Recent Birding and Some CBC Trivia

 Christmas Bird Counts (CBC's) are fast approaching!  From December 14 through January 3, counters will be out in various locales conducting the annual census.

Birds Canada has some good information on their website as to where the various counts are in Canada, and how to contact compilers if one is interested in participating in a certain count.  See:

https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/christmas-bird-count

Also, there is some data or interesting information about past counts, such as high counts for all of Canada.  Locally, the Wallaceburg, Blenheim, and St. Clair NWA counts have made the board!  Here are a few selected highlights I have extracted, although I did not include the particular year.

Blenheim/Rondeau:

Ross's Goose (4), Gadwall (6879), American Coot (8202), Forster's Tern (2), Horned Lark (6012)

St. Clair National Wildlife Area:

Tundra Swan (10, 870), Canvasback (25, 800), American Crow (159, 860)

Wallaceburg:

Black-necked Stilt (1), Vermilion Flycatcher (1), Tufted Titmouse (70), Common Grackle (4400)

There are other things to look at on the website as well.

A couple of days ago I ended up at Point Pelee again.  The Townsend's Solitaire was still quite happily eating berries at De Laurier.  It may make the CBC next week!  Although, they have recorded this species before.

Yesterday, I needed a long walk, so went to Rondeau.  It was much too windy to do the marsh trail, so I did something different and walked the west side of south point trail.  It never seems as birdy, especially this time of year, but it was a good change and a chance to see what was along there for the upcoming CBC.

Most birds were towards the very end, where several Swamp Sparrows were in the sloughs as usual.  A flock of about 30 Cedar Waxwings  was at the end as well.

The shoreline has retreated extensively in this area since I first started coming to the park.  It is amazing how Lake Erie consumes forest and land!  I took a couple of photos where the trail breaks off.  Looking one way, there used to be a parking lot here (now you can park a boat!).

The other way, the trail (once a drivable road) used to head out, and a washroom structure was here.

As usual, I spotted some mussels along the beach!  Besides Fatmucket, which is fairly common, I did find a Wabash Pigtoe and Eastern Pondmussel which are both threatened species.  As usual, they are quite worn due to the lake action.

Wabash Pigtoe (vulnerable)

Eastern Pondmussel (critically imperiled)

Before leaving the park, I scoped the east side at the north end of the park.  At least 3000 Ruddy Ducks were out there!

Also I saw four Snow Geese coming in high from way out over the lake.

Interestingly, these same geese were observed a short time later flying over Shrewsbury, then Erie Beach by different birders!

After leaving the park, I stopped by Keith McLean C. L. for a quick check.  Lots of mud now!  Four Killdeer and a single Dunlin rounded out the shorebirds.

Locally, Bald Eagles have already started building a nest structure.

This was last week, but today I noticed even more sticks.

Christmas Bird Count and Purple Prizes

 Christmas season is upon us (already!) and so are the Christmas Bird Counts.  Some have already taken place, but my first one will be tomorrow (December 18) at Rondeau.  

On Friday, I went down to the park to see what was going on (or lack thereof), starting with a lakewatch at dog beach.

Dog beach is where I will start on Sunday to catch anything moving on the lake.  Several Red-throated Loons are still around.

Last year we had a crazy number on the count!

I thought I would be alone for the watch, but Steve Charbonneau soon joined me.  At one point, I caught sight of a shorebird.  A dark one!  It could only be a Purple Sandpiper.  It was motoring southwest nonstop, so I did not even try to take a record photo.  A bit unexpected, but nice to have that tick on the yearlist.

By coincidence, Keith Burk was out south beach and we alerted him to keep watch for a Purple Sandpiper.  Sure enough a while later, he found one feeding on the Bay side.  Although not guaranteed, this is likely the same bird.

It would be nice to get that one on the CBC.  It has happened before!  Back on 14 December 2014, Josh Bouman and I found one near dog beach.  As often is the case, Purple Sandpipers are quite approachable, and this one was no exception.

Just a few days ago, I changed the header photo of this blog showing a Purple Sandpiper.  A premonition of things to come, or just coincidence?

That photo shows a rare spring bird out south beach of Rondeau 8 March 2020.

They are most often found in the fall migration.  An exceptionally early one I found was at Mitchell's Bay  21 September 2013.  I was actually looking for something else (Marbled Godwits) that had been seen.  But, I took the consolation!

