May is Wood Warbler Month!

 It is also Lyme Disease Awareness Month, but I won't go into detail about Lyme Disease on this post. If you want to read one of my most informative posts on that subject check out this link. 

May is the month when many birders are out on the hunt for those (mostly) colourful birds that are arriving from southerly areas, heading to our area to nest or stopping by for nutrients before continuing on their way to more northerly breeding grounds. While this year has been average at best for warbler movement, almost all of the regular species have appeared, at least in small numbers. One always hopes for a major event when warblers seem to be 'dripping from the trees'. That hasn't happened to any great extent yet this year, but one can always hope.

In the meantime, I thought I would feature a few photos of many of the warblers, which I have been fortunate to capture digitally over the years. Almost all were taken at Rondeau and in the spring, when they are at their most colourful, before they turn to those 'confusing fall warblers'. They are in no particular order. If it is labelled (B), it has been known to breed in Chatham-Kent, and especially at Rondeau. If it is labelled (M), it is a migrant moving on to more northerly habitat.

American Redstart (B)

Black-and-white Warbler (M)

Bay-breasted Warbler (M)

Blackpoll Warbler (M)

Blackburnian Warbler (M)

Black-throated Blue Warbler (M)

This next one, the Black-throated Green Warbler, has not been confirmed as a breeding species at Rondeau, but has probably nested. And given the number of conifer plantations that are becoming more mature in scattered parts of CK, it is possible that it has nested.

Black-throated Green Warbler (B?)

These next three are interesting. The first one is Blue-winged Warbler, an elusive and not common species. It has possibly nested in the area, but it has not been confirmed.

The Golden-winged Warbler, next, is not common either. In fact its numbers have declined considerably over the last couple of decades, and it is now a Species At Risk, with the status of 'Special Concern'. Part of the reason for the decline is that it shares habitat with the Blue-winged Warbler, and they regularly hybridize. The result is a hybrid known as 'Brewster's Warbler', which depending on the family lineage, can result in quite a variable plumage.

Golden-winged Warbler (M)

The image below shows an example of a Brewster's Warbler.

 Canada Warbler is next. It is also listed as 'Special Concern' due to declining numbers.

Canada Warbler (M)

Common Yellowthroat, next, is common and nests regularly in the area, especially in wetlands and shrubby areas.

Common Yellowthroat (B)

I include two of the following species, Cerulean Warbler, since the male and female are quite different in appearance. This species used to be a regular nesting species at Rondeau, but is quite irregular now. It is a Threatened species in Ontario. They are often fairly high in the trees, so getting a good photo is not easy!

Cerulean Warbler, male (B)

Cerulean Warbler, female (B)

Cape May Warbler (M)

Next is Chestnut-sided Warbler. It has nested at Rondeau on very rare occasion, being much more common farther north.

Chestnut-sided Warbler (B)

A species that used to be a Species At Risk in Ontario is shown next, a Hooded Warbler. It was quite unusual to see one, but in the last couple of decades, their numbers have increased considerably, and have been removed as a Species At Risk. It is seen somewhat regularly at places like Rondeau, and on occasion one might see two or three in a day on migration. It has not been confirmed nesting at Rondeau, although it is believed that attempts have been made.

Hooded Warbler (M)

Louisiana Waterthrush, next, is also a Threatened species, with its breeding range in Ontario limited to the very south. It has nested at Rondeau on rare occasion.

Louisiana Waterthrush (B)

A very similar looking warbler is the Northern Waterthrush, next. There are subtle differences, such as the width of the light stripe above the eye, the amount of speckling on the throat, and the slightly yellowish cast to the belly feathers. It is more common, but does not nest at Rondeau as far as any records show.

Northern Waterthrush (M)

Magnolia Warbler (M)

A regular, but not common species is the Mourning Warbler. It has nested at Rondeau on rare occasion.

Mourning Warbler (B)

Nashville Warbler (M)

Northern Parula (M)

Next is an Orange-crowned Warbler. It was photographed in the autumn, as you can tell by the seed heads of a goldenrod in the photo.

Orange-crowned Warbler (M)

Ovenbird (B)

Palm Warbler (M)

This next one is a Pine Warbler. It is a winter shot, as I got it coming to a feeder in January!

Pine Warbler (B)

I have featured Prothonotary Warbler on many occasions, as it is Rondeau's unofficial bird species, and certainly my favourite.

Prothonotary Warbler, male, (B)

Tennessee Warbler, (M)

The Townsend's Warbler is a western species. I found the first Rondeau record back in May of 1983. Interestingly, the Rondeau area has had more records of this species than any other location in Ontario. It is more often found in late fall here. This photo was taken in late November.

Worm-eating Warbler, next, is a southern rarity. There are not many records for Rondeau, with barely one report annually.

