Another memorable Christmas Bird Count

 The latest Blenheim/Rondeau Christmas Bird Count is now history. It was yesterday, December 18. It has been going since 1939, making it one of the longest running counts in Canada.

The weather in some ways was not too bad. That is unless one was expecting to be out in an unsheltered part of the count circle, as I always am. The south beach of Rondeau Provincial Park is one of my favourite places in Rondeau. It can be a very pleasant outing, especially in warmer seasons. On a Christmas Bird Count, it can really test one's resolve! Such was the case yesterday.

After noting the Eastern Screech Owl that regularly roosts in a cavity of an American Beech tree, I met up with Kevin, Morgan and Finn at the beginning of the west South Point Trail. From there we drove to the end of the trail, at the lake edge. At this point, as shown in the following photo, we got our trusty spotting scopes set up and spent an hour or so scanning for waterfowl or anything that was in sight. 

 Last year I had record numbers of things like Red-throated Loons, and many other species. On this day, however, we didn't see a single loon on the move. There were a few things like two species of scoters as well as numerous scaup, mergansers and such, as well as a sub-adult Bald Eagle.

Since the prospect for loons was not high, we decided to get ready for the next stage of our day. It was walking the south beach all the way to the Erieau channel and back. Except for the first 2-300 metres of this ~8 km trek, we were fully exposed heading face first into the brutal winds, which ranged from about 32-50 km/hour according to local weather stations. Being as exposed as we were along the lakeshore, it might have even been higher. The temperature was just slightly below freezing, and the wind chill was in the -18 to -20C range. Nonetheless, we struck out and went all the way to Erieau and back. After all, there were birds to be seen!

Looking through the 'scopes that we took along, and even looking through binoculars was a challenge to keep steady enough in the wind to get the kind of views we needed for viewing birds at a distance. But there were a few stands of Phragmites that helped give a bit of shelter to make it easier. Even though Phragmites is a highly undesirable invasive species, under these conditions we were glad a bit of it was there.

We had a very good variety of waterfowl, with 19 species observed overall. Even though Mallards and American Black Ducks are typically the most abundant species at this time of year, there were more American Wigeon and Bufflehead than either of those two species, although getting photos of them was not easy. After all, it is the tail end of waterfowl hunting season, and they are used to hunters approaching stealthily or luring them in to get a shot. The birds in the following photo were taking shelter at the edge of Rondeau Bay, but left quickly when they detected our movement through the grasses.

Mute Swans are not used to being shot at, so the few that we saw seemed to care less about our presence.

Ruddy Ducks were numerous as well, numbering about 75 in our territory, but not nearly as abundant as the several thousand reported along the more sheltered east side of the park. This one was injured in some way, as it preferred to rest on the shoreline, and when it decided to get farther away from us, it flopped over and had a difficult time righting itself before swimming away. It always returned to the shoreline as soon as it could. I suspect it will become a source of food for a foraging hawk or eagle before long.

We did see a single Common Loon, but not flying out over the lake. It was swimming in the relatively sheltered water of Rondeau Bay.

With the relative above freezing temperatures of recent weeks, there was a lot of exposed, unfrozen shoreline, with lots of mudflats and seaweed matter along the edges. That meant there was a high probability of finding shorebirds. A few days ago there were both Purple Sandpiper and Wilson's Snipe seen along the south beach, and we were hopeful in seeing one or both of these species. As it turned out, we didn't see either, but overall had something even better!

We saw 10 Killdeer, which were not unexpected. They were skittish, and did not allow for great photos, so we didn't bother. Killdeer are seen regularly on this count. But the other three species were not expected: one each of Spotted Sandpiper, Dunlin and Western Sandpiper! The Spotty was too skittish to get a photo of. Spotted Sandpiper is rather rare for the season, and has only been observed on two previous counts. Fortunately the other two species were quite cooperative.

On the way out, I saw the Dunlin and called over to the others in the group. We noted it could fly fairly well, at least for short distances, and it never seemed to go far. It had a bad leg, and no doubt the ice that encased its foot added to the weight as well as interfered with any streamlining necessary for efficient longer flight. It hopped on one leg and seemed to be able to forage, but I suspect it will not last long under the current weather conditions.

The ice on the foot is a little more evident in this next photo.

As mentioned, we got to the Erieau channel, about 4 km from our starting point. Here are a couple of shots from Erieau, looking east towards the Rondeau forest and our return destination. There is a bit of wooded area right at the channel, and this first photo shows that end of the sandspit looking east with Rondeau Bay on the left. With the lower lake levels for a change, it made getting out to the channel much easier, and is the first time I have been able to get to the channel in at least 3-4 years.

This next photo was taken just at the eastern edge of the wooded area, and shows how open and exposed the majority of the south beach is. The dark line in the distance is the Rondeau forest, about 4 km away.

