A mix of rarities and more common things to enjoy!

 One of the birding highlights in recent days was to hear about a Western Cattle Egret hanging out with a few black angus cattle a bit north of Erieau. I had been out at Keith McLean Conservation Area on the lookout for migrating raptors with the favourable winds, when I got the word, so I headed over to look. Sure enough, there it was, but it was flighty, moving from one group of cattle to another before it finally got up in the air a little higher and headed towards Rondeau Bay.

A few days later, this past Tuesday to be exact, an even rarer bird got the attention of many, many birders, at the KMCL, a Mountain Bluebird. More on that a little later.

In between these bird highlights, I was out and about looking for whatever I could find. The sometimes breezy winds from a northerly direction was promising for raptors, and I spent a bit of time at the Morpeth Cliffs area. There were a few raptors on the move, but most were very high up and difficult to see against the almost entirely blue sky. My hope was to see a Golden Eagle or two, as this is prime time for their migration, and several of the hawkwatch sites had reported then regularly. Even though I had been on the lookout for them at other times over the past few weeks, today was to be the day. I had two fly over, way up high. This photo of one of them was the lowest. Fortunately my camera/lens combination latched onto it with good focus, and this is what I ended up with.

Both birds were almost impossible to see with the naked eye, up against the brilliant blue sky. Binoculars were a necessity. After I got the photos processed, and greatly cropped, these were the best of the bunch, and after all was said and done, they are shown here at the equivalent of about 100X magnification!

There were some sunny warmish days to go out wandering around Rondeau on occasion, so out I went. Birds were not always that plentiful, but there are always other things to see and photograph.

During the sunniest period and sheltered from the wind, there were often a lot of dragonflies flitting about. They were all of the Autumn Meadowhawk species as near as I could determine, and their pale/yellow legs were telltale. It used to be called the Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, and perhaps is still referred to as such.

Common Buckeyes were still around, and sometimes paused long enough for a close approach with the camera.

As there were still the occasional dandelion flowers quite visible, they attracted several of this next critter, the Common Drone Fly. It is not a native species, but has become quite abundant at times.

Eastern Black Squirrels are quite common, as usual, especially where there were a few oak trees around, as they were searching for acorns.

Another butterfly is this next one, a Fiery Skipper. It is typically more of a southern species, and arrives in Ontario in the later summer. Some will stick around for quite awhile!

Another butterfly I caught up with is this Question Mark.

There were a few birds to be found, and some allowed me to get some worthwhile photos. Blue Jays are migrating through in good numbers, with some searching for sustenance to carry them on their journey.

No doubt some will stick around all winter, as usual.

Dark-eyed Juncos are fairly common. Here are a few having a bath in a shallow puddle.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are permanent residents now. They were extremely rare up until the 1980s or so, and have since became well established here in southwestern Ontario.

Rusty Blackbirds are not as plentiful as they used to be, but still migrate through in decent numbers. This one was feeding on a seed of some sort on the ground.

Mushrooms have not been plentiful compared to some years. The quite dry spell we have experienced over the last few months made all the difference. But a few have appeared. This first one is a type of puffball, and may be the Pear-shaped Puffball.

Next is the Orange Jelly Fungus...

...followed by Shaggy Mane.

Some days have had some quite brisk east winds. This first image is of the waves along the east beach of Rondeau.

I went over to Erieau hoping for some impressive wave action hitting the pier and splashing over. This next one is one of the better ones, but overall it wasn't as impressive as I was hoping. Maybe a different day...

This next photo shows one of the better ones I took in late October of 2021. Some of the waves and spray almost obscured the lighthouse!

