Great Kiskadee and Hudsonian Godwit

Just a short post this time, since the Great Kiskadee which was found at Rondeau Provincial Park in early September of this year, representing the first occurrence of this species in Canada, has been re-found after being MIA since September 15. Park staff had seen this bird again, and got the word out quickly.

I went out to Rondeau today, by way of the Keith McLean Conservation Area (KMCA) just outside of Rondeau. I wanted to catch up to the Hudsonian Godwit (HUGO) that had been there for a few days, and also check on the Nelson's Sparrows that have found the grassy field edge worth hanging out in.

As a result of these birds, both the KMCA and Rondeau have become a little busier than usual.

The shorebird habitat at KMCA has been quite good, with up to a dozen shorebird species seen on a regular basis even at this late in the season. Of course there are many other wetland birds, etc. making use of this site. A few lingering warblers, such as Orange-crowned and Tennessee, have been here lately, as has a lingering Indigo Bunting. And it is a good location to observe migrating raptors as well.

Sure enough, the HUGO was visible on one of the muddy islands in the distance. But getting a photograph wasn't easy, and just as we were getting a bit closer to make photography worthwhile, a Peregrine Falcon swept through, scattering all the shorebirds and ducks. My photos of the Peregrine were not worth keeping, and at first I thought the prospect of getting any photos of the HUGO had disappeared. While we considered our next steps for a few minutes the shorebirds, including the HUGO, flew back and before deciding to land on another muddy edge, flew right overhead.

 It eventually found a spot to its liking and I was able to get this next photo. The shorebirds take flight easily so one cannot get good closeups. My camera gear was the equivalent of 22X for this one, and even at that it has been heavily cropped.

I did see several Nelson's Sparrows (NESP), probably at least 8 altogether. However they were not sitting up nicely so I decided to pass on pursuing them this day since I wanted to head over to catch up to the Great Kiskadee again. To read a bit about my experiences with the NESP over the last few days, check out my previous post here.

When I got to the Marsh Trail of Rondeau, I was disappointed that there was no one else in the expected location. I did see the bird for a second or two as it made a dash for some shrubs and out of sight. There was no opportunity for photos at that point. However a dozen folks from various places, including Sarnia, Hamilton, Harrow and Long Point arrived, and we watched, waited and chatted for an hour before the bird showed again. Fortunately the bird was calling as it approached, so we knew which direction to expect it from. The light was quite bright, and actually a bit harsh for good a photo, but it gave us excellent looks. After a few minutes, it disappeared, and it was another 45 minutes or so before it re-appeared, announcing its presence again. This time I was better prepared for the lighting conditions and background, and got several acceptable photos.

The group of us last saw it at about 4:50 p.m. and this time it was heading northwards, quite possibly to get to its roosting tree.

Who knows where it had been in the month in between observations? To read about my experiences with this mega rarity in September, check out the link to that post here. And who knows how long it will stay this time?