Birds of Chatham-Kent, Then and Now, Part IV

 

Great Black-backed Gull

Then: it was not considered hypothetical, but Wood had only seen this species on one occasion, and made no reference to it any earlier.

Now: Clearly things have changed. Great Black-backed Gull was considered mainly a north Atlantic region species, but over the years, the species found at least the lower Great Lakes to its liking. It was first recorded on the Blenheim/Rondeau CBC in 1948. Beginning in 1965 it has been seen on every count, with typically up to a dozen or so recorded during the first couple of decades following. The numbers kept increasing, but fluctuated greatly depending on the seasonal weather and the conditions of the day. The maximum number recorded on this CBC was 380, in 1991.

This species is a 4-cycle one, meaning it doesn't attain full adult plumage and breeding until its fourth year. Therefore sub-adults can be found in C-K almost any time of the year, especially if there is some open water. The two photos above show a full adult first, with a sub-adult, likely a first winter bird, below. Both photos were taken in the Jan/Feb period.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull nest, 1987

Then: Herring Gull was considered a common transient and winter visitor, with numbers of non-breeding birds remaining in the summer. Even during the early winter, when numbers were most commonly recorded for the CBC, the maximum number was about 200 in 1939.

Now: Herring Gull is a large, fairly aggressive gull, eagerly defending its food against even other members of its kind, as the first photo shows. The numbers have increased considerably since the writing of Wood's manuscript. Since the early 1960s, seldom are there less than 100 birds recorded on a Christmas Bird Count, and typically there are several hundred. In the last 15 years, the numbers have averaged almost 900 birds, with as many as 3779 recorded in 2008. One of the reasons for this increase may be due to the presence of Ontario's largest landfill just a short flight away.

Herring Gull has become an occasional breeding species as well. When the water levels of Lake Erie are such that the south beach of Rondeau is a good breeding site, gulls can occupy parts of it, as the above photos show. The middle two photos were taken in June, 1987, while the fourth photo was taken in May, 2013. The latter one wasn't on the south beach, but was taken from my kayak while I was exploring some of the exposed small islands at the south end of the marsh.

Ring-billed Gull

Then: Ring-billed Gull was considered a common spring and fall transient and a summer and winter visitor. Up to 30 birds were reported periodically in spring and fall, with late fall being the time when the largest numbers were recorded. Up to 75 birds were recorded for the first few Christmas Bird Counts.

Now: as with the previous two gull species, the numbers have changed considerably. It is typically the most abundant gull species most of the year. The same CBC in the last 25 years has averaged over 3300 birds, with a high of 12510 recorded in 2001. One of the reasons for this increase may be attributed to Ontario's largest landfill just a short flight away.

When conditions are suitable along the south beach of Rondeau as a nesting site, they will use it as the above photos show. The first and third photos were taken in July, 1983, while the middle photo was taken in June, 1987. 

Forster's Tern

Then: Forster's Tern was considered to be formerly a common summer resident at the St. Clair flats, but at the time of writing (1945), a very rare visitant. There was only one record for this species at Rondeau, that being May 13, 1946.

Now: It is a regular, but not abundant migrant present in spring, summer and autumn. When the marsh water levels are suitable, it has been known to nest, with the first known nesting occurring in about 1980. The nesting photo above was taken in July, 1981. Forster's Tern is generally considered a mid-western species, but with some local habitats in the vicinity of Lake St. Clair showing similarity to the tallgrass prairies and wetlands of the mid-west, this species and others have been known to occur and breed in C-K with some regularity. With Rondeau being a bit farther east, such mid-western species are generally less common either as migrants or breeders.

Common Tern

Then: Common Tern was considered a common summer resident, breeding in colonies on a sand spit in the McGeachy Pond area near Erieau, as well as being fairly abundant in the marshes along Lake St. Clair. Flocks of two hundred were seen foraging along the water. However in several cases some of the eggs have been lost to Herring Gulls, Bonaparte's Gulls and skunks.

