"Bill", Dunlins, Foxes, Mergs and Snipes

 Things are getting quieter for birdlife (except for waterfowl!).  Making my rounds this week, I found it a bit slim for numbers of birds.

Recently, a Hudsonian Godwit showed up at Keith McLean C. L.  It was distinctive in that it had a deformed bill.  These things readily identify a bird if it travels some distance.  Apparently, this same bird was in Durham region a couple days earlier!  I will name him Busted Bill!

The day I saw "Bill", he was on the distant shoreline of the pond.  Some observers got lucky and it was quite close.

The numbers of Dunlin this fall has been exceptional in some  locales.  Several hundred have been seen at McLean's and other places.

On Monday, I headed down down Hillman and Pelee way.  I was going to go there anyway, but the day before, a Purple Gallinule showed up along the dike at Hillman Marsh.  Unfortunately it was a one-day wonder, despite many birders searching on Monday.

Dunlin (600+) were plentiful here as well.

I checked out Point Pelee National Park.  Nothing of note came my way, and it was somewhat quiet for birds.

After Point Pelee, I once again stopped at Hillman marsh.  Meanwhile, a Black-legged Kittiwake was found by Steve Pike.  I checked later, and possibly saw it in the distance, but sitting on the water.  I was not 100% certain, so did not list it.

I walked around the shorebird cell.  It was a warm day, and some butterflies were out.

Eastern Comma

shy Orange Sulphur

Tuesday, I stayed fairly local.  At McKeough CA, there were lots of Pine Siskins among other things.  A lingering Eastern Phoebe was working a wet area.

Wednesday, a lakewatch was in order at dog beach in Rondeau Park.  It looked promising, but nothing substantial showed up.  A Red-necked Grebe was the highlight.

Red-breasted Mergansers are in exceptional numbers right now around Rondeau.  Steve reported over 55,000 the day before.  Likely the number persisted on my visit, but difficult to count.  Most were at the north end.

This species is usually in pure flocks, but some other ducks get mixed in.  In the past at Point Pelee, I have seen King Eider (twice) with them!

Passerines were few and far between.  I found a group of sparrows in the campground.  I saw at least 15 Fox Sparrows, but I know there were some more.  They were nice to see, since Fox is my favourite sparrow.

The next cold front should be better, especially in the campground.  Perhaps a rare warbler will pop out!

Today, I went to Mitchell's Bay and St. Clair NWA.  I  was waiting for a wind-less day with clear skies, and this was it!

There was nothing noteworthy along the south shore trail, but I had to try!

Winter Wren

Cooper's Hawk

I next moved on to St. Clair NWA.  It was littered with waterfowl, with 2000+ Tundra Swans, and a few thousand Canada Geese.  Lots of ducks, but lighting was too harsh to get on a lot of things.

A Marsh Wrens are still lingering, and lots of Swamp Sparrows.

I suppose the highlight was a flyover Common Redpoll!  First I have heard of in this area this fall.  Hopefully some will show up this winter.

One last walk this morning was at Peers Wetland.  Very quiet, as it always is once cold weather sets in.  Notable were the two Wilson's Snipe on the mudflat at the south end.

Too bad this mud was not showing during peak shorebird migration.

With climate change, weather has been quite warm lately.  This Midland Painted Turtle was taking advantage of the sun this morning at Peers.

Birding in the Wind, Shorebirds, and Glenlyon

 Not much to report the last couple of days, which were quite windy.  Yesterday, I spent some time at Keith McLean C. L. in the early morning.  There is always lots to see there, and a high potential for something of interest.

Some late shorebirds have been moving through and there is some good mud at McLean.  About 150 Dunlin were there yesterday, plus a Pectoral Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and a pair of Semipalmated Sandpipers.

There is also good mud at Erieau marsh trail.  It was a bit too windy yesterday for good birding there, but a Pectoral Sandpiper and a Lesser Yellowlegs were on the mud.

Pec

Some sparrows were hunkering down out of the wind.

American Tree Sparrow

I did make one trip to Mitchell's Bay south shore trail one afternoon this week.  It was just about two years ago I found the Sage Thrasher there, so I have been optimistic about finding something else good there!  Not on this visit though.  A Golden-crowned Sparrow would work, but I could only find ones with white crowns (or at least when they grow up).