I have seen them in a number of places, and this one I found on the Erieau pier 9 November 2008.

One I recall, was the latest I have seen one at Erieau was 31 December 1997.

Birds are certainly few and far between this season, and I did not see much else on my walk.  I did check out the campground and actually found quite a few birds.  An Eastern Phoebe had been lurking in the area this week, and I managed to stumble upon it.

It should be around somewhere for the count on Sunday.

A stop at Keith McLean C. L. still revealed some lingering Killdeer.  Lots of sparrows are there, but nothing unusual.  Maybe Sunday's count will turn up something of interest there!

Today, I checked out the St. Clair River and Sarnia.  Certainly a far cry from what it used to be this time of year.  Climate change has certainly made things different. Not much to see on the river, or even at Sarnia today.

There is a Harlequin Duck south of Marine City, Michigan.  One can scope the area from the south end of Sombra if the water is calm.  It was a bit choppy today, so I was not able to pick anything out.  Maybe it was stick around for the Wallaceburg CBC on December 27.

Stay tuned......

Going Loony at Rondeau

I went down to Rondeau today to get an idea what is around (or not) for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count on Sunday.  It seemed to be a good day for a lakewatch first thing, so that is where I started.
I joined Steve Charbonneau at dog beach.
There was a good movement of Red-breasted Mergansers (over 6000 total), but soon it was evident that Red-throated Loons were on the loose.
They often came in bunches, and after more than 2.5h of standing in the cold, we counted an astounding 174!  Most were too distant for good photos though.

One wonders how many there really were in the Rondeau circle today.  We only had about three Common Loons today.  A Common may be the difficult one to find on Sunday!

A few years ago were happy to see one or two Red-throated a year.  Mind you, we have been looking more of late.  However, it is obvious that there has been a steady increase in Red-throated Loons the last few years in these parts.

Last year on the CBC, Quinten and I counted 43 Red-throated Loons which of course shattered any previous CBC record by about 41 or 42!  Hopefully there will be lots on this coming Sunday as well!

Steve and I checked various other spots in the park this morning, but of course it was rather quiet.  We knew this was coming.  For whatever reason, there are not many birds around this winter.  The counts will have low numbers.  It almost seems to get worse every year.  In fact, I will not hesitate to admit this is the slowest I have ever seen it.  Feeders hang birdless, swaying in the wind.  I used to put out feeders by mid November, but I only started them a week ago.  There is nothing!

There are lots of factors.  Loss of habitat has reduced bird numbers significantly.  Much has to do with weather right now.  Climate change is a serious issue now and patterns have changed.
Indeed, there are many fewer birds than when I started birding.  Young birders today have no idea what it was like 30+ years ago (all year long).  And before my time, it was different yet again.

Today, we did find a small flock of birds in the campground.  One Yellow-rumped Warbler was included.  I did find a single, lonely, Chipping Sparrow, but it took flight as I snapped the shutter (!).

One Mourning Dove is alone in the campground.

More singletons, included a Turkey Vulture perched on pony barn.

I have been doing the Blenheim/Rondeau CBC for 30 years and it is always fun or interesting.
There are always some surprises on the CBC, so hopefully that will continue.

Saturday looks like more typical weekend weather, so I am going to check out the St. Clair River towards Sarnia.  Normally I would be doing the Kettle Point CBC, but it will be too quiet for my liking.  Last year it was too quiet, and this year will be worse...I think.

"Roughing" it on the Wallaceburg CBC

Unlike a year ago, we are experiencing balmy and damp conditions.  Every year is different, but the trend to milder winters continues.
Before December 27, some of us were scouting the Wallaceburg area for what few birds were around.  The consensus was that birds are fewer in number than normal.  That proved true on count day, December 27.  Many of us would drive for several kilometres and not see a single bird!  Usual walking spots saw few birds.
Thursday dawned with heavy overcast and a stiff east wind, not enjoyable for a day out in the field.  The day ended with rain and stronger winds.
The Wallaceburg CBC has been ongoing since 1986 and I have participated in every single one, doing the same area each year. There are always highlights for each count, and this year was no exception.
I started my day at Roberta Stewart Wetland west of town, across from Walpole Island.

A number of Gadwall and Mallards had been hanging around, and they were in the pond at first light.  First thing in the morning is best time to see them.

