Bird teaser....Nelson's Sparrow

My original topic for the next post has been pushed back.....by the occurrence today of the Nelson's Sparrow at St. Clair National Wildlife Area.

I got a text from Steve Charbonneau this morning at about the same time that Blake Mann posted on Ontbirds about the presence of a Nelson's Sparrow (NESP) that he (Blake) had found along the dike trail at SCNWA. Now anyone who has gone looking for a NESP knows that these little creatures are incredibly furtive, on the move most of the time, and difficult to see let alone photograph. I have seen several in Ontario over the years, but never photographed one. But today I decided to put other things on hold and scoot out to see.

Blake and Steve were there when I got there, but the bird had not been seen for probably an hour or more. The wind on the exposed trail did not make the likelihood of hearing any distinctive 'chip' notes very possible, at least to my aging ears. So we looked and looked, even as the cold wind made eyes water and looking more challenging. The occasional American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow or Swamp Sparrow caught our attention. It was probably 30 minutes or so after I arrived when one of the others definitively saw it scurrying around on the ice at the far edge of the grasses and cattails growing along the side of the trail. We caught very brief glimpses of it, but not the kind of views we wanted. It wasn't until it actually flew across the open stretch of ice when it briefly sat up in a slightly exposed posture that gave us our first relatively clear photo opportunities.

It sat there for a few seconds before dropping down into the cattails. Fortunately it then returned to the grassy/weedy/cattail edge closer to the trail where we were. And for the next 45 minutes or so, we experienced more of the highs and lows of birding and photography. Thus the reference to the bird 'teaser' in the title.

Looking through binoculars gave us our best looks. The human eye can adapt to various pieces of vegetation waving in front of the subject, and keep the subject in focus very quickly and easily.

Not so...the camera.

Any little bit of vegetation moving in front will grab the attention of the auto focus and send things way out of focus. These next two images were all too typical of my photographic attempts.

On other occasions, the focus might not have been thrown off, and a better shot was obtained, but nothing better than these next ones.

This bird, as is often the case with sparrows (other than Am Tree Sparrows), was constantly on the move. And I got a few shots like this:

Or something like this:

But occasionally things would work out, and in spite of the heavy overcast conditions requiring a high ISO and the wind blowing the lens slightly off requiring a higher shutter speed, a reasonable unobscured photo was obtained.

Towards the end of our time, it actually paused in one spot for more than a couple of seconds, allowing several shots to be taken quickly. This next one is one of my final shots.

Not as crystal clear as I would like, but given the high ISO (3200) and having to work with a shutter speed of only about 1/500, it was likely the best one I was going to get. And I had to remind myself that the conditions and actions of this bird was typical of what the species normally puts up with. They aren't there to satisfy the perfect photo opportunities we as photographers hope for. Seeing this furtive little fellow carry on busily in its effort to survive through the vegetation, sometimes scurrying like a mouse, was a real treat to see. Getting a decent record photo was a bonus!

Since this day is the first of the Count Week period for the upcoming SCNWA Christmas Bird Count, this species is now on our list for the first time. Hopefully it will still be around and observed on the day of the count. NESP nests as far north as the subarctic environment of the Hudson Bay Lowland, so hopefully it won't feel too out of place in the weather conditions of the next few days. There certainly is lots of habitat for this species along the thousands of acres of coastal and impounded wetlands along the Lake St. Clair shoreline, and most of that is within our count circle. There could be dozens of them out there!

Another Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count

This past weekend was the Blenheim/Rondeau Christmas Bird Count. It was started in 1939, and I've been on it every year since about 1969. Over the years, I've estimated to have seen at least 137 species of the ~190 species that have been recorded since the count began.

In recent years my territory has included the South Beach of Rondeau, all the way to Erieau. Then I return, drive out the Marsh Road and walk the south half of that trail. All in all it usually totals about 15km or more, often carrying about 14 lb of stuff. There is one area where there isn't even any cell phone coverage....probably the only place in Chatham-Kent where that is the case!

It is a real workout, especially as one gets older, and the weather conditions have varied considerably. I've canoed on this count, and I've almost been blown into the lake due to the fierce wind at the very exposed south beach area. But it is always a treat to get in such an out of the way place at that time of year....one never knows what birds might be out there! Over the years I have even had about 10 species of shorebirds!

This is what the South Beach looked like for the 2015 bird count...clear sailing all the way.

But with the several inches of snow, freezing rain, ice and snow drifts of recent days, it was a different story. The sudden arrival of winter snow made the access roads impassable to get to the starting point of these remote areas, and since there is always so much walking once I get there, I didn't want to walk an extra several kilometres. Besides, with the wind and ice conditions being what they were, chances are there might not have been as much as some years anyway. So I decided on a different strategy. Since so much other area of the park never gets covered, I thought I would deviate from my usual route and experience what most other bird counters do.... a lot less walking in a more forested and edge habitat.

