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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More exploration of local woodlands and wetlands

 I will get back to the Birds of Chatham-Kent, then and now, series before long, I hope, but as spring slowly and steadily unfolds nearby, featuring my current travels and discoveries is more relevant.

McKerrall Woods is an interesting woodland only a few kilometres from home. I included it in my Natural Areas of Chatham-Kent series awhile ago, and for more information on it, check out this link. It is not well known, but a nice representative upland/lowland woods a little way off the gravel road, and other than when I led a spring wildflower hike to a few folks several years ago, I have never seen anyone there during my visits that I make several times a year. I enjoy the peace and quiet of natural areas, so especially if I think the more well-known natural areas will be busier, I retreat to areas such as McKerrall Woods.

So on a nice, sunny, warmish day on a weekend a short time ago, I set out for McKerrall Woods. As usual, I had the place to myself, other than the normal woodland creatures. Wood Frogs were chortling, and woodpeckers were drumming or otherwise making them selves known. I got my first ever Pileated Woodpecker for this site. I tracked it down, but was not able to get a good photo, so I have delved into my archives here.

Other than that, I got about 20 of the usual species, and had a pair of Turkey Vultures soaring a little above the tree canopy. I have seen them here before, not surprisngly, and thought I had discovered a nest last year but it turned out not to be. Maybe this year I will be more successful.

I've been to Thamesgrove Conservation Area a few times, but mainly when the weather doesn't look all that great for going very far away. It isn't terribly birdy yet, but there is always something, and occasionally I even get a photo or two, such as of this first of season Hermit Thrush.

Even closer to home is Paxton's Bush, which I get to several times a week. I came across my first Bloodroot flowers of the season.

Brown Creepers continue to be in woodlands on their northerly migration, and even our yard on occasion.

If I get a decent chance for a photo of Downy Woodpecker, or any other regular species, I will try to benefit from its cooperation.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are a little more abundant now, as they get into migration mode.

The local Great Horned Owls have utilized this laundry basket nest again this year. The ear tufts of the adult are visible, and a close look indicates there are two fluff balls present.

I include a trip to Rondeau as often as I can, although lately it has never been more than twice a week. That will change soon, I expect. Lots of walking will invariably bring one across a nice variety of both flora and fauna. 

Frogs are plentiful and I have heard Spring Peepers already. Leopard Frogs are calling everywhere, and show up on trails and roads.

On a warmish day, snakes can be seen slowly roaming about, like this Eastern Gartersnake.

I've had a few butterflies, including this Eastern Comma, as well as a couple of Mourning Cloaks that were constantly on the move, so no photos.

Spring wildflowers are appearing, such as this Sharp-lobed Hepatica. Due to the cooler water surrounding the park, winds keep the unfolding of spring a little slower than inland, so it is always nice to see the first native spring wildflowers. There are some non-native species that have already appeared, such as Snowdrops, Siberian Squill and Colt's-foot. They are usually close to cottage lots, so undoubtedly were brought in by the leaseholders.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

I came across my first migrant warblers of the season at Rondeau, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, looking crisp and clean compared to the more drab overwintering individuals of this species.

 

I also encountered my first of the year Eastern Bluebird....

.....and an Eastern Towhee that enabled me to get this photo.....

.....as well as one of three Fox Sparrows I noted along the Black Oak Trail.

  One has to be on the lookout for trail 'hazards' as well as the flora and fauna along the trail. Coyote scat is fairly regularly seen, but this one doesn't seem to be coyote since there is no hair or fur in it. I suspect it might be from a member of the weasel family.

 

This next item is a pupa of some overwintering moth species, as near as I can tell. It was wriggling slightly so maybe it will emerge.

I've checked out some wetlands along Lake St. Clair from time to time as well. Beaver are becoming more plentiful in recent decades, and one sees evidence of their huge houses from time to time.

As I was starting out along the Mitchell's Bay South Nature Trail, I saw my first of the year Barn Swallow, preening on the wire in the vicinity of 4 Tree Swallows.

When I started down the trail, I was interested to see the huge number of Midland Painted Turtles out basking in the sun. In my first time past this group, and close to the beginning of the trail, I counted 77 individuals. As I continued down the trail, I tallied a total of 142 individuals, quite a remarkable number.

On the return, I took a closer look at this first bunch and noted that more turtles had emerged to sun themselves. When I recounted, I found that there were at least 20 more, bringing the overall total to about 162! I was hoping to find a Blanding's Turtle in with them, but all were painted.

Double-crested Cormorants are not uncommon at all...

...nor are Song Sparrows.

Golden-crowned Kinglets were present in small numbers, flitting and feeding amongst the shrubbery.

There were several Great Egrets, not surprisingly, but they don't often cooperate for a camera. One has to peer through the taller Phragmites vegetation to have any hope of a relative clear photo.