Getting back to the Mountain Bluebird. It was first seen this past Tuesday, and I got word from Steve Charbonneau who was the one who found it, in the very early afternoon. I am not on Discord, the birding app that keen birders who like to chase the latest notable birds are on, and since Steve is aware of that, informed me directly (thanks, Steve!). However it just didn't work out for me to scoot out to the Keith McLean area to catch up to it that afternoon. It was apparently feeding quite readily in a good spot, and since this species is fairly hardy even in poor weather conditions, I thought it might still be around on Wednesday. A lot of others were hoping for that outcome as well. There were lots of people who saw it on Tuesday, and even when I went out on Wednesday, I could barely find a spot in the parking lot. Unfortunately no one reported seeing it at any time on Wednesday. Perhaps the strong wind forced it to take shelter, and it might have been around and was even amused by the number of people roaming around with 'scopes, binoculars and camera gear. However it was not reported. Hopefully it might still be around at an accessible location not far away. This species has been considered long overdue for the Rondeau checklist area. But so far I cannot add it to my Rondeau list. I have seen it on two occasions in southern Ontario in the past, as well as on a few trips to the western part of the country. The first time in Ontario was one I saw on a Christmas Bird Count on Pelee Island, back in the '90s. The second one was one I heard about in southeastern Lambton, so Marie and I went searching. We successfully tracked it down and photographed it, just a short distance from Chatham-Kent. We caught up to it on January 20, 2012.

January 2012 provided another good photo op for an uncommon species, this time for White-winged Crossbill. There have been a few migrating through so far this autumn, and on one occasion I thought I heard one or two, giving their high-pitched rattle calls, but could not find it perched anywhere. It was probably passing through quickly and vocalizing. At any rate, here is a photo I took of one at Rondeau on January 25, 2012. It was part of a flock of a couple of dozen feeding in this spruce tree.

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Early November birding travels

 This is the best time of year for me to see one of my favourite sparrow species. Fox Sparrows are fairly large as sparrows go, and are distinctly marked and somewhat colourful. Late October through November are when they seem to be at their most numerous, with typically a dozen or more seen. They are often seen foraging on the ground, in typical sparrow style, but sometimes they will sit up and right in the open.

 

 

If they are in the area, they often respond to 'spishing' and will come quite a bit closer, which is nice for the photographer.

Generally more abundant and a sparrow species that usually sticks around longer, is the White-throated Sparrow.

I have enjoyed tracking down these and other sparrows on my recent forays to places like Rondeau and St. Clair NWA, where the above photos were taken recently.

A few of the other species that I have managed to photograph at either of those areas include Robins enjoying the abundance of red cedar berries.....

...and a shy Black-capped Chickadee. Actually it wasn't shy at all, as it came in quite close in response to spishing, but was so intent on looking for food, I only got this one photo before it moved off.

Downy Woodpecker

Purple Finches, such as this female, are around in better numbers now.

Of course gulls are quite abundant, and when the common Ring-billed Gull gives opportunity for a good photo, as a photographer I will take it.

There are hundreds of Ruddy Ducks out on Rondeau Bay and Lake Erie, although not typically very close to shore.

They are a little easier to get close-up photos at the local sewage lagoons.....

...as are Bonaparte's Gulls. I was looking for a Little Gull that had been there briefly, but none of us there that day saw it, so I satisfied my photographer's itch with this Bonaparte's Gull.

 A juvenile Peregrine Falcon has been hanging around St. Clair NWA on a couple of my visits there...

...as have at least a couple of Sandhill Cranes, although they are more often heard than seen very close by.

The occasional Snow Goose can be found mixed in with the more abundant Canada Geese. This was one of two along the shore of Lake Erie just outside of Rondeau....

...whereas this blue phase Snow Goose was at St. Clair NWA.

On one sunny but cool day, I came across this Midland Painted Turtle catching some late season sun.

Given that it is right in the middle of hunting season, ducks aren't always so cooperative when things are aimed at them. This Mallard didn't seem to mind.

Shorebirds are becoming much more scarce. There had been many dozens of Dunlin at most mudflats along a wetland, but those numbers have dropped considerably. When I was out at the Keith McLean Conservation Lands, I was actually hoping to see a Hudsonian Godwit that had been seen there from time to time. But each time I was there, it was not in view. And even the Dunlin were harder to find. In just a few days, their numbers went from at least a couple of hundred, to only three on my most recent visit. This one was scared up by a Northern Harrier on the prowl, but it came back to this pile of rocks.