Now: While Common Tern is quite regular and sometimes fairly abundant in Chatham-Kent, nesting has diminished substantially. I have seen an occasional nesting attempt along the south beach of Rondeau a few decades ago, but no one has reported them nesting anywhere in recent years. There were no confirmed breeding records in C-K in either of the first two OBBAs, although they did rank as 'Probable' in two squares at Rondeau. The changes are likely the result of three things: (a) a large increase in gulls, which are predatory; (b) the higher water levels of Lake Erie, making nesting sites less available; (c) the increased usage of boaters illegally using the south beach, causing disturbances.

Black Tern

Then: Black Tern was considered a common summer resident, breeding in all the large marshes of the county. An average of about eighty birds were reported at Bradley's marsh in the early part of last century, and was considered more abundant than Common Tern.

Now: In the Rondeau/Erieau area it is regular, but not common at any time. The two photos showing Black Tern nesting were taken in the late 1970s and very early 1980s. The upper one was taken at McGeachy Pond; the lower one was taken at the south end of Rondeau. The water levels at McGeachy Pond used to naturally fluctuate, allowing for functional habitat, but about thirty years ago, a water control system was put in, so the habitat has declined. 

In some of the larger marshes along Lake St. Clair, it is more common, but certainly not abundant. Eighty birds would be a huge increase nowadays! During the second OBBA, there were 5 squares in C-K that had this species 'Confirmed' breeding. There are likely several reasons for the overall decline: (a) high water levels thus reducing cattail habitat; (b) a huge increase in the extent of highly invasive Phragmites, choking out some of the high quality habitat Black Terns prefer; (c) some relatively minor loss of habitat due to farming.

American Barn Owl

Then:  The American Barn Owl was considered a permanent resident, and the first Ontario nesting record was at Charing Cross. Wood goes on to give details of other records of them nesting, being shot, or being observed, at many locales in C-K.

Now: a very scarce, very occasional resident. I have seen it on a couple of occasions, once at Shrewsbury in 1973 and near St. Clair NWA a few years ago where one was seen periodically by various people over the course of about three years (2006-2008). We managed to get it on the St. Clair NWA CBC those three years. I do not have any photos, other than in my memory. In spite of searches, its roosting spot was never determined. There have been a few other records in C-K over the years, but details have been kept quite secret due to the potential disturbance by numerous birders who would descend on them in order to add the species to their life list.

Snowy Owl

Then: Considered an irregular winter visitant, but the numbers fluctuate. Even as recent as in the first part of last century, birds of various species were shot for the taxidermy trade, or whatever, and this owl species was a common target. Wood goes on to say that the winter of 1945-46 was the heaviest visitation in recent years, and " Twenty birds were definitely known to have been shot in the vicinity of Chatham and hunters told of many others killed and left in the fields." An unfortunate entry.

Now: up until recently the species was still considered an irregular winter visitor due to the cycle of breeding success, which in itself, was based on the population of lemmings and other rodents available to them during the nesting season. Abundance of food was a critical factor in the courtship display and therefore nesting activity and success. When larger numbers of young were raised, more would migrate south to survive the winter. Those cycles continued, more or less, up until 2010, where for the St. Clair NWA CBC, 1-3 birds would be seen in successive years, and then missing them for one or two years. However beginning in 2011, Snowy Owls have been seen each year, with sometimes a dozen or more birds being counted. The 2022 CBC had an incredible all time high of at least 23 owls recorded. The Blenheim/Rondeau count has shown a similar trend, although overall in smaller numbers except for an amazing 26 birds reported in 2014. This trend begs the question of what changes occurred in their breeding territory to presumably make their food source more readily available.

Short-eared Owl

Then: This species was described as an irregular winter visitant and very rare summer resident. However there were some incredible numbers given for them at times, as about 50 were reported at St. Luke's Marsh (immediately to the north of SCNWA) in March of 1940, and in January of 1943, there were about 100 birds reported there! There was only one confirmed nesting record known at the time, in June 1944, in a large pasture in the former Raleigh Township.