Bald Eagles, such as this sub-adult, are frequently seen from a distance. The partial back lighting didn't make it any easier to get this photo.

Happy Easter, everyone!

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Egrets, Eagles, shorebirds, etc.

 On occasion there have been some fairly sunny and bright days lately. Even a tad warmish. On those days, it is always a treat to go to places where there are wetlands, especially sheltered ones. On a trip to Rondeau, with all of the sloughs and other wetland habitats, you can hear the chortling of Wood Frogs.

You can't always find them close to the trail or boardwalk. This is a photo when that was possible on one of those exceptional days a couple of years ago.

Other frogs are out as well, including Leopard Frogs. They have a tendency to wander a bit farther from the wetlands, and aren't always successful in their road-crossing efforts.

Birds have been increasing slowly and steadily. Golden-crowned Kinglets are seen in lots of places, but due to their sometimes frenetic activity, aren't always easy to get a photo of.

Brown Creepers are increasing as well, although they never seem to be as plentiful as kinglets.

I had an invitation a few days ago, to visit a private wetland complex north of Mitchell's Bay, and within easy sight of Walpole Island. Just prior to making it all the way to that spot, I decided to check out the Mitchell's Bay North Lakeshore Nature Trail. I hadn't been there for several months, and it showed a considerably different look. The main reason was that the water of Lake St. Clair has dropped from what it was over the last couple of years, leaving lots of exposed shoreline and even mud flats. I found my first shorebirds of the season (other than Killdeer) here. I got photos of Dunlin, shown first...

.....and Lesser Yellowlegs, shown next. I also saw a Greater Yellowlegs, but did not get any photos.

I also saw about 8 Great Egrets overall, but the only place they were right together was in a mostly obscured location along the lake. Here is a trio of them that I caught en route to that lake side location.

There were ducks, and I got these photos. Some Northern Pintail were going somewhere else......

...but this pair of Northern Shoveler was a little more tolerant of me.

There were also several Bald Eagles in view, but too far away for a photo from this vantage point. However at the next stage of my destination for that day, the aforementioned private marsh, I was more fortunate. I saw at least 8-10 Bald Eagles, mostly sub-adults as the adults were likely closer to their home territory. The only one I got a sort of satisfactory photo of was this one, against an overcast grey sky.

It was actually chasing another adult, hence the fierce open-mouth cry it was making. But the photo of the two of them interacting did not turn out.

There were another 8 or so Great Egrets in this vicinity, and I got a few photos. It isn't too surprising to see so many along this part of Lake St. Clair wetlands, as there is a heronry on Walpole.

There were also lots of ducks, as usual, but not all that close at hand other than these.

Blue-winged Teal

This pair of Hooded Mergansers caught me off guard, explaining why the photo isn't in great focus.

A few Northern Flickers were along the edges.

On another occasion, I decided to walk part of the berm trail at St. Clair NWA. It was sunny and breezy, but quite comfortable. I saw a couple of Bald Eagles there, but they were well off along the tree line at the lake shore.

Most of the ducks were well beyond photo range, but a trio of Bufflehead came in right in front of the tower which I was on, and seemed to be more interested in the courtship activity rather than me on the tower.

There were lots of American Coot, at least several dozen scattered here and there....

...and right along the trail was a single American Tree Sparrow.

One of the Wood Duck boxes along the main access road to the NWA often has an Eastern Screech Owl peeking out. It isn't always this visible.

I have zipped out to Erieau a couple of times of late, mainly to see if I could catch up to the Eurasian Wigeon that gets reported from time to time. I have 'scoped the water front a few times, but it always seems to turn up somewhere else. The light hasn't always been good, but that's no reason. Here is a Horned Grebe slowly changing over from winter attire to the breeding look.

 Green-winged Teal seem to be fewer than Blue-winged, at the moment, but there are usually a few around.

 

This was an overcast day, and I almost drove by this Snowy Owl, perched on this pole having just about finished its dinner. I couldn't really tell what the menu item was, but it had webbed feet.

I went again on Friday, since the Eurasian Wigeon was reported again from Erieau. But again, no luck finding it. The only European bird species I saw was this European Starling, a common species of course, and not all that popular with North American birders. But all things considered, they really are an attractive/colourful species.

Another non-native species is this Mute Swan, a species that is all too frequently found in local wetlands. This was along the Rail Trail, and clearly the nesting season has begun.

....as it has for Canada Geese.

While I was out along this trail, this sub-adult Bald Eagle came floating by, stirring up many of the resting waterfowl.

It made no attempt to pick off anything, but eventually continued out of sight.

After the eagle departed, many of the disturbed ducks returned to the shelter of the marsh, although they were still a bit skittish. This male Northern Shoveler didn't seem to mind me capturing it in all of its breeding finery.

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