Weekend Washout Cinnamon-Coated

Needless to say, the weekend curse continues.  Friday was a holiday and of course it rained.  If it was not a holiday the sun would have been out!  Saturday was even worse if that was conceivable.  We had a ridiculous amount of rain (again) and everything was flooded.  Face it folks, our weather patterns have significantly changed (for the worse).

Peers WETland

I was down to Rondeau on Friday and stuck it out in the rain.  At least it was not a torrential downpour.  It even stopped for a while for me to check out south point trail again.  I added a few birds that were hiding in the rain.  Included were some Pine Warblers and a Blue-headed Vireo among others.  House Wrens were first for the year as well.

Near the end of my stay at the park, I checked out beach access 2 where a number of birds were moving through including several Yellow-rumped Warblers, a gnatcatcher and a female Pine Warbler.  I saw the Pine eating a Red Admiral high in a tree!

I stopped by McLean CA.  Three Great Egrets were near the bridge.  There was not much of note here.

Later in the afternoon I checked out Roberta Stewart Wetland.  Lots of bonies were moving through, but again, nothing with them.  Some Common Loons were floating on the Snye, normal for this time of year.

A handful of Greater Yellowlegs were at the wetland.  The water is now way too high for shorebirds.

Saturday I headed towards Point Pelee.  A big mistake!  There was little in the way of precipitation on the way, but twenty minutes after I got out of the car, the downpour came.  And it never let up.  I gave up and about that time I recieved a message about a Lark Sparrow at Rondeau Park.  I headed that way with nothing to lose.
I hope those Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks had not yet arrived when I passed by the designated spot they were found later in the afternoon!  I was watching for things as I drove along, and I am sure I would have seen them.  The driving heavy rain did not help though!

I arrived at Rondeau Park as the wind and rain was horrendous.  It might be last year all over again with flooded trails and a closed campground.
I did not see the subject sparrow at the reported spot, so I went to the picnic area where lots of sparrows were in the grass.  Jim Burk and Paul Pratt arrived to look and we shivered under the picnic shelter.  The Lark Sparrow was not there.  In past years, two different occasions saw a Lark Sparrow at this very spot.  I saw the one in May 2003.

We decided to go down the road and look again.  We turned around at Bennett and started up the road once again, and I spotted the Lark Sparrow!  It was all alone feeding roadside.

It provided good looks for those present.

Nearby, an early Clay-colored Sparrow was with some chippies, as usual.

Chippie with dark nape

After being soaked to the bone, I headed home.  Later I got word of a pair of rare ducks near Port Crewe.  Unfortunately by this time, I had enough and did not go and see the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks.  They were a first for Chatham-Kent!

Sunday, the weather was nicer, but there were fewer birds!  In fact, it was very quiet and we were hard-pressed to find a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  One just cannot win!

The White-winged Dove showed well, prancing around Mel's driveway.

Lots of Horned Grebes are around right now.

Some Red-throated Loons are around as well.  We saw one off SPT this morning.  I saw one on Friday also.  A few years ago, this would be a big deal!

I checked Keith McLean CA too.  Some Cedar Waxwings were present.  I had not seen any in quite some time!

Later this afternoon, I set out at Peers Wetland.  Just as I was getting started, a message came though about a Cinnamon Teal at Sombra Lagoons!  Luckily I could make it there in 15 minutes.
Earlier, Josh Bouman had found a stunning male, a first record for Lambton County.

I arrived and saw the bird right away.  We could not get close as it was at the far side of the east cell and going any closer would flush the ducks.  However, good scope views were obtained.  I could only get record photos.

Interestingly, Steve Pike found what he thought was a Cinnamon Teal near Hillman Marsh yesterday.  It has since been deemed some sort of hybrid.  An interesting bird, none-the-less.
The only other Cinnamon Teal I have seen was the male (and likely a female with it) at Rondeau Park back in May 1994.

Seeing the male Cinnamon Teal was a nice way to top off a wet Easter Weekend.

Weekend Wanderings August 25-26, 2018

As this wacky weather continues, I headed down to Essex County Saturday morning.  I decided to try for the Purple Gallinule at J. R. Park Homestead.  It was a week since it was first discovered and many serious Ontario birders had already gone to see the provincial rarity.  I am never in a hurry to see a rarity unless it is local!
There are not many records for Ontario (around 20), so it is currently the next best bird behind the Reddish Egret.
I arrived about 07:45 and a local birder was already watching for it.  She had seen it a couple of times before, so that was helpful in pin-pointing where the bird might show.
Shortly after, Rob Palin arrived and we stood vigil.
About 09:00, the subject bird finally made an appearance in the thick phragmites. It did not come right out in the open, but good enough to see.

It is the first one I have seen in Ontario, but a few years ago I may have had a glimpse of a juvenile type at Stewart Wetland.  I could not see the bird well at the time, so I had to let it go.

I then headed to Point Pelee Tip as there was a stiff SW wind blowing.  Activity was good at the Tip, but nothing of note showed.

I miss those good days of Tip Watches with Alan Wormington and other friends!

