Some birds of late October

As is typical of this time of year, there are a few lingering migrant birds as well as the usual early winter species. It is always fun to see what is around. Rondeau, Erieau and the sewage lagoons at Blenheim are certainly worth checking regularly

Of course one of the really unexpected species to show up in Rondeau is that mega rarity, the Great Kiskadee which is still hanging out.

I suspect it is so totally disoriented that it really doesn't know where to go, so its days are likely numbered. Will it stick around in time for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count on December 16? Wishful thinking, I know I know. There are less than two months to go, but I expect the weather will be too much for it. But given the survival of a Vermilion Flycatcher, another southern Texas and Arizona flycatcher, for the Wallaceburg CBC in late December in 2015, I guess anything is possible!

Vermilion Flycatcher of 2015

Of course the mini invasion of Nelson's Sparrows, one of which is featured on the header for this blog at the moment, has been a nice surprise these last couple of weeks too.

Shorebirds are usually past their peak presence by now. However the extended summer weather of late September and early October probably kept them back, so that now there are some impressive numbers. For example a recent stop at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoon produced a good variety, with some birders counting about a dozen species. I went on a really windy day. How windy was it you ask? It was so windy there were white caps in one of the main ponds! This made it challenging to hold binoculars, 'scope or camera lens steady. When I was concentrating on photographing, I purposely laid my scope on the ground so it wouldn't blow over.

Highlights included 4 Hudsonian Godwits (HUGO). Even one is noteworthy, but 4 is almost unprecedented. It seems that three of the birds stuck together most of the time, with the 4th one often off by itself. Add the single bird still persisting at Keith McLean Conservation Area, 5 HUGOs in the Rondeau checklist area at one time is quite unusual.

There are very large numbers of Dunlin around right now, with some conservative estimates at these sewage lagoons at least 400 in number. This next photo shows about 65-70 Dunlin partially or wholly in the photo. The large shorebird towards the centre left is a HUGO.

Dunlin

Other shorebirds seen lately, but more difficult to photograph, include White-rumped Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, both yellowleg species and Wilson's Snipe, among others.

Greater Yellowlegs

I went to Rondeau a bit later that day. There was a stiff NNW wind blowing, which is usually good for raptor movement. I spent a couple of hours in an open spot at the campground which provided a relatively good view to the north and west, as well as being somewhat sheltered for me. A more exposed site might have been more productive, but on a day with strong wind gusts, one has to hang on to the 'scope and tripod or it may be blown over. It can happen, and did on one occasion when I was in the Morpeth Cliffs area, and the base of the scope broke off. Fortunately it was a Vortex scope, with a lifetime warranty, so I eventually got a replacement at no cost.

On this day there was a large number of Turkey Vultures passing through, as is often the case. I spotted both Red-shouldered Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk, along with Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, as well as American Kestrels. The next two images are of a Red-shouldered Hawk, while the third one is of an immature Red-tailed Hawk. The very cloudy sky made photographs a bit more challenging.

There were other birds passing by, including Tundra Swans.....

....and Eastern Bluebirds. I had a flock of 5 Bluebirds that landed near by, and another flock of 27 that didn't.

An Orange-crowned Warbler stopped by in a nearby patch of goldenrod, searching for a meal. It found a larva of some sort, as shown in this next photo.

There were other birds too, of course. There was a large number of American Robins scattered throughout the park. Puddles on the roadside were great places to see them, along with Hermit Thrushes, as well as Yellow-rumped Warblers.

 Blue Jays are passing through in large numbers, with many exiting Ontario according to the hawkwatching stations close to the Ontario/Michigan border. Some will stay, of course, depending on the acorn abundance or the number of well kept bird feeders in the area.

 Dark-eyed Juncos are always fun to see, and at least some of them will remain over the winter....

 ...as will White-crowned Sparrows, such as this immature one shown next.

All in all, it has been a good few days, and who knows, perhaps the best is yet to come!