It seemed like it wanted to play hide-and-seek as it never came out in full view. Two others flew by but didn't stop.

This Greater Yellowlegs continued along a mudflat at the Mitchell's Bay North Shore Trail.

On another time at Rondeau, a few Hermit Thrush were noted, but seldom gave a decent photo op. This was one of the better ones, and only for a brief time as they preferred to rustle around in the bushes searching for berries.

When the sun was out, the occasional Green Darner dragonfly was seen buzzing around. There weren't many flying insects like midges for it to feed on.

Raptors are continuing to migrate through the area, and it has been a great time to see Golden Eagles. Some of the hawkwatch sites are reporting 30 or more in a day! I stopped by the Morpeth Cliffs area for a couple of hours on a promising day, and had two young birds fly by. One flew right overhead, and not that high up. Unfortunately it was heavy overcast, so the following two photos had to undergo some serious processing to get the critical characteristics somewhat visible.

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Birds of Chatham-Kent, then and now, Part II

 The next group of a dozen or so species of birds with which to compare their status 3/4 of a century or more ago, continues.

Turkey Vulture

 

Then: Wood describes it as a common summer resident, with an occasional nest being found, and the species being more common in the eastern part of the county. 

Now: I hesitated to include this species in this series, mainly because it is currently a common summer resident although in my opinion, there have been some changes over the decades. The amount of forest cover a century ago was considerably more than there is now, although I don't have any hard facts to back that up. Currently there is less than 4%, and considering how farming has changed to bigger and bigger fields, some of it owned and operated by corporations with large holdings and requiring bigger and bigger equipment, I feel quite confident in stating that woodland is now the lowest than it has ever been. So a century ago, there would have been more woodland, and thicker hedgerows scattered across the municipality. By the 1970s or thereabouts, seeing Turkey Vultures was a much rarer event than today. I expect it was partly due to habitat loss.

In the last 2-3 decades, however, seeing Turkey Vultures during the breeding season has increased, but not because of increased habitat in Chatham-Kent. The population has gradually expanded northwards, as some bird species tend to do. And that was reflected in the results of some of the hawk watches in southwestern Ontario and adjacent Michigan. At the end of 2018, more than 60,000 Turkey Vultures were counted during the September through November period, as they traveled within sight of the Essex/Michigan hawk watch towers. In 2020 there were more than 72,000 vultures counted, and the long-term average of over 51,000 birds. Some days were quite spectacular, with scenes like this next photo, not all that uncommon.

As for nesting birds, actual nests are not easy to find. However comparing the two Breeding Bird Atlases, they were found with some breeding evidence in more squares during the second atlas than the first. And just to illustrate that they don't always require a good quality habitat, this next photo show one that I photographed in 1993 in the former Raleigh Twp, one of the least forested areas of C-K. It was in a hedgerow that had a bit of junk placed on it, including an old bed spring, which the nest was under!

Cooper's Hawk 

 Then: A common spring and fall transient, but rarely breeds and is occasionally seen in winter.

Now: still common in spring and fall, but is a regular breeding species. It is typically more common in winter than its smaller relative, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, which Wood thought was more common in winter than Cooper's. The second OBBA found it to be much more common than in the first OBBA. While it is not 'fair' to compare the habitat at Rondeau to the rest of CK, there are typically several pairs that nest there annually. Some are in tall coniferous trees, such as this White Pine. Several of us watched the courtship, copulation and nest building of this pair. But more often the nests are found in the hardwoods, which dominate the woodland habitat at Rondeau.

Golden Eagle

 Then: considered an accidental visitant.

Now: a fair assessment would consider it an uncommon but regular autumn migrant. For example the Detroit River Hawkwatch has a long-term average (beginning in 1983) of 94 birds per year during the September-November count period. 

Bald Eagle

  

Then: considered a permanent resident, nesting not far from lake shores. Others of the day back then considered it to be rather rare.

