Thanksgiving Weekend Birding

I was out as much as possible birding during the holiday weekend.  However, due to the usual crappy weekend weather, some time was lost.
Saturday I started with a lakewatch at Rondeau.  It was fairly active but there was nothing of note.  Visibility was not all that great.
A Great Blue Heron had thoughts of a big breakfast.

Some Sanderlings were working the shoreline.  A Dunlin and some Killdeer were the only other shorebirds.

It was obvious that a large number of kinglets and White-throated Sparrows had finally come in.

A good variety of birds were seen, including a fairly late Scarlet Tanager near maintenance. (no photo)

I made various stops including Keith McLean CA, Erieau rail trail, Erieau, McGeachy Pond and Blenheim Lagoons.
McLean's had a number of sparrows, but the elusive Nelson's evaded me.  It is a good spot to harbour a Nelson's.  I had to cut my visit a bit short due to an incoming storm.

At the Erieau rail trail, there were lots of kinglets and sparrows again.  I had to cut my visit a bit short to an incoming storm....again!

Junco getting wet after the storm

I checked out Erieau and was hoping to find a Little Gull, but obvious these only show on weekdays.  I have not seen this scarce species yet this year!

After waiting at McGeachy for the rain to pass, the sun finally came out briefly for a pleasant walk.  Many geese came in including a Snow Goose.

Some butterflies were on the asters, including several Bronze Coppers.

Sunday, I decided to head to Sarnia under gloomy skies.  There was a NE wind blowing so I tried a lakewatch with some local Sarnia birders.  However nothing of note showed, not surprsingly. Obviously the good stuff only appears on weekdays.

Wawanosh Wetlands was very quiet, as were other places.

Checkered Skippers are plentiful right now in several locations.  This one was at Peers Wetland.

Monday I went back to Rondeau, but the unpredicted fog continued to build as I approached the park.  There was a stiff east wind, but dense fog prevented one from seeing anything.  I wanted to do a lakewatch again, but that was a lost cause.  No doubt Tuesday it will be clear!

Practically the only things visible were Sanderlings.

I walked south point trail with Steve Charbonneau and found lots of kinglets again.  There was not much variety in warblers apart from Yellow-rumped and Blackpoll.  A single Magnolia Warbler was the oddity.

I checked around maintenance where lots of sparrows were around.  At pony barn, a late Least Flycatcher (I assume) was hanging around.

On the way out, I stopped by Keith McLean's again.  There were a number of birds to sort through, but nothing of note.  I checked the sparrows again.

White-crowned Sparrow

Some Bronze Coppers were in the asters.

As well as moths.

Yellow-collared Scape Moth

The weather had cleared a bit by the time I got to McGeachy Pond.  A few birds were seen including another Least Flycatcher.  The asters were attracting butterflies and moths.

Corn Earworm Moth

Soybean Looper

Green Cloverworm (?)

Bronze Copper

A few Red-breasted Nuthatches are still around.

Hopefully we will get back to more seasonal weather this week.

Rondeau and Point Pelee and more "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warblers

With nice weather finally upon us, I was anxious to get out and about this weekend.  No doubt many birds are sailing right on through with the clear nights and suitable weather.  Perhaps that was the case at Rondeau on Saturday as I did not see a single warbler in six hours!
There were other birds to look at as sparrows are building in numbers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are more evident.
I walked with Steve Charbonneau the first few hours.

Barn Swallow at marsh tower

Horny Grebe

Hermit Thrushes are becoming plentiful and other thrushes will soon arrive.

The warm weather has drawn out butterflies.  I saw my first Spring Azure yesterday behind Rondeau's maintenance compound.  It was not too co-operative though!

Wildflowers are starting to pop up and this Bloodroot was near the Azure.

More sparrows were in.

chippie

One of 5 Savannah Sparrows

I headed home after six hours and arrived to see this photo on my email.

photo by Sharon Nethercott

Sharon and Deryl Nethercott found an "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped at Sarnia along Front Street opposite the Bay area!
Interestingly, a similar bird was found at Point Pelee as well.

Saturday evening was the Lambton Wildlife annual dinner at Camlachie, so I headed up that way.  I stopped at Wawanosh Wetlands to get my Yellow-rumped fix for the day.  I found four right away!
Guest speaker at the LWI dinner was Jean Iron.  She talked about the Arctic and Iceland and Greenland.

Sunday I planned to go to Point Pelee.  Things got a bit mixed up as a running event was held from the VC to the Tip.  Not to knock the worthwhile cause, but this is at least the fourth time my plans have been altered!  There is a small window of opportunity of times that I can get to Point Pelee, so it can be frustrating.

