Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count 2018: a terrific day

The Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count is now history. And a bit of history was made. Although we didn't quite set a new record for species observed on the day of the count, at 114 species we missed by one. However we added a new species to the overall count: a Baltimore Oriole which had been seen sporadically prior to the count period, but stayed frustratingly absent until yesterday, which is still within the count week, so it is now added to the overall list of 192 species.

My day started out (not so bright and) early by arriving at Rondeau to try for owls in the pre-dawn. Although the wind was calm, suggesting great conditions for calling and hearing them, the residual wave action from brisk northeast winds the day before interfered quite a bit. I only heard two Eastern Screech Owls although there might have been more that heard me.

I met up with my two birding companions for the day, Josh and Jodi, at the Visitor Centre and off we went, driving the west side of the South Point Trail to the south beach. I was fortunate to have both Josh and Jodi with me for their camaraderie as well as their younger and superior eyes and ears

I always spend a bit of time first thing scanning the lake for waterbirds on the move. Sometimes there isn't much movement, but today was an exception. Aside from the usual mix of scaup and mergansers, we had White-winged Scoters and an amazing 18 Red-throated Loons. The loons were not exactly surprising, as up to a 100 had been seen off the east beach in previous weeks. But since there are only a couple of records of this species for the count (two I had seen back in 1981, and another two last year) it was noteworthy indeed.

From a previous day

Combined with those that others saw in their respective territories, our count total of about 70 red-throat individuals was a terrific start to the day.

The walk out along the south beach was certainly one of the best days in the 30+ years I have been doing this area. Some years it is inaccessible due to snow, ice, howling wind and strong wave action battering the fallen trees lining the lakeshore. Today it was amazingly pleasant being sunny with very light winds, and temperatures nicely above freezing. The south beach is a narrow strip of sand that (usually) separates the marsh and lake, at least when the high water levels haven't breached the sand spit causing a brisk and steady flow of water back and forth. There was very little wave action, making trekking along the beach on either the marsh or lake side very easy, which is always important as we cover the approximately 7-8 kilometer hike to Erieau and back.

Small birds were few and far between, although we did get things like Marsh Wren and Swamp Sparrow. One of the goals of this bit of territory is to see the diversity of waterbirds tucked in at the marsh/bay interface. We ended up with 21 species of waterfowl, including the only Northern Shoveler on the count. Other highlights included two Sandhill Cranes, two Belted Kingfishers, four American Coot, a single Great Blue Heron and a single Snow Bunting.

photo from a previous day

Our return to the start of the beach walk was highlighted by none other than a hatchling Northern Map Turtle, struggling against the waves.

photo courtesy of Josh Pickering

It is possible that some earlier wild wave action dislodged this little fellow from its winter hibernation site buried in the sand somewhere along the beach.

A brief stop at the Visitor Centre at mid-day turned up things like American Goldfinch and White-throated Sparrow.

Our next area to target was the Marsh Trail, and in particular the southern parts. As is sometimes the case, birds were noticeable by their absence, although we did see lots more waterfowl on the open water of the marsh.....

.... and get things like Bald Eagle. We ended up with five eagles for the day.

On the return to the trail entrance, we added a few Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a single Pileated Woodpecker, among other species.

Josh and Jodi tracking down birds

With the main part of our designated territory finished, and being now at the north end of the park, we decided to spend a bit of time searching for things like the White-eyed Vireo and Great Kiskadee. The former had already been seen briefly by others, but the latter species remained absent. Our walk along the southern side of the maintenance yard cedars was initially quiet, and I pointed out where I had seen and photographed the vireo just a few days earlier. And there it was again, in exactly the same spot.

A couple of other birders were nearby looking for it, so we got their attention and the white-eye kept us occupied for several minutes.