Now: While Short-eared Owls continue to appear in late fall, through the winter and into early spring, it is rare to see even one bird without a lot of effort during those times. Clearly their numbers elsewhere have fallen off so that there are few to appear in C-K during these non-breeding seasons. Getting 1-3 birds is at best, the norm for CBCs in the area, and in some years one does not get them at all. There have been some blips in these numbers, as an amazing 24 were tallied on the Blenheim/Rondeau CBC in 2010.

There is breeding habitat present, especially in the vicinity of the larger marsh complexes associated with Lake St. Clair. The amount of pasture or hayfield habitat elsewhere in C-K has declined in the last few decades, although some remains. However there have been no breeding records at any level for either of the first two OBBAs.

Chuck-will's-widow

Then: considered hypothetical, based on a single encounter in a woodlot in the former Raleigh Twp in 1920.

Now: Currently a very rare species, although in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was heard and seen annually at Rondeau. Indeed on one occasion there were up to 7 birds calling at various places along Harrison Trail both north and south of the Visitor Centre. It is believed that at least some of those birds were the progeny of the previous year or two. However in spite of efforts to try and locate any nesting evidence, this very cryptic species was never confirmed. There have been occasional records since that time, but very rarely, and almost entirely in May/June.

Whip-poor-will

Then: Considered as a common spring and fall transient and a rare summer resident.

Now: It is a regular spring migrant, but never common. A few can be heard under the right circumstances at Rondeau, for a couple of weeks in late May/early June. On occasion one or more will continue well into the breeding season, as they can be heard from the wooded ridges east of the Marsh Trail as well as along Harrison Trail. No doubt some have attempted to nest, perhaps successfully, although confirming this crepuscular creature would be difficult. The above photo was taken on Nov 4, 2012, of a bird high up in a White Pine along the South Point Trail. It is late in the season for an insect eating bird!
  

Common Nighthawk

Spring migrant

Autumn migrant

Then: it was considered an abundant summer resident, commonly nesting on flat, tarred and graveled roofs in cities and towns.

Now: while it is a regularly occurring species, it is anything but abundant. The open pine forests they breed in farther north are not available to them in C-K, so any attempts at breeding would still require the flat, tarred and graveled roofs. One used to be able to detect their 'boom' in the evening in cities and towns but not recently. Undoubtedly a few spring arrivals remain to at least attempt to nest. There were several atlas squares in both of the first two OBBAs recording them up to the 'Probable' level, but no 'Confirmed' records. Common Nighthawks are typically a bit more common in the autumn as they migrate southward from more productive breeding grounds.

 

Birds of Chatham-Kent, Then and Now, will continue in a future post.

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Late January colours, birds and other highlights

This January hasn't been great for birding or other things, at least compared to a year ago when there were things like Baltimore Oriole, Barred Owl and Purple Sandpiper around. The steady cloudy conditions, cool weather and periodic precipitation suggests weather more like the northeast Atlantic I suspect. Nonetheless, getting out for a look around is still worthwhile, even if it just means going for a nice long hike in the woods!

If you look hard enough, there are still things around that brighten up the dominant grey colour. This first cluster of orange and red berries is the native Climbing Bittersweet. It dangles downward, unlike the following image.

 This is Oriental Bittersweet, a n on-native species, and it has very tiny clusters of berries, a bit smaller than the Climbing one, and in short, erect clusters along the stem.

 They aren't really popular as bird food, but some will eat them, as this immature White-crowned Sparrow was doing.

Some of the woodland type birds that can be found have a bit of their own red to add to the landscape. A Red-headed Woodpecker is still hanging around at Rondeau. It used to be fairly plentiful, but in the last couple of decades, while it is widespread in southern Ontario, it is sparse, even during the breeding season. This one has been digging out a fresh cavity. Presumably it is using it for roosting in overnight, but it may be one that it uses as a nesting cavity later this year.

 Much more plentiful these days is the Red-bellied Woodpecker.

