An Early Influx

 Sunday looked promising for a fallout of migrants with the warm southerly winds finally kicking in.  Even the bird radar looked quite impressive.  Indeed, it turned out to be a wonderful day to look for spring migrants along Lake Erie.

I was down to Rondeau quite early Sunday morning in anticipation of some good birds.  We started at south point trail, east.

Warblers were not overly abundant, but a good variety was tallied by late morning.  It was some other passerines that actually took the show.

Activity was best closer to the lakeshore it seemed, and we soon found some flycatchers, with some personal early dates I might add!

Steve and I got on a flycatcher that seemed a bit different.  We chased it around a bit taking careful notes.  Although it did not vocalize, all the boxes were checked for Acadian.  Very early for one and probably record early for here!  We often do not look for them until the second week of May.  It did not co-operate for a photo though.

Soon after, Dolan spotted a Great-crested Flycatcher in the tree tops.  Another early date!  It too did not want to be photographed.

Could be record early here as well!

We soon found several Least Flycatchers as well.

The star of the morning for us was a Summer Tanager!  It appeared to be an female with a reddish tone.  Some do look like this.

Probably record early for Rondeau, but I do not have the data.

Several first-of-year warblers were tallied, as well as thrushes and sparrows.

There was a sighting of a Worm-eating Warbler farther down south point west, so we walked that trail to the lake next. 

This turned out to be thrush alley, with numerous Swainson's Thrushes, Hermit Thrushes, a Veery and a few Wood Thrushes.  Swainson's were  exceptionally numerous for this date.

We never turned up the Worm-eating, but it was an enjoyable walk sorting through the numerous birds (mostly kinglets!), some first of year.

Orioles, Indigo Buntings and hummingirds also came in, along with Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.  We did not see a Baltimore, but a couple of Orchard were around.  These too were a few days earlier than usual.

Point Pelee also had stellar birding, but I was quite happy with the day at Rondeau Park.

Butterflies were out too.  We saw five species.

American Painted-Lady

May Day

Some things are so predictable!  With practically no birds to look at on the weekend, lots came in Monday morning (and today).
Large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers finally arrived. I checked my usual spots on the way to work each morning.  At Port Lambton there were about 30 Yellow-rumps, a Baltimore Oriole and other birds yesterday.  Rose-breasted Grosbeak greeted me as I went out the door yesterday.
Gray Catbirds arrived today. One in the yard, and a couple at Brander as well.

Today, a little more variety at Brander Park.  Among many Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Pine, Black-and-White, Yellow, Black-throated Green (2), and Palm (4).  I stopped in after work also and spent quite a bit of time there.  I added a male Orchard Oriole, heard a Solitary Sandpiper and had the FOY Black Terns fly over.  Port Lambton and the sewage lagoons (just behind Brander Park) are always good for lots of Black Terns.  I have had groups of up to 200+ birds there on occasion.  Of course that is where the White-winged Tern showed up in 1991 (and 1992!).
I took a walk at Stewart Wetland as well.  More Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers!  A couple of Lesser Yellowlegs and a Wilson's Snipe were present.  There have been lots of snipe there this year.

Palm Warblers

Looking back on records, May 1 can be all over the map for seeing migrant birds.  I have been keeping notes ever since I started birding and it is interesting to compare dates each year with regard to bird sightings.  Obviously we started out with some early stuff this year, but generally things have been slow to show!

Green Heron still at Brander!