Early October Things--Usually Nothing Of Note!

 Time sure is flying by.  It has been well over a week since my last update--not that there has been a lot to talk about.  Birds are certainly thinning out, but it is the time of year we could have some rarities.

Brander Park, Port Lambton had been good around the end of September and beginning of October. More like the days I remember it!  I would usually stop there before and after work.

Pond Area

I have not been to Peers Wetland much for various reasons.  Zach's bench is going to a more natural state.  Fan-shaped jelly fungus is growing on it!

For those who follow Adam Shoalts, Zach was a friend that sometimes accompanied Adam on adventures.  Their trip  is featured in the book The Whisper on the Night Wind.

Last weekend was the annual Ontario Field Ornithologists convention, this year held at Leamington.  I just did the Saturday thing, starting with birding at De Laurier in Point Pelee National Park.  It was actually a "Big Sit", where we try and record as many bird species in one spot.  We ended up with an impressive 70+ species! from the parking lot!

It is amazing what you can see in one spot, as opposed to running around all over the place.

In the afternoon, I looked around for butterflies.  Some of the usuals were seen.

Common Buckeye

Common Painted-Lady

Highlight was a Cloudless Sulphur.  It fluttered around for the longest time, but eventually settled.

In the evening we attended the dinner and meeting at the Roma Club.

The next day I finally had a chance to go and see the young Purple Gallinule at Keith McLean C. L.  It took a while for it to pop out, but was in bad lighting.

There was rain to the north that made for an interesting sight.

I then walked Rondeau's marsh trail to half way, but did not see anything of note.....as usual!

Monday--nothing of note.

Tuesday was a nice day for going out Rondeau 's marsh trail.  Large number of Yellow-rumped Warblers, but as usual, nothing of note.

In the afternoon I went for  a walk locally.

Eastern Phoebe

Lots of Painted Lady around lately.

Wednesday I was at Brander Park.  Highlight was a Red-headed Woodpecker, but it took off before I could get close.

It was my first record for there, bringing my Brander Park species total to 214.  (Includes the river and lagoons adjacent).  I have a good run there since 1988!

Thursday I went to Mitchell's Bay. Not much to see.  While there, word came out that a pair of Hudsonian Godwits was at McLean's.  After going home and gathering gear, I headed down for those.

Northern Parula

I had a good feeling that some would show this week.  I missed them last year, so had to go!

Friday morning I went for some walks locally.  A few birds here and there.  A Tennessee Warbler was decent at McKeough.  Lots of robins there, but none of their cousins.

In the afternoon it was nice to go for a long walk at Reid C. L.

Nothing of note....of course!

Today was a fine day to check out Keith McLean C. L.  I spent over two hours looking around there.  The godwits were still present first thing, but soon took off never to be seen again (at least for today).

Lots of sparrows around.  I found only two Nelson's Sparrows, but as usual, no time to get a photo.

That was my main event for the day, other than a walk at Peers Wetland in the afternoon.  As usual there, nothing of note, and certainly not much!

Differential Grasshopper

Stink bugs have been plentiful lately.  A couple on the back porch today included these:

Green Burgundy Stink Bug

Soggy and Foggy This Week!

 Not much happened this week as the depressing weather kept things at bay. I did not have much ambition! We had a lot of fog, and Thursday night it rained heavily all night.  Everything was flooded by late Friday.

I walked Peers Wetland a couple of times this week.  More for exercise it seems.

A few birds were around the first time, but virtually nothing the second time.  At least I saw an American Goldfinch!

I checked out the St. Clair River a few times, and it is getting better for numbers of ducks.  However, there was nothing of note.

Today was a better day, and I went down to Rondeau Park.  It was dead calm, so one could hear quite well.  It was almost like early spring, with many birds singing.  Cardinals and Carolina Wrens were most vocal!  There were even lots of Red-winged Blackbirds...some singing!

I managed to find a couple of first-of-year species in the campground, including Field Sparrow and Cedar Waxwing.

Down on south point trail there is some ice along the shoreline to help protect the rapidly-eroding park shoreline in that area.

The concrete structure is now well out in the lake.  Difficult to imagine, this area was once a campground office!

Just before the "washout" area, I encountered the most birds, which included many waxwings, robins, purple finches, cardinals and a few Fox Sparrows.  I was only able to get a photo of a Cedar Waxwing, as shown above, as it fed on multi-flora rose berries.

I also walked Black Oak trail just for the heck of it.  At least one chipmunk has already emerged (or never did hibernate)!

I found the remains of a Leopard (I think) Frog.

That is it for this week!

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