Now: certainly times have changed dramatically. While it was a rare, permanent resident in the early part of last century, by the 1970s it was even rarer. In fact in 1969, there was only one known active nesting pair between Long Point and the mouth of the Detroit River, and that was a pair at Rondeau. Even there it had limited nesting success, as although they actively attempted to nest, there were as many years with no success as there was with raising a single eaglet. As the use of certain agricultural chemicals such as DDT was eventually greatly reduced, the numbers of eagles and their nesting success improved. Currently I am aware of at least 26 nesting pairs in CK alone, and I suspect there are a few more in areas where there is limited access to for surveying. So that is a huge change for the better!

Northern Harrier

Then: considered a common summer resident, with a few remaining through the winter. It was noted as breeding sparingly at the St. Clair Flats.

Now: certainly not a common summer resident, but with the persistence of some of the larger wetlands adjacent to Lake St. Clair, it is periodically seen in summer. With some wetland and other open habitats increasing slightly over the past few decades, there was an increased number seen with breeding evidence throughout CK in the second OBBA compared to the first.

American Kestrel

Formerly known as American Sparrow Hawk

Then: formerly considered a common summer resident, but by the 1940s, there were very few nesting in CK, and only an occasional one seen in winter.

Now: A species which has had its ups and downs. It is more of an open habitat nesting species, and with the loss of trees like Elms due to Dutch Elm Disease, there were numerous dead trees in tree and property lines across CK. By the middle to latter part of last century, there was more habitat (dead trees) and a slight up-tick in the abundance of this species. Indeed the records with breeding evidence between the first and second OBBA did not change much, at least in terms of the number of atlas squares reporting breeding evidence. However as those dead trees fell down, and as farm fields were expanded to accommodate a significant increase in the size of farming equipment, habitat in the form of tree lines between farm properties was lost. Currently the abundance of this species across CK is much less than it was even 2-3 decades ago, even in winter. The Blenheim/Rondeau CBC supports this, as the average for the last 20 years is about 11 birds per count, whereas the average for the previous 20 years was about 27 birds per count.

Spruce Grouse

Then: considered a former resident! A specimen was taken near Chatham in the late 1870s!

Now: none have ever been reported since, to my knowledge. CK is way out of its normal range, so this record is likely to be an escaped bird from someone's collection, or possibly mis-identified. It is a conifer specialist, especially Spruce, as its name implies. The closest record for either of the two OBBA was several hundred kilometres away in the Muskokas.

Ruffed Grouse

Then: Ruffed Grouse was considered to be a formerly abundant, permanent resident but now (in the 1940s) probably vanished from the county.

Now: there are probably a few reasons for its decline even back then. Certainly the loss of forested habitat was happening. Also, a likely ever increasing population of Eastern Coyotes, which adapted well to the wider open spaced due to decline in forest, would have been a factor. Also there had been a hunting season, and this game bird was sought out.

That being said, there was likely enough forest habitat scattered here and there to maintain a small population.  And since the species is known for an erratic fall flight, it can disperse from more established populations. There has been the occasional record in southern CK over the last decade or so. This next photo shows a nest I came across in a woodlot in central CK back in the late 1970s. That forest was mostly cleared by the mid 1980s, unfortunately. 

(Greater) Prairie Chicken

Lesser Prairie Chicken

Then: Formerly a common resident, locally. Possibly there are still a few left on St. Anne's Island (technically Walpole Island First Nation, Lambton Co.). They were known from the Raleigh Plains, an extensive stretch of low, marshy prairie along the south side of the Thames River, where as many as 75-100 chickens were reported. They were also known from the greater Mitchell's Bay area in the later 1800s and were hunted by at least a few local hunters who prized their meat. At this time, it was just known as Prairie Chicken, but in recent decades it has been separated to Greater and Lesser Prairie Chicken.

