Week In Review and OFO Convention

 Lots of birding going on in the last week!  The Ontario Field Ornithologists annual convention was the highlight this past weekend.  Headquartered in Sarnia, it was nice to have it close to home!

Ontario Field Ornithologists logo

Bird sightings are recorded each convention just to see what can be found in the area.  They can be recorded on eBird, sharing with OFO.  On Friday, I toured locally on my own before heading up to Sarnia for the Friday evening event, which is called 'Birds and Beers'.  And yes, beer was available!

I did record Bobolink and White-crowned Sparrow at Wilkesport, first for this year's convention.  The sparrow was the first one of the fall for me.

The meeting was at the Dante Club in Sarnia.  Friday's highlight was the usual bird quiz, put on by Sarah Rupert.  As always, it was frustrating.  But fun!

Field trips are held in the general area.  On Saturday, I chose the heritage forest at Port Franks, led by Jeremy Hatt.  Birds were a bit scarce, but there was enough passing through to keep up our interest.  I did not carry the camera this day.

At L-Lake, we recorded the only Wood Thrush of the weekend.

Afterwards, I checked out the shoals at Kettle Point, then moved on to Sarnia.  One last walk on my own was at the Blackwell Landfill, and north end of Perch Creek Habitat.  I managed to see an Olive-sided Flycatcher, was at the time was first for the convention.  While watching that, a Virginia Rail called behind me!

The evening event was again held at the Dante Club.  As with every year, a Distinguished Ornithologist award is give to some individual.  This year, it was Doug McRae who worked at Presque Isle Provincial Park, among other places.  With a storied career, it was well-deserved.

When the OFO convention was at Kingston many years ago, I camped at the provincial park. I birded with him one morning out to High Bluff Island.

Sunday, I went out on my own, checking out Mitchell's Bay area.  It was fairly good for birds.  I recorded the only Purple Martins and a Long-billed Dowitcher for the convention!

I went to both the south and north shore trails.

Harrier of the north

Not sure if this Brown Thrasher was sending me a message or not....

At the south end, there were many Wilson's Snipe.  Close to twenty, with a flock of 13 at one point.

There is excellent shorebird habitat at the north end, and this is where the dowitcher was.

Long-billed Dowitcher (highly cropped)

Lots of American Pipits were moving Sunday morning.  At least 60 were present on my visit.

This morning, I did the same thing, but there was a lot less bird activity.  

Parula from the north

The dowitcher was not to be seen today.  Lots of Greater Yellowlegs around though.

The potential for a rare heron is high there!  Lots of Great Egrets only.

This afternoon, I went for a short walk at Reid Conservation Lands.  Trees are turning early this fall due to stress from lack of rain.

Hardly a bird, as usual, but I looked for insects.  Highlight was a Metric Paper Wasp, which is apparently critically imperiled.

A few butterflies, including this Peck's Skipper.

Lots of sulphurs today..

Some insects of the past week:

Least Skipper

Lance-tipped Darner

Viceroy

And, a Coyote at Bickford Oak Woods.  I fumbled too much with the camera....

A good week all in all!

Recent Findings During a Windy Week

 Although I have been quite busy with my mother's estate dealings recently, I have managed to get out each day.  It is a chance to get my mind off things!

The last number of days have been very windy. Seemed to be no end to the stiff winds!

Last Wednesday, I headed into Elgin County to look around, then stopped by a friend's place for lunch.

There was not much in the way of birds, but I checked out some familiar places.  Included was E. M. Warwick Conservation Area near Eagle.

Distant Bluff

It is a cozy little place with a trail in the gully to the beach.  Used to be a viewing tower there, but the eroding bluff took care of that years ago.

In the afternoon, I went for a walk at Reid CA.  With the cooler weather this year compared to last, things are way behind.  Some Virginia Spring Beauty was trying to pop up.

Thursday it was a Rondeau visit.  Some early arrivals included Eastern Phoebe and Fox Sparrow.

A leftover from winter included a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the campground.

The Eurasian Wigeon was still present, but too distant for a photo (again).

Saturday, I went in the other direction and visited Point Pelee!  Little to note there, but Hillman Marsh had some early shorebirds including Pectoral Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs.  

Nearby, a pair of Sandhill Cranes was standing around.

Sunday it was back to Rondeau, but the only notable things was the continuing Eurasian Wigeon.

Monday, another walk at Reid CA revealed a croaking Common Raven passing through.  I was in the trees when I heard it, so ran out to the open to see it.  I was a bit late with camera!

I suspect it is nesting in the area, but I do not know where!

A visit there always included a search for river mussels.  Just the usuals this visit.

Mapleleaf

Deertoe

March 25 was my mother's birthday, so it was a bit of a sad day.  I had hoped she would make it to that date, but it was not to be.

In the morning, I went for a walk at Mitchell's Bay.  Some early Great Egrets had already arrived, and there were lots of ducks to look at on the Bay.

Red-breasted Merganser

In the evening, I was bored, so decided to head out to Stewart Wetland for a short walk.  On the way there along Langstaff Line, I encountered a Short-eared Owl!  It flew right over the car near hwy 40.  On the way back, it was still hunting the same area!  I had no camera....

Wednesday morning,  I took a walk at Reid CA.  A freshly-fallen tree had lots of Hypoxylon Canker on it.  Sounds scary!

In the afternoon, I worked my way up to Sarnia and eventually went to the Lambton Wildlife Meeting in the evening.  It was a wonderful presentation by Alastair MacKenzie of Pinery.

I stopped by Moore WMA for a bit.  The usual mussels were littered along the bank, but a less common one included Paper Pondshell.  Imperiled in Ontario.

