St. Clair River Scenes

This afternoon turned out quite nice.  Sunny and calm!  And, a nice sunset to end the day.
The morning was different.  We woke up to 10+ cm of snow!  It was clear when I went to bed last night and the forecast called for possibly (but not necessarily) up to 2 cm of snow.  Guess they were wrong again!

Stewart Wetland this morning

I was up to Sombra this evening to attend a function at the museum.  Just prior to the event, I took a couple of photos along the river.  It was very calm.

The Sombra ferry is primed to take up extra traffic now that the old Bluewater Bridge span is closed for over 3 months for rehabilitation.

A few hundred Long-tailed Ducks are still around the Sombra area among the other ducks.  Last year we had several Red-necked Grebes at this time.  I wonder where they are this year?!.

Last evening I was up to Sarnia to attend an interesting presentation on Purple Martins.  Richard (not of the afternoon shift fame) Carr and his wife Susan from Walpole Island gave the talk.  They have erected several martin houses around the Island and Richard bands them.  One of the interesting things he mentioned is that some of the birds return each year to the very same nesting structure.
Last year they were able to get funding for geo-locaters, so they will be looking for returning birds.

Ships are starting to move on the lakes.  These ones at Sarnia are ready to go.

Here is the same location in mid-February.  The Algoma Olympic left last week.

I have been checking out the St. Clair River all my life.  lol!

A Little Gulling

Still too cold for this time of year, but I headed down to Rondeau Park first thing this morning.  I had the intention of watching the lake off south point trail. It was quite cool with the wind and all that thick ice along the shore.

Hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls were on the move and I kept watch for others like Little Gull  Sure enough, I spotted one adult.  Most gulls were fairly far out though.

Little Gull (right)

After it moved on, I spotted another that milled about for a while.  Also present was a young Glaucous Gull far out.
Thoughts of seeing a Black-headed today were dashed after I got restless when most of the gulls had moved on.

My first tern of the year, a Forster's, was also among the mass of gulls.  Common have been seen too.

Not much was along the trail, but a few Fox Sparrows were in and singing away.
Jim Burk and I walked along Gardiner Avenue and spotted a male Eastern Bluebird low along a slough.  Seemed like an odd spot for one, but it certainly stuck out.
We also located a Cooper's Hawk nest. They nest in the vicinity every year.

Sloughs are Full!

A walk of the campground revealed very little other than another singing Fox Sparrow and a Field Sparrow which was perhaps a winter holdover.

Quite a few ducks could be seen at Shrewsbury, but nothing unusual.  One wonders where that Eurasian Wigeon went....

Erieau was rather quiet except for a good number of Bonaparte's Gulls in the channel and off the lighthouse.
After a quick lunch in Blenheim, I drove by the sewage lagoons and noticed a Purple Martin flying along the fence.  Although we have had them this time of year and eBird lists them as rare, this individual was probably wondering what is with the cold weather!

Not a Black-headed Gull!

Tomorrow looks like a more promising day....finally. So keep smiling!

Fall Tour

Went to Point Edward this morning.  There was a NW wind, but perhaps too westerly and not strong enough.  We so rarely get good winds on the weekend, I had to try!  It didn't pan out.  The only interesting bird was a Purple Martin flying by.  Very late for them.  This one headed over to Michigan.

My friend Tim Snieder showed up, who was home from Guelph for the weekend.  He had a good day up Kettle Point/Grand Bend yesterday.  He found a Le Conte's Sparrow at Grand Bend S. L.--another one of those immatures! 
I seem to run into Tim unexpectantly in odd places.  Last fall I met him out in the "boonies" (not bonies!) near Port Stanley, then previous to that up in Algonquin Park in August 2009.

On the way home I stopped for a walk at Reid CA.  Several species of sparrows popped up, but it was rather quiet.  Almost forgot, another American Woodcock popped up.  Obviously lots moving through right now.  You don't know they are there until....POOF!

In the afternoon I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take one last ride in my boat on the Snye.  It will be lifted in a week.

Yesterday there were lots of Common Buckeyes at Point Pelee.  In the fall, the underside is reddish, and they are called the rosa form.

Let's hope for a good wind next weekend either for Point Pelee or Point Edward....