We always seem to get some Gadwall on the count, and the 14 at Stewart was a good number.

As I was walking along the dike along the Chenal Ecarte, a Common Loon popped up.  Always a good bird for this count.  I did not have the big camera on hand as I did not want to lug it around all day.  A record shot from the point and shoot had to do.

My other walking areas revealed very few birds.  The Great Horned Owl that usually roosts at Peers Wetland did not show.  In fact, no Great Horned Owls were recorded on count day! An unprecedented event.
Peers Wetland was mostly open in this mild weather, and several Mute Swans (likely the ones that hatched there, unfortunately) were present.  Lots of Canada Geese were around as well.

At one point in the afternoon, while near Stewart Wetland, I noticed a flock of Sandhill Cranes over Walpole Island heading east.  Obviously some were still around doing the their daily routine!  About 30 were flying by at 2:45 p.m.

Later in the afternoon, I had a hunch that I would see them heading back west, and at precisely 4:22 p.m., they did so!

In late afternoon, I was driving around aimlessly hoping to find some birds.  At the south end of town, I was beside the sewage treatment plant when I was shocked to see a swallow flying around.  I came to a sudden stop and thoughts of a Cave Swallow crossed my mind.  It was raining and lighting was horrible, so I was not sure at first.  I soon realized it was a Northern Rough-winged Swallow!
I watched it for almost 15 minutes as it continually hovered over the end of the sewage plant.
I could not get a proper photo due to a variety of reasons.
This species sometimes tends to linger, seeking out places like treatment plants, where there is warm water and bugs.  As many of you know, there are always some at Niagara Falls in late November for whatever reason.
As this bird was not on anyone's radar, it is obviously a new and totally unexpected species for our count.  It was still there today.  Photos today taken by Steve Charbonneau.

Photo by Steve Charbonneau

Photo by Steve Charbonneau

The 2018 Wallaceburg CBC ended up with 78 species, which is about what I expected given the year.
There were some highlights such as record high number of Red-breasted Nuthatchs.  Usually it is a really good bird on this count, but this year, a whopping 19 were recorded!

Almost 400 Common Redpolls were found in this finch year.  Usually there are none!

A Northern Saw-whet Owl was found in the north part of the circle...another decent find for this count.

old photo

I could not find it today though!

Our highest count ever was 89 in 2005.  We have had some dandy birds over the years, including a Black-necked Stilt in 2001 and Vermilion Flycatcher in 2015 (both found by none other than Larry Cornelis).  Other decent species over the years included Harris's Sparrow in 2008, Yellow-headed Blackbird (several times), Harlequin Duck and of course back in the old days, Northern Bobwhite on Walpole Island.

Next area count is Skunk's Misery on December 30, followed by St. Clair NWA on the traditional January 1.

In other things, I have been putting up some old photo records onto iNaturalist.  I have had some great findings over the years, and it has been fun going through old photos, bringing back memories.
One such record, which I did not realize how uncommon it was at the time, was a Tulip Tree Silk Moth.  (In fact, it is listed as possibly extinct in Canada).
Back on July 10, 2011, we were conducting the Rondeau butterfly count and found this species on Lakeshore Road.  At the time we thought it was one of the other silk moth species, but putting this up on iNaturalist revealed its true identity.

See the known records for Rondeau:
http://butterfly.ontarioinsects.org/ontbutterflyatlas/MothSQL.php?type=recordsAll&sp=one&area=squares&order=date&spIndex=25&areaID=17MG38&areaName=


Using iNaturalist is a great learning tool, as there are sometimes things you are not sure about, or are wrong.  You will be informed or corrected!

Winter Season and Christmas Bird Counts

Winter arrived with a vengeance this week, and today marks the start of Christmas Bird Counts.  Birds will be concentrated in certain areas with the deep snow (way more than we need right now!) and the snow will slow us down on the weekend when most of us start the Christmas Bird Counts.

On Saturday, a couple of area counts include Kettle Point up Lake Huron way, and Cedar Creek down Lake Erie way.  I always do the northerly one as it is Lambton Wildlife's home count. 

Once again, I will be heading up to Arkona and checking Rock Glen and the area.

Often we see a Golden Eagle or two along the Ausable River, so will that happen this year?

Within Rock Glen over the years, I have seen a variety of birds, but each year is different.

