New Year's CBC

We started off the New Year with one last CBC--the St. Clair NWA.  Although the relative temperature was not terribly cold, the wind chill made it unbearable.  As a result, we spent little time out of the car!

Milder years are much better with open water and much waterfowl.  It is not often we get a winter like this.

I checked out the wildlife area with Pete Read and Don Pye.  Normally we would walk the dike and Balmoral Line, but it was out of the question today.  There would not be much, if anything, along the dike.  Most birds would have been long gone or dead by now!

I arrived a bit earlier and scouted around.  On the way there, I saw two Snowy Owls along Heron Line in their usual position (way out).

One here

Several groups of Snow Buntings were seen along the way.  They do not mind this weather!

We decided to go by car down Balmoral Line.  There was a small open water area where geese and ducks were packed--only kept open because they stay there.  It was difficult to pick out anything different, and we could not stay out of the car any length of time.

However, there were two Northern Pintail and a single male Northern Shoveler mixed in with 2000+ Mallard and Black ducks.

A lone Tundra Swan, which we assumed was still alive, kept its head down the whole time.

Near the end of Balmoral Line, we encountered a group of Rusty Blackbirds working along the ditch out of the wind.

Once in a while, we get Brewer's Blackbird on this count, but not today.

We arrived back at the parking lot and noticed a bird under the Red Cedar alongside the ditch.  We got a little closer and I realized it was a Gray Catbird!  Of all the things to find out there this winter....

I am not sure if it will survive much longer as the weather is supposed to get even colder this week.

I believe I have seen one other catbird on this count when we checked out Bradley many years ago.

We decided to try a walk, but only got to the little bridge.  It was pointless to go any further!

By this time it was about 11:30 and we were pretty much done.  To accommodate everyone, the areas are small and there is not enough to go around for a full day's work anymore.  Just as well, it was pretty bleak out there today!  However, this count is always a good way to start off the New Year.

And of course, this count is known for the crows.

Early morning feed

Good Friday Birding 2017

This morning I headed down to Rondeau Provincial Park. There had not been much of a movement of birds the last couple of days, but it was nice to look around.  I met up with Steve Charbonneau on south point trail and we checked out various locations.
More Ruby-crowned Kinglets were in, and were almost equal in number to its Golden counterpart.
As we headed up Lakeshore Road, we kept an eye out for the resident White-winged Dove.  We found it alongside the road opposite cottage #17168 where it was collecting sticks.

It took the sticks to the top of a stove chimney in a fruitless effort to make a nest to attract a mate.

It did this several times, and was doing it a few hours later when I went by.  I assume the sticks were just sliding off the shiny chimney top!
It seems to like shiny surfaces.

A walk of TTT and SBT did not reveal a Louisiana Waterthrush, but it is likely still around in one of the sloughs.  I guess it only appears on weekdays (non-holidays) !

Rusty Blackbird

We also walked a bit north of the VC along Harrison where a couple of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and a Pine Warbler have been hanging out the last couple of days.
I only came across 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers in five hours in the park.  There seems to be more farther north, just like last year!  I came across about a dozen at Peers Wetland late Wednesday, the most I have seen yet this year.

I drove around quite a bit afterwards.  One stop was the marsh trail at Erieau where there was very little.  Highlight there was a flyover flock of Lapland Longspur.

Stefina Line produced a couple of Eastern Meadowlarks and a Wilson's Snipe--something that is possible in the dead of winter there!

Ridgetown lagoons produced nothing of note--just a lot of ducks and geese.

Swallow with rough wings

This evening was quite nice so I went for a walk at Stewart Wetland west of Wallaceburg.  A Lesser Yellowlegs was still present and across the way (Walpole Island), an American Bittern was calling.  It was a first-of-year for me.

Tomorrow will be quite balmy, but with the likelihood of rain.  I would expect some migrants to come in.

Easter Phoebe #34

Depths of Winter Birding-Point Pelee

I was due for a visit to Point Pelee, so that is where I went!  The weather was good today, although a little too windy in the open areas.  It was nice to see the sun as we have not had much of it in the last month.
I usually start at the Tip in the park, but given the conditions today, I opted to begin at Shuster Trail.  This trail is one of the better spots to check in the dead of winter.
Most birds were towards the east end of the trail and along the beach.  I guess they were getting out of the wind and taking advantage of the morning sun!

