The Blenheim Sewage Lagoons have been popular for birders as well. Access is by permission only, and a permit is available from the local municipal office in Blenheim. I have been told by municipal staff that they issue between 300-400 permits annually to birders from across the province and beyond. So sewage lagoons can be a boost to the local economy in the form of ecotourism!
I have been to these lagoons several times in the last few days, and there is always something new to see and photograph.
One of the main attractions currently to be seen is a Willet. It is the western subspecies, and this one, or an identical one, has been here for at least three weeks.
Sometimes it is along the edge of one of the big ponds, and other times it is in the sprinkler cells, where it is usually a lot easier to find.
Sharing the sprinkler cells with so many other shorebirds has its challenges.....this yellowlegs appears to be about to land on its back. It missed by just a little bit.
Lesser Yellowlegs have been fairly common, as usual at this time of year.
Lesser Yellowlegs |
Pectoral Sandpiper |
White-rumped Sandpipers, shortly before the arrival of a Peregrine |
On occasion they like to hang out close to the edge of the pond. On Monday, it came from well out in the pond, straight in to the edge of the pond that I was at. It was almost too close! At this point it was in the shaded edge due to the low angle of the sun, and the reflection of the wispy clouds above gave the water a much more pleasing look, in my opinion.
The Long-billed Dowitchers that were there on the weekend, seem to be Long-gone, as is the Hudsonian Godwit that was there for at least a few hours before being spooked by a Peregrine earlier in the week.
Waterfowl are numerous as well. Being a no hunting area, it has a particular attraction for them during this time of year. At the moment there are several hundred birds of about a dozen species. Most numerous are Ruddy Duck. Between the four ponds, I estimated there were over 500 birds.
Ruddy Ducks |
Northern Shoveler in moult |
Often there is a Northern Harrier or two hunting in the grassy sections. Today another falcon, this time an American Kestrel, was harassing the starling population along the western edge.
Northern Harrier (Juvenile) |
Tree Swallow |
Savannah Sparrow |
Bronze Copper |
Willie the Willet may be going for record late!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping for a Hudsonian Godwit this weekend.....
I am hoping for a Eurasian Dotterel! Or Mongolian Plover, or.....
DeleteAllen--We may "think of it" as a "No hunting" area---but---in reality, birders are
ReplyDeleteseeing & hearing "so-called-hunters" in very close proximity to the lagoons.
These people are "calling ' the birds away from the ponds--before they shoot !
So, in reality, they are not on lagoon property ! I, personally, and others, have
had to leave the area in fear of stray bullets ! Police were called on at least one
occasion--with unfavourable results--for the "Birders " ! Now that hunting is
allowed even on Sundays there seems to be little that we can do !
Thanks for your concern, Irene. Note my email response to your forwarded email. In a nutshell, the hunters are probably not shooting towards the lagoon, since unless they had an access permit, would not be able to retrieve the ducks they shot, which is an offence under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. As for stray bullets, duck hunters use shotguns, which for all intents and purposes, are only effective for about 60 metres or so, after which the pellets rapidly decline in momentum and fall to the ground. If birders were on the lagoon berm, the ducks would not likely be very close to them, so unless the hunter was a really horrible shot shooting low to the ground, the chances of being hit are next to none. That is all assuming that the hunters are hunting legally, of course, and there are always a few that take liberties. In that case, they should definitely be reported to the local police or a conservation officer.
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