Scanning the lake is often worthwhile, so I started scanning from the east end of Bennett Ave. The lake was pretty empty, but at the horizon one could see large groups of waterfowl moving through the distant haze. I suspected scaup and mergansers, and found out later that more than 7400 scaup had been reported from the Morpeth Cliffs area. The best species of note for me at this point in the day was a pair of adult Bald Eagles, one of which came in off the lake to perch beside its presumed mate. The many branches interfered with the focus, but at least you can see what they were.

Checking out a feeder along Lakeshore Road just a bit south of Bennett turned up a good variety of birds, including some of the few cowbirds I saw all day, as well as Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrows, Tufted Titmouse and others.

Fox Sparrow

Tufted Titmouse

The woods were quiet....there was the occasional Downy or Hairy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco or White-breasted Nuthatch, but overall very quiet.

At times, the only birds to be seen were those flying high. There were hundreds of Canada Geese as well as a few Tundra Swans moving west-southwest, clearly on the move from farther afield. I guess winter had arrived farther north as well!

Flock of 47 Canada Geese

There were lots of hikers out.

And others who were content just to sit along the trail in one place and smile.

The shrubby and grassy areas along Lakeshore Road were the busiest for birds. I noted an American Robin and a couple of Hermit Thrush.

Hermit Thrush

And lots of American Tree Sparrows.

I had hoped to find Chipping and Field Sparrows mixed in with the myriad tree sparrows, and likely they were there. However with the recent freezing rain providing a crust on the snow, every step one took made enough noise that the flocks of sparrows took off before they could be adequately scanned. So no Chipping or Field Sparrows on this day for me.

I did get a pleasant but not totally unexpected, species. While scanning out over the lake with the 'scope, I looked down the shoreline and noted a small sparrow type bird heading directly at me. I followed it through the scope and when it got close enough, switched to my binoculars. It landed by a tussock of grass not more than 10 metres away.....it was a Savannah Sparrow! It is a species that isn't always recorded for the count, so I was pleased to add it to my list.

I didn't get a photo of the Savannah Sparrow, but this lake freighter was more accommodating, albeit too far away to get a clear shot.

One doesn't often see lake freighters this close to the east shore, but I suspect with the brisk west-northwest winds that day, it was easier to sail in slightly calmer water closer to shore.

Another adult Bald Eagle was spotted in a cottonwood tree along the lake.

I stopped at the Visitor Centre, just to make sure the Eastern Towhee was there. It is technically in Blake's territory, but right on the edge of mine, so I took the liberty of looking for it.

Eastern Towhee

All in all, it was quite a good day, especially given the way the weather was initially forecast. I ended up with 47 species for the day....a bit lower than my normal list, but then the habitat was decidedly different. The overall count was 111 species, just shy of our record of 115 set in 2008 and repeated in 2009. Undoubtedly that may be the highest total for Ontario bird counts again this year.....we are regularly in the top two or three counts, and more often than not, right at the top. There were several species that were seen the day before, but not on the actual day, so the record could have been broken if all species that were around were recorded.

Autumn extravaganza of colour

I haven't been out a lot lately....I've been catching up on some other projects that had slid too far into the background. But with the arrival of the Christmas Bird Count season (the Blenheim/Rondeau count is this Sunday) the count period starts tomorrow (Thursday) and I will be back out again very shortly to see what birds might be lurking in my territory.

A blog post I had intended to do a few weeks ago is overdue. As the title indicates, autumn is a colourful period, and right at the top of the list of my favourite times. Of course what adds to the appeal of autumn is that my birthday is close to that time, our wedding anniversary is in mid-autumn, and it always seemed that when I was working full time, autumn was the best and most convenient time to travel across the continent and explore some of the wonderful national parks and other natural areas in both Canada and the US.

I haven't been all that far away this autumn for various reasons, but I did take advantage of some great weather to explore a few local natural areas. Woodlands in particular are fun to explore. There are virtually no biting insects (but still have to watch for ticks in some areas) or people. The solitude is inspiring to say the least.

Amidst the behemoths of some woodland residents, one feels very tiny!

Old growth Bur Oak & me

Looking up gives one a different perspective.

 And colour is all around.

'Red' Oak

 Fall is one of the best times to see fungi.

And some things remain green right up until frost.

Grape-fern (Botrychium sp)

The carpet of fresh fallen leaves is impressive. They will provide an extra layer of protection for all the creatures, large and small, that spend the winter active at ground level or below. By next spring, many of the leaves will be well into the decomposition process, adding their nutrients to the soil which will benefit the growth of next year's plants.

I really enjoy the sight of freshly fallen leaves on the ground, before they turn brown and then dry up and blow away into sheltered corners or wherever. Our yard attests to this.....perhaps to the chagrin of any neighbours who like their lawns so neat and tidy. To me, they are missing out on one of the best aspects of late autumn. But in consideration of the neighbours, I try to chop said leaves up and remove them before they blow on to their yards. Our chopped up leaves are now turned into mulch on the garden, ready for the arrival of the growing season next spring.

And now our yard looks like this!

Happy winter everyone!

The flowering season is finally over!

No kidding!

The lingering autumn allowed at least a few plant species to continue to flower a lot later than they normally might have. But with the onset of below freezing temperatures and even snow in the last few days (with a lot more on its way, apparently), even the hardiest plants have called it quits. And so have some of the insects that took advantage of the lingering mild weather.