East Beach

I came across a Rusty Blackbird in the undergrowth.  At first I thought it was a Gray Catbird (Jeremy Bensette had one here yesterday), but it took a while to get a good look to see what it was.

A bit later, I saw the bird along the beach for better views.

There were several White-throated Sparrows along the edge of the beach, among other birds. Included were 3 Northern Flickers.

White-throated Sparrow on Sumac

I took the long walk up through Tilden's Woods and up to the cemetery.  There was not much in the way of bird activity though.

high Hermit Thrush!

Getting back to the parking lot, I decided to head out Shuster again, where I met up with Jeremy Bensette and Kory Renaud.  We had more looks at the Rusty Blackbird, as well as a Hermit Thrush and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Hermit Thrush on Sumac

Next stop was De Laurier where we watched a perched Great Horned Owl.
There were numerous Golden-crowned Kinglets, but near the end of the trail, I spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

After a snack, I headed over to Hillman Marsh.  I had hopes of finding a Marsh Wren, but it was very windy along the shorebird cell.
Kory met up with me and we checked the boardwalk area where I had a Marsh Wren just over a year ago. No luck!

After parting ways, I headed down Mersea Rd. 2 and encountered a mixed flock of blackbirds.  They were spread out all around a house and in the trees, so I was not able to get a good count of what was there.
Many Red-winged Blackbirds, cowbirds and starlings were within this flock of a few hundred.

On the way home, I never saw a Snowy Owl so perhaps some from last week have moved on.

Jeremy looking at the Ruby-crowned

Pipits A-Plenty!

The weather was horrible today, but one must get out.  It was picture-perfect yesterday of course but I did not seen much after getting off work early.

I thought a trip to Point Pelee was in order today.  At least the forecast freezing rain never materialized, but upon my arrival there it started to rain.

Icy Tip Trail

As I drove into the park it was still fairly dark, but birds were getting up off the road as usual.  Some were American Pipits!

The last couple of days, large numbers of American Pipits have been reported especially along Lake Erie.
Today there were simply everywhere.  One could go anywhere and find them as they were in the woods, on trails, roads, beaches, fields, lawns, etc.  Quite a sight to see.

Despite the soggy day, there was a decent SW wind so I stood watch at the Tip.  Three Killdeer were working the beach (and woods!) the whole morning.  I saw up to five plus a dead one.

Not many gulls were moving today, so only the usual four species.  There was a variety of ducks including a couple of Long-tailed.
The large raft of mainly scaup, is still off the east side.
Around two dozen Horned Grebes went by, but only 4 Common Loons.

Lots of Rusty Blackbirds were around today and some were working the beach.

Around mid morning, Kory Renaud and Jeremy Hatt joined me for the watch.  Things got slow after a while so we discarded the scopes in our cars and walked up to Sparrow Field.  It was rather quiet, but lots of pipits were encountered again.

Road Pipit

Shrubs are heavily-laden with ice on the west side making for some interesting scenery.

De Laurier was very quiet (except for pipits) as we made a short walk.

Out in the 'onion field' area dozens of more pipits were seen.  At one point I came across three Ring-necked Pheasants.  Nice to see as they are not seen too often anymore.

At the same location were at least 6 White-crowned Sparrows.




On the way to Wheatley Harbour, I noticed this lone Double-crested Cormorant on the ice.  (There were more comorants at Wheatley).














In the harbour there were lots of Bonaparte's Gulls.  Right away I picked out an adult Little Gull.  It was not a good day for the camera (or operator), so this photo will have to do.

The grebes have departed, but this young Pied-billed was swimming where the Eared Grebe was last week.

"the alien"

I decided to do a short walk into Wheatley PP in case the Green Heron was still visible.  Everything was frozen as expected, and the heron was not at the location it was last week.

Hundreds of Tundra Swans were noted again in the fields of Dover Township on the way home. Some geese too, but I had no ambition to get the scope out!

gull mania at Wheatley