Perhaps my late arrival and the annoyance of  arriving tourists did not help.

Osprey at Tip

I left after an hour as incoming rain (afterall it was the weekend) was imminent.

I sat at Wheatley Harbour for an hour. There were well over 1000 gulls there, but nothing of note.

On the way home, I stopped by Mitchell's Bay south shore trail.  The sun was out by then and quite a few vireos and flycatchers were present.

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Warbling Vireo

Question Mark

Today, I headed down to Rondeau. There was a good number of migrants and lots of flycatchers and vireos again.  Several species of warblers were present.
Jim Burk and I checked things out on south point and near maintenance in the uncomfortable muggy atmosphere.

Green Heron of south point

Along the way, we stopped to see the White-winged Doves.  It was the first time I have seen both of them.  They were quietly sitting on a hydro wire.  It looks like the nesting idea and the production of offspring is a lost cause for this year.

Today's checklist:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist?subID=S48082702

On the way out, I stopped at McLean CA.  This is now a popular place!  And a good birding spot. I met a nice Australian couple (Hedley and Irena Earl) who have been going around to all the hotspots and rarities.
The Snowy Egret was out at Rondeau Bay Estates at the time, but some shorebirds were still present, including the long-staying Red Knot.  It is always a treat to see a knot as they have become quite scarce in recent years.  We used to see them regularly out south beach during spring migration.
It finally came in closer today for good views, but my camera was still not the best for it.

Knot and Pec

Common Gallinules, uncommon in Chatham-Kent, have nested here.  Perhaps one day its purple cousin will make an visit.

A check of Blenheim Lagoons revealed nothing of note (where are the Red-necked Phalaropes this year?).  I did not even see the Wilson's Phalaropes today.

Some Common Checkered-Skippers were around the sprinklers.

On to another week as the summer wanes....

Mid-Month Meanderings

Walpole Island Friday Morning

We had some wonderful weather all week (as usual).  I took Friday afternoon off to take advantage of it as I knew the weekend was on the doorstep.
I stopped by some usual haunts in southern Lambton County.  Various butterflies and insects are now out.
At Reid CA, Long Dash were on the wing.

At Moore WMA, several fresh Silvery Checkerspots were flying.

Juvenal's Duskywings are at the end of their cycle.

Hobomok Skippers will soon be at their end.

Saturday morning I woke up to an all too familiar scene.  The clouds had rolled in and rain threatened just like clockwork for the weekend.  I headed down to Rondeau anyway and got a walk in before the downpour came.  This forum is not appropriate to describe how I felt Saturday morning!  What is new?

The White-winged Dove was, you guessed it, on its usual perch.

There was always the chance for a late migrant.  I once found a Blackpoll Warbler at Rondeau on June 22!

The Prothonotary Warblers were showing well on Tulip tree trail.

I was in the mood (not a good one with the rain!) to do some driving on Saturday.  I next headed over to Clear Creek nature reserve for a short walk.
While walking around the pond on the north side, I stumbled upon this Song Sparrow nest.

Next stop was Wardsville Woods.  A Gray Comma started things off there.

There were not many butterflies this day, but I did come across some very fresh Silvery Checkerspots amid lots of mosquitoes.

The resident Blue-winged Warbler was singing away.

I did a short tour of the Mosa Forest (Skunk's Misery).  It was early afternoon, so it was rather quiet as expected.  The sun had come out by this time to my amazement.
I did come across some of the usuals.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Hackberry Emperors were plentiful, along with commas and Question Marks.

Sunday was very nice if one did not mind the heat in the afternoon.
I decided to head down to Point Pelee.  This time of year has proven to be good for gulls at the Tip in the past.  Today turned out to be no exception!

I went directly to the Tip. I had a hunch that pelicans would be around, and they were indeed. Five of them.

There were lots of gulls around, especially on the Tip sand (yes there is a nice sand spit!).

I scanned in vain for something unusual.  Only a young Lesser Black-backed stood out. There was quite a bit of activity, and gulls were constantly coming in from the west side.

At one point, something caught my attention with a gull that had some blackish underwings. It was indeed a Black-headed!  An adult in non-breeding plumage.

I virtually had the Tip to myself the whole two hours-plus I was there and nobody to share the sighting with.  I really wanted to find something good this weekend, so this gull was the victim!

Interestingly, Alan Wormington found a Black-headed Gull  at the Tip in 2013 about this same time of year.  It was in the same plumage.  It stayed for a few days, and I got to see it as well.
June 13, 2015 was the day I found a Laughing Gull at the Tip.  Goes to show this time of year can be fruitful.

Find the Black-headed!

The American White Pelicans took off not long after I arrived at the Tip, but returned after an hour.

Soon they headed towards Pelee Island.

The Black-headed Gull was still resting at the Tip when I left, but by then "tourists" were arriving. The gulls were flushed of course, as the tourists were oblivious to what was in front of them.

I checked for Dickcissels on the way home.  None were at Hilllman, but a few were at the usual site beside Camper's Cove Road east of Wheatley.
As well, a singing male was at the end of Zion Road.

I guess today made up for the dismal weather on Saturday.