Worm-eating Warbler (M)

Wilson's Warbler, (M)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (M)

Yellow-throated Warbler, next, is generally a southern species. There are a few records for Rondeau, and at one point, for several years in a row, a male showed up in the vicinity of a cottage and the Visitor Centre. On one occasion there was a female as well, and it is believed that attempts were made to nest, although in spite of the search efforts of various birders, it was never confirmed.

Yellow-throated Warbler (M)

One of the most common warblers in southern Ontario and elsewhere, is the Yellow Warbler. It is an abundant breeding species, and it is not unusual to see several dozen on a day in May. On occasion, one may encounter more than 100 in a single day in May.

Yellow Warbler (B)

There are several other warbler species that have been recorded at Rondeau, some of which are almost annually occurring. These include Kirtland's Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Swainson's Warbler, Kentucky Warbler and Connecticut Warbler. For various reasons, I have yet to be able to photograph any of these five. Will it happen in 2022? Maybe!

 

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Weekend wildlife

I know that wildlife is around more than just on weekends, and in semi-retirement one would think I would have lots of time on normal weekdays to get out and explore. However that isn't always the case, and most of this past week had me otherwise occupied.

But the last day or so was a great change of scenery and included several of my 'go-to' places in Chatham-Kent.

Rondeau Prov Park is always worthwhile, for many reasons. It was a relatively quiet, windless morning, so I stopped first at the Spicebush Trail hoping that the Louisiana Waterthrush which has been noted there on occasion would make an appearance. Not today.

The South Point Trail is usually a good place to meander along. Eastern Towhees are regular.

There has been an influx of White-throated Sparrows in the last couple of days. In places, the ground seems to be moving as they shuffle through the leaves searching for food.

A large number of Chipping Sparrows were in the sandy beach dunes at the forest edge. I scanned through as many as I could, hoping that a Lark Sparrow as was found at Point Pelee a couple of days ago, might be mixed in with this group, but it was not to be.

I got my first of year (FOY) Pine Warbler, and one of the two I saw even allowed me to get at least a record shot as it came down to a leafless branch. When they are flitting through the pines, it isn't quite so easy.

Pine Warbler not in a pine

 I was interested in getting a FOY Red-headed Woodpecker. It used to be a common species here and throughout southwestern Ontario. In fact on one occasion, in 1983, we recorded an astounding 114 on the Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count! The species has been in serious decline for quite awhile, and that could be the topic for an entire post. In a typical year now, there may only be one or two pairs nesting in the Rondeau area. At any rate, since one had been reported in the previous day or so, I wanted to track it down if possible. Initial efforts were not successful, but Garry S advised me he had seen one going between a willow tree and a feeder at a lot just south of where the White-winged Dove spent most of 2016 and part of its time to date in 2017. It didn't take a long time to find the bird, and it was on the move between various trees in about a 3 cottage lot area.

Woodpecker in the willow

I had tried to get a photo of Northern Flicker from time to time, and I often find that if you move in their direction, they quickly move on. But while waiting near the willow tree that the Red-headed Woodpecker was supposed to come to, I noted this flicker arrive and start feeding on the lawn, apparently not concerned about my presence.

A short while later, I checked up on another red, white and black bird, the reported Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and found it coming to a feeder just north of the Visitor Centre.

The White-winged Dove continues at its alternate site, trying to build a nest on top of a stove pipe. I'm not sure what goes through its head when the material it keeps depositing on this slippery and shiny surface disappears almost as fast as it is deposited.

Another member of the dove family, Mourning Dove is, at this point, having more success than the White-wing. This nest was in a honeysuckle bush along the Tuliptree Trail.

I stopped at the Spicebush Trail again, just in case the Louisiana Waterthrush was in the area. Still no waterthrush, but the highlight was to have a visit with Rob and Pauline, two former MNR colleagues whom I hadn't seen in many years.

Before leaving the park, I checked out the maintenance loop. No new birds for the day, but I got my FOY Question Mark.

The species is not common in April but does occur in very low numbers. The dark upper hind wing indicates it is a summer form, which is apparently typical of spring migrants.

A brief swing by Erieau had distant waterfowl and a few Caspian Terns.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the Mitchell's Bay area, exploring both the south shore trail and north shore trail. I noted a sub adult Glaucous Gull and a Common Gallinule, both FOY but no photos. There were some cooperative Forster's Terns.

The Purple Martin houses have attracted the target species.

An American Coot was close by the north shore trail......

 ....as was a Ring-necked Duck.

The target species I was hoping for was Yellow-headed Blackbird. I had intended to go out on Friday afternoon, since it had been a few days since my previous visit, but some other projects kept me away. Later that evening I noted that Blake had seen about 7 males, so I figured my chances were good on this day. Sure enough, three were seen foraging on a lawn near the south trail, while at least another four were hanging out with a large mixed flock of blackbird types in the field to the east of the trail. I didn't see any females, but they should arrive soon and let the nesting begin!