After supper, I sat by the Bluewater Bridge, an iconic spot for generations.  French Fries and passing ships......some of the memories!

Here is a view at the same spot when I was very young!  My grandfather in front, and my oldest cousin Michael Abraham in the middle.  Not sure what I was holding....

Today was a rather nice day, but few birds.  However, I did go down to Rondeau to look around.  The standby Eurasian Wigeon was still on the Bay.  It was even farther out today, so yet again no chance for a photo!  Might be two out there.

This afternoon warmed up fairly well, so I went for another walk at Reid CA.  A long one!  Some Eastern Commas were flying.

Plant growth is quite retarded compared to last year, so little to see.  Although I did pick out some things just popping up.

Purple Cress

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

The Virginia Spring Beauty from a week ago looked no different!

Harbinger of Spring has not even shown yet, although, I wonder if this is it.

I looked for mussels again.  Many Mapleleaf as usual. Common here.

However, a Three-horn Wartyback was a stellar find.  First for here!  Critically imperiled in Ontario.

Some Common Garter Snakes were slithering around on the forest floor.

Good days ahead.........

Prowls, Owls and Other Things

 It was a fairly quiet week, needless to say.  The weather has certainly been the talk of the town lately with the lack of sun and dismal conditions.  We finally saw some blue sky and sun this afternoon after an absence of 13 days!  

I prowled around to various spots this week, just to keep occupied.  

Robins seem to be everywhere.  A few were at Reid CA on a walk on Wednesday.

We always have some wintering, but seems to be more than usual this winter.

Not many birds, as usual, so one looks at other things.

Crowded Parchment

There are lots of Tundra Swans around (they never left!) and some are heading north already as spring migrants it seems.

Lone Tundra Swan at Ridgetown

After I visited Rondeau for a lakewatch (lots of White-winged Scoters and Red-throated Loons are around!), I swung around to Ridgetown lagoons.   An obvious wintering Green-winged Teal was on ice.

There was only a small open water section, where a few ducks were hanging out.

It was  dark and gloomy day, and only got worse as the  day wore on.  (Lots of snow in north Chatham-Kent!).

Wednesday I attended a meeting at Sarnia in the evening, so I headed out early in the afternoon to check out the St. Clair River.  Although a touch better than last year, it is terribly disappointing again.  With climate change upon us, I think it is something we have to get used to.  There is no need for waterfowl to congregate in the river when the lakes are open.

Not a Common Gull!

At dusk, I made an effort to look for Short-eared Owls at a known location.  I was not disappointed, but unable to get proper photos, after seeing three individuals.  This was the best I could do as it was getting too dark and the bird was distant.

There seems to be quite a few around in various locations this winter, but not like it used to be.  There is so little habitat left for feeding opportunities, they are difficult to find.  In the past it was not a problem in pastures north of Wallaceburg.  Try and find a pasture anymore!

Everybody likes owls, but we tend not to post locations anymore as there seems to be too many over-zealous birders/photographers anymore.

Here are some photos from the past.

Yesterday, I needed to check out a different area.  Near home, it was just the same-old, same-old!  I went into Elgin County, and went as far as Port Stanley.  There are lots of little areas to check out, but I stuck to the main roads.  It was a better day, with a couple very short bouts of sun.

I first stopped at Port Glasgow, then went to John E. Pearce Provincial Park for a walk.  The Storey Wetland is here, and I thought of World Wetlands Day (for this day, February 2).  I saw no groundhogs either!

I encountered Eastern Bluebirds in a couple of spots for the first time this year.

Near Port Stanley lagoons, I saw three Turkey Vultures.  For whatever reason, 'TV's' winter in the Port Stanley area (there was even a Black Vulture a few years ago!).

a quick photo from the car window

The Port was not too productive.  A pair of Ruddy Ducks are hanging out in the harbour.

A lone Bald Eagle was standing vigil on the breakwater.

I did quite a bit of driving around on the way home, but nothing of note came my way.  But after-all, it is a "quiet" winter.

Today, I was due for a long walk, so opted to do the marsh trail at Rondeau.  Although still cloudy (what's new?), it was dead calm and quite pleasant.  It was good for hearing things at long distances.

I walked all the way to Long Pond.  The marsh was still mostly frozen though, so waterfowl was limited.

Distant Tundra Swans in Long Pond

American Tree Sparrows were quite numerous, and a few Song and Swamp, as well as a couple of White-throated Sparrows rounded out the sparrow department.  A pair of Eastern Towhees was a highlight, but they stayed hidden in the underbrush after a brief view.

Perhaps more notable was a Common Raven that I could hear croaking all the way across the Bay!  I found out that another birding party, whom I had just met a bit earlier, heard it as well.  Goes to show how quiet the air was today.

Ravens have expanded their range south considerably in recent years.  One only has to look at the eBird or atlas data (which was shown on a Zoom meeting the other night).  They are still quite rare in Chatham-Kent, but it is not unusual to find one in Lambton County where there are now numerous nesting records.

Rondeau Raven from the past

After some good exercise out marsh trail, I briefly checked the north end of the campground which was very quiet.

It was then over to Keith McLean Conservation Lands where there was some activity.  Lots of Cedar Waxwings and American Robins were working the grounds back of the house.  They seemed to like the Bradford Pear tree (terribly aggressive non-native species) which was bearing fruit.

The waxwings also were around the pond where the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was last year.

I optimistically look for Bohemian in any waxwing flock, but to no avail during today's encounter.

While there, three Pine Siskins came in.  They have been scarce this winter around here, so nice to see.

Lots of blackbirds are around, many of which never left!  Today a male Red-winged Blackbird was in the neighbour's yard, which is likely a spring migrant at this point.