On Sunday, it is the Blenheim/Rondeau Count.  I will be checking Rondeau Park, but this recent cold and snowy weather does not help the birds that we have seen in the last week or two.  However, interesting things always turn up.

Last year, we managed a Red-throated Loon on the lake.  With the large number that have been around late this fall, there is a good chance we will get one.

A few years ago, Josh Bouman and I got a shorebird surprise (actually two species), in the form of a Purple Sandpiper and a Dunlin.

As often is the case, the Purple was quite approachable.

A number of pipits were around last year, and some are still around today.

Some other upcoming counts include Wallaceburg on the 27th 

and St. Clair NWA on the traditional January 1.  Skunk's Misery is also upcoming.

Next post will likely report on a CBC!

Feed Me!

Christmas Bird Counts and Weather

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season started today and runs for three weeks.  For some of us locally, the counts start on Saturday.  Over the years, we have had every conceivable type of weather.  Some quite pleasant, and others rather challenging.
It amazes me how the long-range forecasts are so inaccurate.  On Monday, the forecast for this weekend was quite depressing.  Now, it has mellowed a bit, looking more bearable for CBC's.  We will await to see what happens! I am not sure why I even look at the forecasts as even the night before can be quite different as to what actually happens the next day. For those of us who work all week, we take what comes!

The Kettle Point CBC is Saturday.  I have participated in this one in most years over the last twenty plus.  Often there is quite a bit of snow as the lake effect is a factor.  I recall a couple of times where there was over 60 cm of snow limiting our hikes. Other times, there is no snow and is quite mild.

I always do the Arkona area and sections along or near the Ausable River.  Golden Eagles are almost a guarantee along the Ausable.  Usually I see one at Rock Glen CA as I look over the field at the north border of the CA.  Last year I said we have to look there, and sure enough, there was a Golden Eagle soaring over the river!
The following day is the Rondeau CBC.  Again, we have had every type of weather.  I recall some years quite pleasant, but a couple had gale force winds.

Rondeau, south beach

One year was quite snowy, and throughout the day, then the wind kicked up.  After the compilation and meal at the Burk's, I headed towards Chatham.  It was not too bad, but north of Chatham it was almost zero visibility and one could not find the road.  I was forced to turn around and stay in a hotel in Chatham even though at the time I had my 4WD Ford Explorer.

One of the Wallaceburg CBC's had dense fog and birding by ear came in handy!

January 1 is the hangover St. Clair NWA CBC and is always interesting for those who want to start their year list.  Steve Charbonneau, Pete Chapman, and myself (and others over the years) always checked out the Bradley properties near the mouth of the Thames River in the past.  Normally, the area is off limits, but we were allowed to go in for that day.  We have come up with some good birds over the years.  I recall the very first year I did it with Steve and we had a Yellow-headed Blackbird and Tufted Titmouse, both new for the count.  We have had other first for the count over the years as well.

Brewer's Blackbirds are often found on this count, and we have seen some over the years since it is a good area for lingering blackbirds.
Often it is quite windy adjacent to Lake St. Clair and sheltered areas were desirable.  One year (Dave Skinner was along) we bailed at noon due to an incoming blizzard!
In later years, I did St. Luke's Marsh adjacent to the St. Clair NWA and some decent birds were included in my list.  A Virginia Rail was certainly a decent find one year.
Marsh Wrens are often found as are Common Yellowthroats.  I have had both in St. Luke's.
Years with little snow are good for walking the dikes.  Little ice helps as well since one can look out onto Lake St. Clair for waterfowl.

A new count in the area is Skunk's Misery.  January 2 will be the third year running.  There is not much to say about this one yet, but freezing rain in the first year was not too desirable.  Some excellent areas for birds are included in this count.
It is always a contest to see who comes up with good birds.  We keep things quiet until the compilation and meal to make things more interesting.
As well, "good" birds seen in days before the count are always looked for.  Back in 1995, Wallaceburg was hoping for an Ivory Gull (the one I found on the St. Clair River December 23), but it missed "count week" by one day!
Wallaceburg has done well with rarity firsts such as the Black-necked Stilt in 2001 and of course the Vermilion Flycatcher in 2015.  Strangely enough, both were first found by Larry Cornelis!

And, of course there are always surprises during count day...something that makes CBC's exciting!