However, I met up with Jeremy Hatt and Marianne Reid and we checked out Woodland Trail, walked up West beach trail, into Tilden's Woods, up to Black Willow and down to White Pine.  A large number of Ruby-crowned Kinglets were around, but not as many as the previous day.

We saw several Yellow-rumped Warblers, but none with a yellow throat.  Along the way, we got word that Steve Pike refound the "Audubon's" at the Tip.

Lots of ducks were off the west side towards the Tip, including all three scoters.

I went off on my own after Jeremy and Marianne left, and decided to check out the Sanctuary area while much of the crowd dispersed.  More kinglets and Hermit Thrushes.  As I got close to the north end of Sanctuary, I caught site of a Northern Parula (male of course).  It was obvious in the brief sighting, but it flew into the sun and south and I lost sight of it.  I did not relocate it, but while looking I did hear it sing once.
Certainly a neat sighting at this date considering that Yellow-rumped and Pine are just arriving.  My earliest sighting of a parula is 18 April 2010 at Rondeau's spicebush trail.  I was with Jim Burk at the time.

I got word from Dwayne Murphy that he was looking at the "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped, so I thought I would head down.   The road was not yet open so I walked down west beach trail.  I actually met Dwayne as he was walking back.  I arrived at the specified location, and could hear the call note repeatedly.  The note is distinct from the "Myrtle" Yellow-rumped.  It took some time to locate the bird, but there it was.

It was a bit high and lighting was harsh, but I got some half-decent diagnostic photos.

A Pine Warbler was also accompanying the bird.

A stop a Hillman Marsh shorebird cell revealed 10 early Black-bellied Plovers.  Lots of Dunlin were present and 3 Greater Yellowlegs.

Two of Them

I am tired!  lol.

Several of these Today

Good Friday Birding

Since it was a holiday today, I was out birding--what else.  It was quite foggy (always something!) to start the day at Rondeau.  One could hear, but not see several waterfowl species out on the lake, including Long-tailed Ducks.  The ample ice on the lake kept things cool, but it is slowly disappearing.

Eventually, the air quickly cleared though.

It turned out to be warm and sunny (at least for a while).  With yesterday's warm SW wind, many birds had come in including several Brown Thrashers, Easter(n) Phoebes, Easter(n) Towhees, flickers, etc. Some Easter(n) Bluebirds also made an appearance along Lakeshore Road.
It was not a day for much photography though.  The photos I did take just did not turn out well!

Bonaparte's Gulls are building in numbers and it is certainly time to watch for Little Gulls.  I had a couple Little Gulls on this date last year.

Tree Swallows showed up later Wednesday and many were along the St. Clair River yesterday.  I found only two at Rondeau today (along the east beach near the traffic circle) and another at Blenheim Lagoons.

A few more Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were in, but remained camera shy.

Golden-crowned Kinglets were numerous and I managed to pick out one Ruby-crowned in a large flock on south point trail.  Our wintering ones perished, I assume, by mid winter, so it was nice to see this new arrival.  No photo if it though!

No warblers made an appearance today.  Usually we have seen Pine by now and perhaps a Louisiana Waterthrush, but things are late this year needless to say. Steve Charbonneau found a drab Yellow-rumped at the visitor centre yesterday. Obviously it migrated in from somewhere since none wintered in the area.

Blenheim Lagoons have mostly opened up, but some ice still remains.  More waterfowl has arrived and a few Cackling Geese were present.  Pond 3 was mostly frozen and these geese were just standing around looking bored.

Another Cloudless Day

Eager to get out for birding, I headed down to Rondeau Park early this morning.  It was a big kinglet day as the park was littered with both species of kinglets. Later on I saw a Ruby-crowned with a leg band.  I could not get on it for a photo though.

puffed up kinglet

Of course there were hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers as well.  Steve Charbonneau and I sorted through lots of birds and came up with ten species of warblers.  There were several singles though including Northern Parula and Blackburnian.  Several Blue-headed Vireos and a Red-eyed as well.

One of a couple of Black-throated Green Warblers today

Later on I checked out Blenheim Lagoons and the same shorebirds as last evening minus the dowitcher were present.  Several pipits were there too.

I refound the Bronze Copper, but not the Least Skipper.  The skipper is actually quite late!

Some Buckeyes were working the fleebane as well.

Most of the ducks were Ruddy (at least 600).

Checked out McGeachy Pond dike as well.  Just after I started walking I noticed a very large bright yellow butterfly coming towards me.  I knew instantly it was a Cloudless Sulphur!  It kept going west, so I was unable to photograph it.  Maybe a first for Erieau, but it is on the historical list for Rondeau Park.  I am sure the Cloudless has not been seen in recent times there.
At least I seem to do well with butterflies!

Here is a caterpillar I found at the lagoons.  Can anyone name the species?

Asteroid Moth caterpillar