Depths of Winter Birding at Rondeau

Under cloudless skies (whaaat?) I headed down to Rondeau Park this morning.  Roads were icy but I got there in good time.  I talked to Trena at the gate and she reminded me that park passes and entrance fees are going up considerably this year.  However, you can purchase a 2015-16 annual pass (for all Ontario Provincial Parks) at the current rate for $150.57 (inc. tax).  After April 1 it goes up to a painful $175.  Summer only passes are going from $107 to $125. They are now available.



Needless to say, one could not do much walking.  Snowshoes or skis would be beneficial in current conditions.  As well, it was unbearably cold!

I headed straight to the visitor centre to look at the feeders.

The male towhee was still present, but too shy to come to the feeder.  An unhappy Song Sparrow was looking for grub though.

The White-throated Sparrow was still present, but has long since given up trying to sing.

A female Red-winged Blackbird stood out among the crowd.

Other birds present were the usuals.

I slowly drove along the entire Lakeshore Road, but did not come across much.  I did walk a short distance into the campground and came across quite a few Golden-crowned Kinglets.  However, none of the Ruby type were found.

Hawks included 2 Red-tailed, 1 dark morph Rough-legged and a Northern Harrier.

And, you never know what you will find in Rondeau.....

I did not venture far into the countryside today.  At home, a third Common Redpoll showed up and 5 Pine Siskins which were not present yesterday.

Spring?

Marsh Tower at Rondeau

As I always like to get out on the weekends (since I work all week), today was no exception. However, what is with this ridiculous weather? It must be spring. It seems the weather is decent during the week, but come Friday, the clouds roll in, temperature drops and the winds pick up. Add to that, the rain. What's new?
I went to Rondeau anyway. Of course there was not much to see while one got soaked in gale force winds.
Song Sparrows have certainly come through in numbers. They were eveywhere. Other than Tree Sparrows, I am not sure what else was around for landbirds. Well, lots of blackbirds anyway.
The ducks are building up in numbers on the Bay.
Walking out Marsh Trail would have been bearable (lee side) except there is still lots of snow. Some drifts are very deep.

Marsh Trail

At Erieau, all three merganser species were present. Only a single Bonaparte's Gull was flying with Ring-billed Gulls. A couple of Coots left over from the winter were in the marina. Some did not make it through the winter.
As I arrived back home in early afternoon, I decided to check out the St. Clair River. About 50 Long-tailed Ducks were near Seager Park--a spot I like to sit for a while. They float downriver for a bit, then fly back upriver and repeat the procedure.
At Cathcart Park, some mergansers were in the canal. A pair each of Hooded and Common. Too bad there was not a Red-breasted pair for a complete set! Some were in the river though.

Cathcart Park is a good spot to look at waterfowl during the winter. It is popular park that has been there for a long time. It was actually a Provincial Park originally. The outlet of Clay Creek is here. The landscape has changed over the years. I found a post card in my collection (photo taken by Louis Pesha--a famous photographer whom I may write about at a later date) at Clay Creek. Pesha died October 1, 1912 so this scene is about 100 years ago.

Clay Creek c. 1910

This is the same spot today with shoreline "hardened":