 When walking through the woods, you may find evidence of the largest woodpecker we have. It sometimes makes an oblong shaped hole, but once it finds a good source of grubs or other tasty things inhabiting a dead tree, it can really tear the trunk apart! A former colleague sent me a photo a couple of weeks ago that someone had posted on facebook, showing a medium sized branch of a tree that they saw at Rondeau which was really torn apart and wondered what it was. Some of the respondents suggested a porcupine. While porkys can chew into a tree quite rigorously, they usually just barely get past the bark layer. Since porcupines don't occur at Rondeau, or aren't even within a couple of hundred kilometres, undoubtedly the maker of that chewed branch was the same creature that made this: a Pileated Woodpecker.

 I saw three Pileated Woodpeckers on my most recent visit to Rondeau, including a pair just a few metres from the trunk shown above. Two of them were high up, and with the grey sky, did not make it easy for a pleasing photo.

 Another one was much lower down, and at least didn't get as washed out. Both of the ones here are females. The one male was too camera shy for a photo on this occasion.

 Blue Jays are scattered around, and a bit more abundant than some years. Speaking of Blue Jays, pitchers and catchers will report for spring training in less than two weeks!

The lake is pretty empty these days, but there are still a few gulls wandering around.

Great Black-backed Gull

On one occasion when I was at Rondeau, there was still a fair bit of snow along the trails. Not deep, but covering the surface. I was surprised to see this little critter on the snow. At first it looked like a mosquito. It wasn't, however. It is a winter cranefly.

The Ridgetown Sewage Lagoons have had a lot of waterfowl using it up until a week or so ago. It is almost totally ice covered now, with mostly Canada Geese hanging out, but a short time before, amongst the variety of waterfowl using the site, there were four Snow Geese to be found fairly reliably: three adults and one young one that was still sporting its dark feathering.

There is lots of open water at the Erieau end of Rondeau Bay, with thousands of Tundra Swans, a couple of thousand Canada Geese and quite a few Canvasback, amongst other species. However most are well out at the edge of the ice and not easy to get good photos of. I did manage to catch up with the two Double-crested Cormorant that are still there, an adult and an immature.

There have been up to two Wilson's Snipe at the snipe ditch along Stefina Line, just a bit southeast of Blenheim. I have seen at least one on three different occasions, but never very close to the road. I suspect that with the ditch being fairly open throughout its winding path, they are a little farther downstream and out of view most of the time. It wasn't within view during the Christmas Bird Count, and in checking the data over the years, the 2019 count is the first time since 1977 that we didn't get a single shorebird on the count for the entire 7 day count week. We've had a total of 14 different shorebird species recorded over the years and on occasion have had as many as 3 or 4 species on an individual count day, but nothing this time. I'm sure there were some around, but it was so open and with lots of suitable habitat inaccessible, they just weren't available to be counted.

Elsewhere, I came across 4 White-tailed Deer foraging in a harvested cornfield a bit northwest of Blenheim. While seeing deer is not that surprising, it was the middle of the day, and what stood out even more was that the buck still had a fine set of antlers attached. Normally by late January, their antlers have fallen. When I stopped to get the photo, they immediately headed for the nearby woods, so this distant photo shooting through a bit of fine snow is the best I could do. But it was an impressive set of antlers. At least 8 points with a good spread to them, and depending on the size of the points closest to the base, maybe even a 10 pointer.

I finally caught up to the Peregrine Falcon that is hanging out in Chatham. Some folks have seen it right at the Trillium Village apartments, just north of the Thames River. I've checked there occasionally without success. The last time I checked, I also looked at some other nearby buildings that had some good height to them. And there it was, a little closer to the river. This first photo shows a heavily cropped, distant shot of when I first saw it.

I figured it would remain there until I could get to a closer vantage point. Again, the grey skies don't make the end result of the photograph very appealing, but you have to put up with the conditions you are given to work with.

There is a large group of Rock Pigeons that are almost always along the Thames River. I saw them on a lower building right beside the river, and I expect they were keeping a close eye on the falcon. The falcon has a lot of pigeons to choose from, so will likely remain for the winter. The river has been quite high, not surprising considering the high amounts of precipitation the drainage area has received. There is little sign of any ice forming in the river, so the water treatment outlet might not be all that productive in concentrating ducks, geese, gulls and even the occasional kingfisher this winter.

