Around the 'Hood

Migration is certainly stuck for the most part.  Locally, Peers  Wetland is the only place that has a number of birds.  I checked it  out this morning through 3 cm of snow!  Basically, the same birds from six days ago were present.

The only thing different was a couple of Least Flycatchers, which might have been there anyway.

Also in the flycatcher department, an Eastern Phoebe was looking for non-existent insects.

There have been lots of swallow (300+) at Peers, and needless to say they were disgusted this morning.

A Wilson's Warbler popped up yesterday and I saw it this morning, but it did not want to be photographed.

Yesterday a Black-throated Blue Warbler showed up in the yard.  It was playing in the snow this morning.

A couple of White-crowned Sparrows have been hanging around.  This one has a little extra white on the head.

I stopped by Reid CA yesterday morning after a three day absence.  There was not much of course, but a couple of Ovenbirds were new.  A couple of Black-throated Green Warblers and a handful of Yellow-rumped Warblers (plus 3 Nashville) were around.

Highlight was a Peregrine Falcon which flew overhead and alighted in a tree briefly.  Certainly an oddity!

I also checked out McKeough CA and walked through a wooded area north of the spillway.  It had been a few years since I was in there!  In my early years of birding it was my go-to place and I recall some good days there during migration.  A couple of Ovenbirds were there as well.

I found a patch of Twinleaf at  one point.

Trilliums are all out and one can look for oddities.  I found this one, which shows green in the petals.  It is actually caused by a virus and can vary in the amount of green present.

The Pacific Loon was still at Sarnia yesterday, attracting many birders. Not often one gets to see a  breeding plumaged Pacific up close!

One of these days we will see some action!

Windy Wednesday

The wind has not let up in several days as wacky weather (lol) has returned.  Even some snow today!
Birding has been very slow and it seems that Sarnia is getting more warblers than Pelee and Rondeau combined!

I went out this evening to Mitchell's Bay. I knew it would be extremely windy out there, but I was interested in seeing what the birds were doing.  Obviously many were hunkered down or seeking shelter from the wind.  However, lots of bonies and terns were enjoying the wind on the lake.  Lots of scaup ducks were riding the waves.

I first checked the marsh at the end of Angler Line.  It was full of Gadwall!  Probably 125 birds plus wigeon, Mallard and teals.  Some Redhead were around as well.

The first part of  the lakeshore trail off Angler was somewhat sheltered from the wind.  In the lee of the wooded area, swallows (all the usual species) were taking shelter.  Some were sitting on the field.

On the way home I decided to check out Bear Creek Marsh.  It was interesting with a variety of birds. Near the end of the road, a strange white goose was hanging out with Canada's.

In the marsh, another white bird in the form of a lonely-looking Tundra Swan was swimming around.

Yet another white bird was a Great Egret. (Must be a Snowy Egret around somewhere...).

About 3 dozen Ring-necked Ducks were in the pond plus a few scaup and a Pied-billed Grebe.

I also heard a Virginia Rail grunting away in the marsh.

Things will settle down for the weekend I am sure......

May?

Bewidlered Barn Swallow

It seemed like late November today as our weather hit rock bottom.  Good thing I planned to take it easy today just looking around the Wallaceburg area and getting some things done at home.  Temp started out at 12 celcius and by late afternoon it was only 5 degrees.  Crazy.

The Glossy Ibis was not around when I checked first thing this morning and late this afternoon.  Any self-respecting bird would not stand out in a field today!  However, the Solitary Sandpiper stuck it out.  Maybe that is why it is called solitary.
In Brander's woodlot, the warblers were hanging tight.  There were at least 20 Yellow-rumped,  plus singles of Blackburnian, Tennessee, Blackpoll, Palm, Magnolia and Yellow.  A female Scarlet Tanager was travelling with them as well as a Yellow-throated Vireo.

Late this afternoon, swallows were looking exhausted on the road on the lee side of the woodlot.  Four species were on the road--Tree, Barn, Rough-winged and Bank.  Others were sifting through the tops of the trees looking for anything to eat.

At Reid CA, I found a nice pocket of warblers including about 10 Yellow-rumped, 2 Blackburnian, 2 Black-throated Green, 2 American Redstart, 1 Magnolia, 1 Black-and-White and 1 Chestnut-sided.

Lots of Black Terns are around Port Lambton.

Not much else of significance.