I have seen Eastern Phoebes in several spots this week.  Here is another at Peers Wetland.

Some new signs have been put up at Peers this week.

The south end (not really on Peers property) has some mud, so I have been keeping an eye on that.  This afternoon, three Dunlin were there.

This morning I had some business in Chatham, so took a walk at O'Neil Nature Reserve (aka Paxton's Bush).  It is pretty neat to see the large trees there, and the good variety of Carolinian-type trees.

In the history corner, it was 99 years ago this week the Glenlyon foundered on Lake Superior. This vessel was a visitor to Wallaceburg in 1915 and 1921.  Here are some photos of its attempt to turn at downtown Wallaceburg (1921)!

The following link has some information on the vessel:

https://iri.forest.mtu.edu/Shipwrecks/Pages/Glenlyon.htm

More Running Around, and Some Halloween Birding

 

Sunday I had the notion to go up to Ipperwash and check the lake.  The wind was not right for a good lake passage of birds.  In other words, I should not have looked at the forecast!

Views from my vantage point:

Kettle Point in the distant background

After some lakewatching, I headed down to Forest lagoons.  There were lots of ducks there, but very skittish.  I had to count most of them in the air, since they flushed.  There was good variety, including two Blue-winged Teal.

A young Northern Shrike was making some rounds on this dismal day.

A couple of ravens went by at one point.  They are fairly regular in north Lambton anymore, as they have expanded their range southward.

In the shrubbery, a few Fox Sparrows were evident.  My favourite sparrow type!

Monday, I wanted to stay close to home, but early in the day I got word of three Purple Sandpipers at Erieau pier.  So much for that idea!

Long story short, I was about a half hour too late in arriving, as they were nowhere to be found.  I likely would have seen them if I had left right away, but I delayed my departure about a half hour. Still lots of chance to see one this year.

For consolation, I checked out the Erieau marsh trail.  

There were loads of birds, especially sparrows.  Warblers included the usual Yellow-rumped, a Blackpoll, a Nashville, a Palm and a Common Yellowthroat.  The one I saw was a dull female.

It was nice to see a lot of birds, so the day was not lost.

Today, I headed down to Rondeau and area for some Halloween thrills.  

The weather forecast was useless.  Sunday, they said it was to be a decent day, then Monday they said mostly rain for Tuesday.  But, the skies were mostly clear today, and little wind!  It was actually a pleasant day, so a word of advice, do not have much faith in weather forecasts!

I started with a lakewatch at dog beach.  Lots of ducks, grebes (Horned) and loons.

Coming back to the parking lot, Steve and I found a multitude of passerines.  Right away, I spotted a yellowish bird, which turned out to be an Eastern Palm Warbler (or "Yellow" Palm Warbler).  

I usually see one of these each year.

I moved on to south point trail, which was fairly birdy in some spots.  A couple of 'latish' Blackpoll Warblers were hanging out together, but I failed to get decent photos.

There were lots of Eastern Bluebirds at one point.

I did the usual walk to the Washout".

Site of the old campground office!

I walked back along the beach.  The sun had come back out at this point.

I found a Fatmucket mussel shell at one point.  It looked remarkably similar to one I photographed a few weeks ago.  I do not see how it could be the same one!

After the park, I stopped by Keith McLean Conservation Lands.  It was quite pleasant there, and I was looking forward to some decent birding.

Vesper Sparrow

Not long after arriving, I received word of a Cattle Egret on Lagoon Road north.  Well, I had to go see that since I missed the others this year!  In typical fashion, it was with cattle.

After getting a glimpse of the stocky little egret, I went back down the road to the lagoons.  Bonaparte's Gulls were the bird of the day here.  Over 1000 were there, but nothing else was with with, surprisingly.

There were lots of ducks to sort through.

Shorebirds included a single Least Sandpiper at the back.

Others included three Greater Yellowlegs, a couple of Dunlin, lots of Killdeer, and the surprise of the day, a Sanderling.  It was in the sprinklers cells!

A Sanderling is not usually found at a sewage lagoon.  Occasionally, some birders report them at lagoons, but I think mis-ID's are involved in some cases.  They are almost always along the beaches.

It was first here for both Steve and I.

Greater Yellowlegs

On to some November birding......