I have checked out parts of the former Dover Twp on occasion. Much of St. Clair NWA is totally frozen, but the several hundred Canada Geese are keeping a small part of it open. There are groups of Tundra Swans coming and going fairly regularly.

Right along the eastern edge of the NWA, I came across a pair of adult Bald Eagles in a tree, just a short distance from a nest. It won't be long before nesting is underway.

Earlier when I was returning from Erieau, I saw an adult eagle at the flimsy nest in the woodlot at the entrance to the Ridge Landfill. They built it in 2019, and although it appeared that they attempted to nest, I don't think they had any success. Perhaps they will this year, if in fact the nest stays where it is. The tree is not that substantial, in my opinion.

Still on an eagle topic, the nest that has been visible along the south end of Fargo Road, just north of Shrewsbury, has fallen out of the tree. I don't know when it happened, but in driving by on Communication Road, which goes between Shrewsbury and Blenheim I saw a new nest in the same woodlot, but a little lower down, and it may not be visible from Fargo Road.

And finally, there are still a few Snowy Owls around in Dover. Sometimes they are on a pole close to the road, such as this next photo shows, but all too often they are well out in the middle of a field on the ground.

Sunrise and a submarine?

Wednesday was another day at Rondeau, starting off checking salamander traps. As in last week, the traps were empty. We were scratching our heads as to why this might be, since they should be out in abundance now. Our discussions included many more questions than answers, but such is the fun, and challenge, of biology. Due to the intensive winter, did the frost drive them much farther below the surface and they haven't noted the warming trend to trigger their emergence? Did the higher water levels of the sloughs and the deeper frost limit their area of hibernation, perhaps killing some of them? A couple of years ago, the winter and wetland conditions were quite the opposite, and did that cause a considerable drop in the population so that they are just not very abundant at the moment? Is there much more habitat than the current population can use? A very general assessment of the available habitat for salamanders at Rondeau comes up with an astonishing 70 linear kilometers of slough habitat! Or maybe even though the ice is now gone, they just haven't wakened up from their hibernation and they will be out next week.....time will tell.

But the Wood Frogs were definitely out! Throughout the park, one could hear them chortling and chuckling from the water. They were busy driving off competing individuals, while trying to attract a mate with their calls. I didn't hear any other frog species today.

We saw an Eastern Garter Snake and, unfortunately, a dead Ribbon Snake. The latter species looks very similar to the former, with subtle but distinctive differences. They are most often found in wet forest settings. This dead one didn't have any obvious trauma showing, but it was clearly dead. Ribbon Snakes have been recently declared a Species At Risk with a "Special Concern" ranking, so the loss of any individuals or their habitat is not to be taken lightly.

White-tailed Deer are frequently seen, made easier due to the lack of leafy vegetation. They are looking quite scruffy now, as their winter coats are starting to shed. Coupled with the hunger factor that many deer suffered through this harsh winter, some seem to look extra scruffy at the moment. Once they lose their heavy gray-brown winter coat and reveal their reddish brown summer coat, it will be easier to see if their ribs are more noticeable, indicating how much they suffered.

 The wet woods are great spots to look for Rusty Blackbirds. I noted at least a dozen foraging at the edges of the sloughs of Spicebush Trail. This species typically nests in the bogs and wet woods of the boreal forests. Their numbers, like so many birds, have also declined in recent years. It is not yet a Species At Risk, but is being watched closely to determine whether it warrants that designation.

 

 Eastern Phoebes were widely scattered throughout the park, and this time one was more cooperative than any I've attempted to photograph yet this year.

Turkey Vultures are increasing in abundance in the park area and elsewhere. As of yesterday, almost 6000 had been recorded at the Beamer Conservation Area Hawkwatch near Grimsby. They are easy to photograph and good practice for more challenging species, so I 'shoot' them regularly.