For example, this Clouded Sulphur butterfly was around less than two weeks ago, on a very windy day at the Tilbury Sewage Lagoons (it seems that sewage lagoons are always windy.....). It had a hard time hanging on to this dandelion seed head.

Somewhat more surprising, was the existence of these active Cabbage White larvae on our kale as late as yesterday!

Sewage lagoons are good spots to find some late flowering plants. These next ones were all seen recently at the Blenheim sewage lagoons.

Butter-and-eggs (Linnaria vulgaris)

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Mustard species

Sowthistle (Sonchus sp)

Perhaps it is the presence of warm water outlets that make a slightly milder micro climate.  It is also good for late shorebirds, as many readers will know, since a few Dunlin and a Western Sandpiper have been regularly seen at the Blenheim lagoons as late as today, but the open water is diminishing.

Of the four plants shown above, three of them are not native. Only Evening Primrose is native. Persisting in such extreme conditions must be a helpful survival strategy for these colonizers of disturbed areas.

Natural areas may also have a few flowers persisting. This next image, of a native Aster species, was seen in the sand dunes of Rondeau not too long ago.

The plants in this next image have finished flowering (yes...grasses do have flowers), but I think they look particularly attractive at this stage. This is a common tallgrass prairie species, and frequently found in the beach dunes of Rondeau.

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Just another three and a half months or so until the next flowering season begins!

Early December action

December has arrived, and that triggers the period for winter birding lists. It also means local birders are out scouring the bushes to see what lingering avian critters might be around for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The Blenheim/Rondeau count is less than two weeks away!

For this count, Rondeau Provincial Park and Erieau are two of the hotspots known to catch the attention of late migrants. A male Eurasian Wigeon has been fairly reliable at the north end of Rondeau, although not often seen close to shore (although I got a text today from Garry Sadler that it was at the edge of the bay under the willow tree closest to the normal viewing point.....a day when I had other commitments and couldn't get out). This first photo, greatly cropped, is one of my more successful attempts.

Eurasian Wigeon on the right

It is often in the company of American Wigeon and Gadwall.

American Wigeon

Gadwall

There has been a handful of less common birds scattered in various place in Rondeau, but they are not always easy to catch up to. One place I often check is the north end of Harrison Trail and also the adjacent campground, which is closed, but has easy access and lots of shrubbery for birds. Yesterday I went for a hike in this area. It was much quieter than I expected. I saw nine Gray Squirrels...

....a feral cat....

...and a mouse before I saw or heard a single bird (full disclosure: my hearing isn't all that great, so it is possible or even likely that there were birds I missed). Eventually I did get some birds for my day's list at this location, including Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinches, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinals, Golden-crowned Kinglets, etc.

I know there was a Golden-crowned Kinglet on the branch in this next photo when I pressed the shutter....honest! They never seem to sit still, so in the ensuing millisecond of time, it was gone. (Over the years I have collected a few shots of empty branches.....😏)

 

There have been some strong winds from the southeast recently, and I wanted to check on the state of erosion along the south and southeast beach areas of the park. The wave action so far didn't seem to do too much damage.

Southeast Beach

South Beach

The Erieau pier and channel has received the brunt of such wave action as well.

Note the uppermost branches of the tallest tree in the previous photo. For those who have spent time over the last couple of years birding the Erieau area, you have undoubtedly noticed the dead Double-crested Cormorant blowing in the wind. It has been there for at least two years, and is a testament to the tough, leathery skin of a desiccated cormorant. Maybe we should start a pool to see who can predict how long it will remain?

These gulls in the next image would normally be out on the pier, but as you can see from the third photo above, it wasn't a popular place to hang out on this day. The birds in this next photo were about to get a shower.

The Rail Trail and the McGeachy Pond trail are two good spots to check out. There has been an interesting assortment of song birds in the last few days, including Wilson's Warbler, Palm Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Gray Catbird, American Robin and Bohemian Waxwing, among other more expected species. The density of the shrubbery adjacent to the phragmites as well as the abundance of non-native rose hips makes it attractive to such lingering migrants, but sometimes very challenging for birders! I haven't spent as much time combing the bushes as some others, and so haven't caught up with all of the above. In fact of those listed, I have only seen the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin and the Bohemian Waxwing. The latter species was probably the most surprising, as they are rarely seen in Chatham-Kent in any year. In fact I have only seen them in C-K about three times in the past four decades. This individual shown below was with a flock of about 125 of the much more common Cedar Waxwings.

American Robin feasting on rose-hips

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher from a different day

Bohemian Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing enjoying fruit of Red Cedar

The Rail Trail is popular for sparrows.

Front to back: Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

This trail is also a spot to see White-tailed Deer on occasion. This one was only a short distance away, but reluctant to move off. After a few moments of trying to stare me down, it eventually settled back down.

An occasional Great Blue Heron remains in the area, not surprising given all of the open water. This one was taking shelter along the canal adjacent to Lagoon Road.

With the imminent arrival of colder weather, it will be especially interesting to see how many of these species are recorded on the upcoming CBC!