Late autumn birds, butterflies and a snake!

The weather has been fairly typical autumn-like, with a hint of winter some days and a reminder of some of the warmth of early autumn on others. And that translates into some birds of winter, as well as some hold-overs of late summer and early autumn.

The snow of a couple of weeks ago was a contrast to what we had been experiencing, and with it came some late autumn and early winter migrants such as American Pipits, which were widely scattered and as abundant as I had seen them in several years.....

 ....as well as good numbers of Fox Sparrows, here seen scratching around in the less snow covered area under some Red Cedar trees.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets were fairly abundant. They are in constant motion, making the attempts at photography challenging indeed. There are usually far more photos slightly blurry or out of focus than there are keepers, and the delete button gets used quite regularly.

 As Ruby-crowns diminish in numbers, their equally active Golden-crowned relatives increase.

 A few hardy thrushes occur, such as Hermit Thrush. On one occasion it seemed like it was a 'thrush' day, as I had about a dozen Hermit Thrushes, about 15 American Robins and an equal number of Eastern Bluebirds, all members of the Thrush family.

Eastern Phoebes, a member of the flycatcher family which seems to be quite adaptable to feeding on non-fly items, such as berries, have been noted regularly in small numbers. On occasion one will still be around for the Christmas Bird Count coming up in mid December.

Shy Phoebe

All through that were a few lingering shorebirds. Dunlin and Killdeer were widely scattered along shorelines, and even in still flooded fields.

 And then a warm-up happened, perhaps the only time we will experience anything like 'Indian Summer' this year. For one day only it was unseasonably pleasant, with bright sun, very little wind, and temperatures reaching 9-10C. And the wildlife responded, however briefly. There were butterflies flitting around at Rondeau, including this Eastern Comma......

 ...and an Eastern Garter Snake was seen stretched out across a sunny spot on a paved road at the park. It seemed hesitant to move, but I encouraged it to move to the side so it wouldn't become a victim of an unobservant (or uncaring) driver.

 I heard, and then saw, this cricket busily 'singing' its song at the base of the Visitor Centre siding.

A few other bird species were a pleasant surprise. Red-headed Woodpeckers used to be quite common during the spring and summer period, but in recent decades are quite unusual. Having one linger this late is even more unusual for this migrant.

 Baltimore Orioles are usually many hundreds of kilometres south of here by now. For some reason this brightly coloured male is content (?) to stick around a well stocked feeder just north of the Visitor Centre. It isn't always easy to find, as it appears out of nowhere and may spend a bit of time in a willow tree, which typically has some leaves remaining. It makes it difficult for the camera to focus.

 But eventually it may come to the feeder, which the owners have stocked with jelly with a few meal worms mixed in. Not the kind of spread I would like on my toast, but the oriole seems to enjoy this source of protein. Last year there was a female Baltimore Oriole that was seen erratically in the Rondeau campground even into January. Maybe this is the year that we will be able to add the species to the Christmas Bird Count.

A couple of weeks ago there was an immature Red Phalarope which showed up at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons. I got a few photos on that cold, snowy day and included them on a blog post shortly afterwards. Red Phalaropes are quite irregular for this area. We sometimes go for several years without any reports at all. But just this past weekend, an adult in its winter/basic plumage was seen at Erieau. Fortunately it stuck around for both weekend days, giving numerous birders a chance to see it.

It was quite cooperative, and a life bird for some of those that came to view it. Cameras were clicking steadily, and photos have shown up on numerous eBird lists and blogs. Fellow bloggers Dwayne Murphy and Ric McArthur were there at the same time I was, and blogger Blake Mann had been there earlier.

Sandhill Cranes and Tundra Swans are harbingers of mid to late autumn, and they have not disappointed this year. While the cranes used to be a rarity in this area, it is not unusual to see or hear several dozen to several hundred if you are at the right place at the right time. This first photo is part of a group of about 135 I saw today out near St. Clair NWA. I saw about 235 there a few days ago.

Incoming!

Tundra Swans are around by the thousands, mostly in the fields near Lake St. Clair and the NWA. On occasion 3-4000 may be widely scattered in one very large field, but more typically smaller flocks are scattered over various field throughout the western portion of the former Dover Township.

 And almost right on time, the first of the season Snowy Owls have appeared. I had been out several times over the previous couple of weeks checking out their usual haunts, without seeing any. However most of the crops of corn, beans and carrots, etc., are now off, making it more conducive for the owls which like wide open spaces, as well as for those of us looking for them. I photographed this one today in a recently harvested corn field. In recent years it is not all that uncommon to find several in a day during the peak of winter. Who knows how many will appear this year? Regardless, it is always satisfying to see the first one of the season.