason).

I then moved on to Wardsville Woods. There was not much there to photograph.  A few warblers and such were moving through the woods.

Today, I decided to give Rondeau a try.  Big mistake!  Hardly any birds. Oh well, last couple of visits were decent.

The iconic concrete structure is getting further out into the lake it seems.

I walked back the beach from "trail's end".

I could see a small sailing vessel coming from Erieau.

I thought it looked familiar.  It was the Playfair out of Toronto.  Every summer teenagers get training on this and its sister the Pathfinder .  These brigantines have been around for decades.  I have seen them on the St. Clair River as well.

At one point I noticed about 15 Eastern Kingbirds. along the treeline.  

Leaving Rondeau somewhat disappointed, I headed over to Erieau to walk the marsh trail. I was not expecting much, but there were more birds here than at Rondeau!  Quite a few warblers, including a dozen Cape May.  They certainly have been plentiful this year.  In any case, it is my favourite warbler

And indeed, yet another Olive-sided Flycatcher working the dead trees past the viewing stand.  Heavily back-lit, I took a photo anyway.

On to another week.......