After a while, our group dispersed while Josh and I headed to the north side of the maintenance yard where the kiskadee had sometimes been seen in days gone by. A few minutes later we decided to head to the campground where the kiskadee had also been seen from time to time. On the way over, while Josh was facing me in conversation he stopped while looking over my shoulder exclaiming 'there is an owl'. I quickly turned and looked. It was probably only 50 metres away and low in a deciduous tree. It was a large owl, but clearly not a Great Horned. It only took a split second for both of us to conclude it was a Barred Owl! This was totally unexpected, as there are only 4 previous records for the park checklist area, and none since 1981. After getting a few photos, we quickly texted some other birders.

It was late enough in the afternoon that most had already finished their territories, so were able to arrive fairly quickly. The owl was on the move, however, and by the time the ten or so birders showed, it had moved into the campground. And there it was found again, at one point having picked off an Eastern Grey Squirrel which had undoubtedly never had any experience with Barred Owls (and would never have another!).

So although we didn't luck out with the kiskadee, the Barred Owl was certainly a bonus bird even though it was not a new species for this count, having been recorded on one previous occasion.

The Great Kiskadee continues to be absent, not having been seen or heard since December 9. It is interesting to know that one had shown up in recent days in Indiana, so perhaps it has made its move towards a more likely part of its range. Or maybe 'our' kiskadee will reappear somewhere in the Rondeau area, since it has a habit of disappearing for several weeks and then reappearing for a week or two. Time will tell, but for now, I have replaced my header photo of the kiskadee with the latest celebrity, the Barred Owl.

A final note: in addition to the Northern Map Turtle we saw, I heard that others saw Eastern Garter Snakes and Eastern Comma butterflies in at least a couple of different places on this warm and sunny day. Certainly not the kinds of things one expects to find on a Christmas Bird Count, but I guess here in the banana belt, we should expect the unexpected!

Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count preview

The Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count is tomorrow, December 16. This will be the 79th CBC here, making it one of the longest running counts in Ontario. Our cumulative list of birds is about 191 species, which is pretty phenomenal. Over the last couple of decades we have seldom recorded fewer than 100 species for the day, and on two occasions recorded 115 species. This count is regularly in the top three of Ontario.

This count has the potential to add four new species, all of which have been seen in the last week, and some just in the last day or so and are officially within the count week (three days before and three days after the actual count day). Those four species are Great Kiskadee, White-eyed Vireo, Baltimore Oriole and Trumpeter Swan. Only the vireo has been seen within the count week period so far, but the others are likely still around, so hopefully they will appear soon.

As usual, some effort is put in to the three days before the count day, to scout around and see if the rarities are still around. I have been out a couple of times. The kiskadee has not been seen, but there is a lot of area for it to move in to and it will be a challenge to find it. The vireo has been seen in its usual area.

 Some of us have been present at daybreak or before, hoping that the kiskadee, shown at the header of this blog, will stick to its usual routine, but this has not happened in the last few days. The sunrise, however, can be attractive while we patiently wait and watch.

 There are the usual species, although some are only present in low numbers such as the Northern Flicker.

 Raptors are not as abundant as some years. This Red-tailed Hawk has been hanging around the north end of the park,and doesn't seem to mind photographers.

 Ruby-crowned Kinglets are diminishing in numbers but there are still a few around.

 As the park quietens from the lack of humans present, the deer are out in the open a bit more.

One of the surprises of the last few weeks has been the abundance of loons, and specifically, the Red-throated Loon. We've only had Red-throats on one occasion on this count, back in 1981. If the ones that have been around are still around tomorrow, we will blow that number out of the water (pun intended). In the last week or so there have been as many as 100 Red-throated Loons seen off the east beach and along the lake shore just north of the park. They aren't real close to shore, but with binoculars one will usually see a few, and with a scope, a lot more.

Here's hoping.......

A visit to the Erieau area turned up a few expected species, none of which are a guarantee some years. We've had more than 8200 American Coots one time, but some years we don't get any. At the moment, there are two at Erieau.

 We get Belted Kingfisher about half the time. There could be as many as 5 in the area, possibly more. Four have been seen along the lake just north of the park, and this female has been hanging out at Erieau.

