OFO Convention Weekend 2022

 This past weekend, many of us were pleased to return to an in-person Ontario Field Ornithologist's convention, after three years.  It was centred at Point Pelee.  Everything was pretty-much back to normal!  Indeed there was some concern with over 200 people mingling in a building, since COVID is still out there.  However, life must go on.

The convention is always a three day event where everyone is out birding in many different areas.  Friday evening has a dinner meeting with a speaker (this year:  Mike Cadman about the Breeding Bird Atlas), and a unique and famous bird quiz designed by Sarah Rupert.

Saturday evening is the main event with vendors and displays, a super dinner, bucket draw, AGM, Distinguished Ornithologist Award, Certificates of Appreciation and a keynote speaker.  It is a wonderful social event, and this year it was especially nice to see and talk to fellow birders after COVID shut things down two and a half years ago.

The bucket draw is especially popular, raising funds for the OFO.  I lucked out this year, winning three times!  I guess it made up for past years where I did not have have luck with me to get anything.

Besides winning a calendar from Hillardton Marsh, ironically, I won some things from Algonquin!

The keynote speaker was Merilyn Simonds, author of Woman, Watching, a biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, an early citizen scientist who retreated in midlife to a log cabin in the bush to study songbirds.  Available on Amazon!  

After being home for one night from my recent trip, I started Friday by checking out the Mitchell's Bay South Shore nature trail.  There were a lot of warblers, but most were streaming north and difficult to ID.

Northern Parula

I then headed to Point Pelee for some birding. Around mid-day, things looked good for butterflies, so I checked out west beach trail south of the VC.  I walked the one section three times!

I found lots of Fiery Skippers (~12) and a few other things.

On my first pass, I noticed a brown skipper, but I was looking into the sun.  Hmm, there is not much choice this time of year for a brown skipper, but this one had longish wings.  I knew what it was!  I was looking at an Ocola Skipper!  A good rarity, but not entirely unexpected this time of year.

This was my third for Point Pelee, and fourth overall.  I once found one at Erieau Marsh trail, a first Chatham-Kent record.

Birding was fairly good the rest of the day.

Saturday was overcast most of the time and there were fewer birds around as we scoured the landscape.

Sunday was rainy (yep, the weekend!), so I headed to Erieau for a lakewatch with Steve Charbonneau.  The only highlight was a Trumpeter Swan, not all that common in C-K.

After some time, we decided to check out the Marsh trail, and it was a good choice!  The sun was coming out by this time, so it lightened the mood.

The OFO group was just starting there, so we forged ahead.  Just past the viewing stand, Steve got excited and shouted out Brant!  I took a look and it sure looked like one, a Holy S**t bird!  Good photos could not be obtained though.

I kept eyes on it, while Steve went back to the OFO group to inform them.  The Brant took flight and I lost it over the edge of the Bay.  We eventually found it further along, but views were not stellar.

The OFO group did manage to see it, thankfully.  It again took flight and we lost it.  Steve went to the church down the road to scope the shoreline, and sure enough it could be seen for others to tally.

Brant is really a mega-rarity for Chatham-Kent!  It is only seen every few years, and I think I have only seen it once when three were at Erieau in late October 2002.

It was seen again this morning for some local birders. I think it is the best bird of the convention!

With many birders scouring the area over the weekend, almost every bird out there will be recorded.  Although I do not have the totals, it may be a record tally for the convention.

Next year's convention is at Peterborough, where it was supposed to be in 2020 before the COVID mess shut things down.  Looking forward to that!

OFO official logo:

Rondeau Area Birding October 10

I was up bright and early this morning to head down to Rondeau Park.  I met up with Steve Charbonneau to check out the sights.

It turned out to be a productive day for the first day of Thanksgiving weekend.  As I mentioned before, this weekend tends to produce some good birding.

I took a quick look at Dog Beach before starting on south point trail.  With last week's storm, tons of sand has been moved around!  The little pond there that formed after a storm a few years ago has nearly filled in.