After leaving Rondeau, I made a brief stop at Shrewsbury. With all the ice gone, the ducks are widely scattered, but there are thousands, probably tens of thousands, scattered across the open water. A scope is necessary to see many in detail. But I did check the tree just to the northeast of Shrewsbury where a small number of Great Blue Herons have nested over the past decade or more. Sure enough at least 5 Great Blues were at the nest tree. It didn't appear that any serious nesting was underway. They are likely making repairs to the previous year's nest, but it won't be long until they are well underway with this year's activities. I like getting out close by with the kayak to photograph them, and expect to do that this year. In the meantime, here are photos of previous year's efforts.

The photo above shows part of the heronry after a late winter snow storm on March 28, 2008. Fortunately it was short-lived and didn't seem to result in any serious impacts on the herons. The photo below was taken in May, 2013.....I hope to do more at this site in another few weeks.

Arriving at Erieau it was clear that with the ice gone, again the ducks were well away from the harbour and pier area. A few of the usual species were in flight. However there were other things to photograph. A handful of gulls were passing back and forth between the lake and the bay. Here an immature Great Black-backed Gull sails by. It used to be quite a rarity in Ontario, but small numbers have been present in southern Ontario almost all year round in recent decades.

A distant 'periscope' popped into view.....were there submarines on Lake Erie???? No, it wasn't a periscope at all.

It was a Double-crested Cormorant, busily diving in its typical style of 'fishing'. A close look at the head of the image below, shows little feather tufts on the upper sides of the head. There is a tuft on both sides, which is where it gets its 'double-crested' name from.

It is hard to believe that not that long ago cormorants were such a rarity on the Great Lakes that they were being considered as an endangered species! I came across a 1970 issue of Ontario Fish and Wildlife Review, which was a publication of what was then the Department of Lands & Forests, the precursor to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. This was just before Ontario's first Endangered Species Act came into being....that happened in 1971 so it was likely underway at the time this issue was produced. In that issue featuring articles on the endangered species of the day, was speculation of what species might be on the list next. Cormorants were one of the two species mentioned! (Common Loon was the other.) In the late 1970s and early 1980s I helped out with some cormorant banding efforts on Big Chicken Island, in the western basin of Lake Erie. There, on the stony cobble surface, were nesting cormorants, and little did we know that within a couple of decades their population would explode to the point of being a major nuisance in general. Where they nested in large colonies, they were known to kill trees with the acidity of their excrement. This species has recently taken up nesting on one of the small sandy islands at the southeastern corner of Rondeau Bay, within the provincial park boundary.

In some areas, cormorants are persecuted due to their abundance and the fact that they eat a lot of fish. Hence they are sometimes skittish around people. The individual below was busily fishing and when it realized how close it was to me, took off just as I was pressing the shutter. It isn't super sharp, being taken at only 1/1250 of a second, but I include it because of the closeness of the bird and the capture of the water droplets suspended in the air from the bird's thrashing around in its attempts to escape.

Today, Thursday, was my first attempt in 2014 to photograph a pre-sunrise. I find that when there is ice to contend with, not only is it a lot colder for me, but it is less dramatic.....at least that is the excuse I use so as not to go out in bitterly cold weather. Now that the ice is gone from my favourite vantage points, and the weather sounded promising, I decided to go for it this morning. But when you do a sunrise, you have to take your chances since you have to get up a lot earlier and in the dark you can't see how things are developing. I like to get to my preferred spot at least 30 minutes before official sunrise, since sometimes the best light occurs then, hence my term 'pre-sunrise photography'. By the time the sun is actually showing, the results often are less spectacular depending on the clouds.

I'm not normally a really early morning person, so getting up a bit after 5 a.m. isn't easy. Sometimes the results are spectacular, sometimes only average. But regardless, the pre-dawn hours are often enjoyable in one way or another. I don't like crowds, and there is seldom anyone else around!

 

 

Erieau has some excellent vantage points, especially if you want water, which I typically gravitate towards. It was an average sunrise, in my experience. But I often notice when I am here at around sunrise, the exodus of blackbirds and cowbirds from the marsh is impressive. Typically thousands of them will head into the south end of the Rondeau marsh at sunset, and disperse at sunrise often no more than tree-top height as they head out into fields to forage.

And so another day begins....