Now: this species has been gone from southwestern Ontario for many decades. While the species is generally considered a mid-western prairie species, there used to be what was known as the 'prairie peninsula' extending into southwestern Ontario. Early surveyors and botanists described the prairie vegetation in the tri-county area of Essex, Kent and Lambton. With the exception of parts of Walpole Island (Lambton) and northwestern Essex and much tinier remnants in CK, the tall grass prairies are long gone. I have seen Greater Prairie Chicken in several places in the mid-west, especially parts of Missouri, but never gotten a photo of one. The photo of the Lesser Prairie Chicken shown above, is a much more restricted species than the Greater. I got access to a blind that overlooked a lek on the Cimarron National Grassland in extreme southwestern Kansas back in 2012. 

Gray Partridge

Then: a species introduced in about 1914, and lasted a few years but were apparently gone by the late 1920s.

Now: gone

(Northern) Bob-white

 

 

Then: the population was known to fluctuate widely, from being quite plentiful to being almost to the point of extirpation.

Now: the native population is gone, as a result of habitat loss, severe winter weather three years in a row in the mid to late 1970s, and the increasing presence of Eastern Coyote. There have been efforts to re-introduce a few individuals by well-meaning persons. However most of these birds have been pen-raised and are not fit to survive in the wild. This is especially problematic when all meaningful habitat is long gone. The first photo above is one taken in June, 2009, in Missouri, in a natural habitat. The second photo was taken in 2021, in CK, of a released bird, at the edge of a village and farm land.

(Common) Ring-necked Pheasant

Then: another introduced species, brought in by the Ontario Department of Game and Fisheries. They became well established. For most of a decade beginning in 1939, there were small groups of pheasants scattered throughout the county. By 1946, they were much fewer.

Now: it is a species which has continued its downward trend. Between about 1981-2000, they were seen regularly on the St. Clair NWA Christmas Bird Count, with sometimes between 20-45 reported. In the last couple of decades we are lucky to get one or two, with none seen in the last 5 years. I don't think hunting pressure has been a factor, but the increase in the Eastern Coyote population undoubtedly has.

Wild Turkey

Then: Formerly a permanent resident in the heavily forested areas, but at the time of Wood's writing in the later 1940s, they had vanished from the county. They were considered plentiful in Rondeau in 1768, and in 1796 they were reported as in great numbers in the Fairfield area. In 1833, they were seen in considerable numbers in Raleigh and Tilbury townships. The numbers fluctuated over the years until the early 1900s when they were very restricted. In 1920, a few birds from more southern parts of their range were introduced in Rondeau where they were known to be present for a few years.

Now: for most of the 1900s, Wild Turkeys were almost non-existent in CK. A southern Ontario wide re-introduction program was undertaken beginning in 1984, and in spite of their usual preference for heavily forested areas, began to do quite well even in such unforested habitat in CK. In examining data from the Blenheim/Rondeau CBC, they were virtually non-existent from 1939-2003, but beginning in 2004 until the present, there is typically anywhere from several dozen to almost 350 birds tallied for that count. In comparing data from the first two OBBAs, the species was virtually unaccounted for in the first atlas (1981-1985) but found in almost every atlas square during the second atlas (2001-2005).

Sandhill Crane

Then: formerly a rare transient, occasionally remaining to breed in places such as the St. Clair Flats in the late 1800s; by the 1940s, it was an accidental transient.

Now: this species has been more successful in recent decades. While in the 1970s and 1980s, it was quite rare to see one other than on migration, beginning in the 1990s, they were a bit more plentiful during spring migration and a few have remained to breed. Larger wetlands such as those along Lake St. Clair as well as at Rondeau seem to be the most likely breeding areas, and numbers on migration have risen substantially. There was a moderate increase between the first two OBBAs, largely restricted to those larger wetland areas. Clearly there has been greater nesting success in places farther north, as up until the early 2000s, it was a species hardly recorded during the CBCs, but for the Blenheim/Rondeau CBC, they have been seen annually beginning in 2009, with more than 100 individuals recorded on two occasions during that time.

Part III of this series will continue in a future post. Stay tuned.

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