Out on the lake were a few early Tundra Swans.  Seems that many have shown up rather early this fall, as several have been reported already.

On south point trail, we ended up with about 11 species of warblers including some Pine, Yellow-rumped, Tennessee, Black-throated Blue, among others.

Northern Parula

Several Blue-headed Vireos were scattered around, but that turned out to be the only vireo type of the day.

Only a few sparrows, including Chipping.

Along the shoreline where massive erosion has occurred over the last year or so, the beach has grown immensely.

Last week's winds and waves have moved in a lot of sand!  The shoreline now has a reprieve.

We checked the visitor centre area and the only things of interest were a couple of park employees dressed for Halloween.  Dorothy, of the Wizard of Oz had a beard which was pretty scary.  A good witch (Pilar) paid us a visit.

Out next stop was at maintenance and a walk down Harrison Trail.  It was a productive area as well.  A couple of American Redstarts were actively working the fence line.

Down the trail, the highlight was a late Black-billed Cuckoo, probably the latest I have seen one.

We saw the first Fox Sparrows of the fall here.

After this, we headed towards Blenheim Lagoons.  At New Scotland, a hummingbird crossed my path--probably a Black-chinned.

The lagoons were also quite productive and it was evident hundreds of swallows were present.  I estimated around 500 Tree Swallows.  At least one Barn Swallow was among them.

At the sprinkler cells, a number of shorebirds were present. Needless to say, Willie the Willet was still in fine form.

Lots of White-rumped Sandpipers were feeding--we estimated 70.  There has been an incredible invasion of them into southern Ontario in the last week or so.  They must have been blown off course somehow since we do not usually see this many.

A single Long-billed Dowitcher was present as well as a single Least Sandpiper.
We also saw the Red-necked Phalarope in one of the ponds.

Lots of butterflies are still around including several worn Bronze Coppers.

After the lagoon visit, I almost went home, but decided to take one more quick walk down at Erieau's marsh trail.  There were not too many birds, unless you could count the 10,000 ducks on the Bay!

Just before I finished my walk, I spotted a skipper!  This time of year there is not much choice of skippers, but I recognized this as an Ocola Skipper.

Recently, a few have been reported in southern Ontario.  We see these only every few years.  I have only seen one other, that at Point Pelee a few years ago in October.

More stuff tomorrow....

Two Good Skippers at Point Pelee!

With not much left in the season, I took advantage of the nice weather and spent some time at Point Pelee looking for butterflies. I was not disappointed!

There were not many butterflies, but two rare ones made the day. About 11:00, I came across a dark skipper with elongated wings. I knew it was something unusual, but not sure of the species. Ocola Skipper crossed my mind.

Ocola Skipper at Point Pelee October 11

I was able to share my sighting with Kevin McLaughlin who came along only five minutes later and we were almost certain that it was Ocola. I took several photos.

The distinctive feature of this butterfly is that the forewings are elongated. This was the feature that struck me from the very start. This individual was somewhat worn and rather co-operative for observation.

For Ocola Skipper at Point Pelee, there are records for 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2006 according to Alan Wormington.

Later, I decided to walk the trail again, and was not disappointed. I came across a Common Checkered Skipper! Another lifer! This species had been seen in previous weeks outside the park, so this was bound to be seen inside the park.

The checkered was not as co-operative, as it seemed to be on a mission. As well, I was looking into the sun which did not help matters. I did get a poor photo of mostly the underwing.

Common Checkered Skipper

Other butterflies included Eastern Comma, Northern Crescent, Monarch, Clouded and Orange Sulphurs, Cabbage White.

Outside the park at a clover field, I saw some Fiery Skippers.

Fiery Skipper

Regarding birds, there were a few things. Lots of White-throated Sparrows, kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers. A few Palm Warblers and a couple of Blackpoll Warblers were around as well.

Palm Warbler

At the Tip, ducks were on the move including a Black Scoter, some Surf Scoters, scaup, and Ruddy Ducks. Horned Grebes were around as well. One one Common Loon.

Lots of Killdeer were moving.