 Bald Eagles are pretty much a guarantee anymore. It wasn't that long ago when getting even one on the count was considered good. In the last decade and a half we have averaged about 10 birds.

Snowy Owls are around, although they are often well out in a field and too far to bother with the camera for. I saw two today in the fields between Lagoon Road and Fargo Road, but they were on a gas pipe a long way out.

Wild Turkeys were not seen until 2004, as a result of the re-introduction of the species in Ontario that began in the 1980s. Since 2004 we have recorded them annually, with as many as almost 350 reported one year.

Waterfowl can make up a significant part of this count's totals. Most years will see between 20-30 species of them. This year might not be a banner year due to the cold spell 2-3 weeks ago which encouraged a lot of them to depart farther south. However although the total number of waterfowl individuals and species might not be as high as some year, I'm sure we can get close to 20 species, maybe more, including a new species for the count: Trumpeter Swan, as two pairs of them have been sighted fairly regularly in various locations.

Tundra Swans and Mute Swans will be a guarantee, however.

In only a few hours we will have the results of the 2018 count, and a report on the highs and lows will be forthcoming. For those readers of this blog who are involved in bird counts in your areas over the next few weeks, have a great day with lots of birds!

Excellent Early Winter Birding!

I have always really liked the Brooks Falls photo that has been on my header for a few weeks now. However I thought that with the Great Kiskadee continuing to fascinate birders far and wide with its presence at Rondeau since at least going back to September 7, it deserved being highlighted again.

While it is not yet winter officially, at least by the calendar, the weather is certainly typical of early winter. For bird listing purposes, the beginning of the winter period is December 1. Hence it is a great time to get some lingering migrants or whatever happens to be sticking around. And it is worthwhile checking out things as much as possible in preparation for the upcoming Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count.

A couple of early morning visits to Rondeau from about daybreak, have been cold, but rewarding. Of course the presence of Great Kiskadee, the first for Canada, is very much a target species for the bird count. There have been people out every morning watching and waiting, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes it is heard and seen within a few minutes of leaving its roost; other times one needs watchers to spread out and check the places it may be at. On one occasion this past week when it left the roost quickly and moved off, it took at least a couple of hours for anyone to find it again. And even then, views were challenging due to distance and poor light. This first photo is the view at the equivalent of about 10 power binoculars. Not exactly ideal.

 Cropped to the equivalent of about 60 power, it looks better.

Yesterday the bird left its roost quickly, heard by one person only. It was only after about two hours when Jim and Blake found it while they were checking out the campground. It was a nice bright sunny day, but quite cold as the overnight temperature had been to about -7C. I'm sure the kiskadee was wondering what the cold was all about, but at least on this day it was able to soak up some sunshine. It was content to bask at this location for about 20 minutes or so before flying south towards the maintenance yard.

White-tailed Deer are usually returning from the more open eastern side of the park as daylight arrives. I guess they can read traffic signs....

 ....but when they realize people are close by, decide to move to more sheltered areas.

The cold caused various birds to spend a bit of time warming up in the sun, allowing them to be approached more closely than usual.

 Cedar Waxwings are moving about in small groups, feasting on berries such as these rosebush berries.

This Red-tailed Hawk was surprisingly tolerant of birders right close by.

 A White-eyed Vireo has been present for awhile in the vicinity of the maintenance yard, roosting and feeding in the white cedars lining the fenced area. Normally the species is not common in Ontario at all, although it has nested at Rondeau before, but all of that species should be a long way south at this time of year. If it sticks around and is counted next week, it will be the first record for this bird count, and one of the few bird count records for the province. I had one on the Pelee Island bird count back in the early 1990s. Often this bird is in the shadows of the cedars, flitting about quickly, making photography difficult. Yesterday it was quite cooperative for a time, and at one point it was in the bright sunshine and as close as about 5 feet, which was too close to focus on! I backed off a bit, and the next time it came out in the open sunshine, I had much more success.

 It was finding something to eat, but we couldn't tell what it was.

 Another species that is not often found at this time of year, although a small number is typically recorded for the bird count, is this next one: Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Its relative the Golden-crowned Kinglet is more abundant as the season goes on. There were several Ruby-crowns in the north end of the park yesterday.

 At the north end of the campground is a feeding station at a cottage, which has had a few birds using it in the last couple of weeks, including a female Baltimore Oriole. A few of us have had brief glimpses of the bird, but it does not stay out in the open for long. Here, a birder is heading around the street to check on nearby conifer trees which the oriole seems to prefer hanging out in.

 Two or more Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been in or near the campground lately. This next photo shows a young bird working away on some holes it has drilled. If it is waiting for some insects to be attracted to it, it might be a long wait. But if it is going to suck the sap, it will be okay.

 White-throated Sparrows are still around in small numbers.

 The local resident population of Pileated Woodpeckers can be notoriously difficult to find on count day. Most years we get one or two, but not always.

There is a new conservation area just northeast of the intersection of Talbot Trail (Hwy 3) and Chatham-Kent Road 15. It isn't large but has a nice mix of planted hardwoods, pines and some open grassy areas. It was planted under a woodlot improvement agreement with MNR back in the early 1990s. The owners, Sally and Jack Foster, recently donated it to the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Area, and it is known as the Bannerstone Conservation Lands.

Yesterday just before leaving the park I got a text from Jim and Steve indicating they had found a Long-eared Owl in the pine plantation, and provided very detailed directions on how to find it. Apparently it was being scolded by chickadees and kinglets, always helpful in finding roosting owls. I got there a few minutes later just after Jim and Steve left, and followed the directions. I couldn't find any owl. After 20 minutes or so Keith came by, also looking for the owl. We scoured the area carefully, and even after Keith phoned them to make sure we were in the right area, there was still no Long-eared Owl to be seen. We broadened our search and came across an owl, but not a Long-ear. It was a Northern Saw-whet Owl!

As is often the case, branches etc are often in the way, but I was able to get reasonable focus. Interestingly Jim came back a little later and couldn't find either owl, and when Keith returned an hour later, the only raptor he found was a Sharp-shinned Hawk. A classic case of birds on the move, so there is never a guarantee of finding them, even in their roost.

Keith had told me of some Turkey Vultures feeding on something at the back end of the Blenheim Golf Course, so that was my next stop. Sure enough, from Harwich Road I could see two vultures feeding on a Raccoon carcass.

The Raccoon population has been fairly high recently, and canine distemper is running rampant. If you see a Raccoon wandering around erratically in the daytime, chances are it might have distemper, and when it gets to that stage, it apparently cannot be treated successfully. Virtually all affected animals will die sooner or later. Fortunately the disease is not transmitted to humans.

My last intended stop of the day was at the Stefina Line pasture. I have seen Northern Shrikes there in the past, as well as Short-eared Owls, among other things. With the pasture being grazed up until recently, the grass height it isn't ideal for the owls, and it seems there are very few small songbirds that might interest a shrike. I had seen the Sadler brothers checking out where the creek comes up and under the road, but they didn't stay long. We chatted briefly as we were going in opposite directions, and they went on their way. In a matter of minutes I was at the creek and didn't see anything either, so decided to 'pish' to see if any small birds might pop up. Almost immediately I saw a bird heading straight for me from a distance and at first thought it was a Mourning Dove, but as it approached I quickly realized it was a medium-sized shorebird. It plopped itself down in the wet grassy section of the creek bed and there was a Wilson's Snipe, a mere 20 metres or so away. This spot has attracted a snipe on a regular basis in the winter, and it is often the only one we get on the Christmas Bird Count. There's no reason to not expect it to stick around, but actually seeing it on the count day isn't a guarantee.

If the Baltimore Oriole, White-eyed Vireo and Great Kiskadee remain and are seen in the count week or on the count day, we will add three new species to our overall list, which considering we already have about 191 since this count began in 1939, will be amazing! Stay tuned!