It was part way along on our way back when a flock of wigeon took flight, and one of our group noticed a small shorebird in flight as well. Fortunately it returned to the edge of the bay, and we were able to relocate it. It didn't take too long to determine it had all the characteristics of a Western Sandpiper! It had only been recorded on this count on one occasion, back in 2001, when I had two at the very south end of the Marsh Trail. But this one wasn't a total surprise, as one had been seen over a several day period back in early December, although it was along the Erieau Marsh Trail. It is likely, although not for certain, that this bird and the one seen at Erieau are one and the same.

We got quite a few photos from a distance, just for the record. The chunky look with no 'neck', the dark bill with a slight droop at the tip, and the bit of dark streaking on the crown all fit the characteristics of Western Sandpiper. But the bird was quite tolerant of us, or at least was more interested in foraging along the shoreline than it felt any threat from us.

Just to show how relatively tolerant of us this bird was, this next photo shows Kevin hunkered down a short distance from the water's edge. Initially the bird was at least 10 metres or more away, but it decided Kevin was not a threat.....

.....and passed by less than 2 metres from him! Way too close to focus the camera on, but at this point, Kevin had an almost face to face look at this bird, which happened to be a lifer for him.

 Kevin, Morgan and Finn had to depart after we got back to our starting point, and our group ended up with 37 species. I kept on for several hours in different parts of the park and I ended up with 57 species for the day. The final number of species had not been determined for the overall count when I checked in with Keith, the compiler, but last evening the number stood at 108 species as reported by about 23 birders spread out over the count circle. There were a couple of more lists to come in, so that number might change. Nevertheless, it is likely to be the highest number for any bird count in Ontario this year, even though it is a far cry from our record of 124 species of last year. We have averaged about 108 species over the last two decades.

 There were a few highlights from other birders on the count in their respective territories, including two or more Golden Eagles (none of the next 4 photos were taken on this count)....

....several thousand American Coot...

...a few Fox Sparrows...

....and at least one Black-crowned Night-Heron. This species is rather unusual having only been seen 9 times over the 80+ years of this count. But it can stay well into the winter, depending on the water conditions. This next photo was taken along a larger creek just north of Erieau back on January 21, 2012.

 

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A cooperative coyote; birds, not so much

I've heard lots of coyotes over the years, mainly when I have been out at night with the black lights. They may have been howling at the moon, or just enjoying communication with others of their kind.

On occasion I have even seen them during the day, but usually from a great distance and the photos are only possible due to a high powered telephoto lens to begin with, and then further cropping on the computer. My previous blog post featured some of those, as I was discussing their impacts on deer, turkeys and other wildlife of the area. I had never photographed a coyote inside the confines of Rondeau. Until yesterday.

I had been looking for an Eastern Phoebe along the edge of Rondeau Bay, near the boat ramp, where one had been seen on a couple of occasions recently. I didn't see the phoebe, but while scanning the shoreline, I noticed this canine resting comfortably about 75 metres from where I was. It was sheltered from the brisk easterly wind, and able to enjoy some sunlight, whenever the sun broke through the cloud cover.

It was aware of me, as I am sure it had seen regular boater/hunter activity at the boat ramp as it was the main access for hunters to get to their duck blinds somewhere on the bay. Therefore it didn't seem to be all that concerned about my presence, and continued to stay put. But it eventually got up, stretched and scratched itself....

...and then slowly sauntered back into a tangle of shrubs and fallen trees. I watched this coyote for a good 15-20 minutes. Normally a coyote would scamper out of sight almost immediately when a human comes anywhere near that close, presumably since beyond the park's boundaries, they are frequently hunted. But inside the park, they are not hunted at all. Even then they don't typically remain so visible and stationary for so long.

I had been at Rondeau for a good long walk, in preparation for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count. Of the 4 counts I typically do each year, the Rondeau one is always the most challenging in terms of hiking conditions. For about three decades or more, my territory includes starting off walking the south beach all the way to Erieau and back. Hiking conditions due to snow, ice and wind can be challenging, especially carrying a 'scope. The south beach is a relatively narrow strip of beach, giving great views of the lake as well as the south end of both the marsh and bay. It has been a very rewarding area to cover, in spite of the challenges. Over the years I have seen things like Purple Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Snowy Owl, Harlequin Duck and King Eider on this count.

And then up until just a few years ago, when I was finished with the south beach area by around mid-day, I would quickly head to the north end of the park, drive part way out the Marsh Trail and walk it to the end, including a side trip to Long Pond. All told, the day would encompass roughly an 18 km hike, carrying the scope and/or camera. The Marsh Trail has also had some notable birds on this count, including Sage Thrasher, American Avocet, Western Sandpiper and Northern Shrike, among others.

The Marsh Trail has been relatively off limits over the past few years, due to the major erosion problems at the north end. So I have not covered the marsh in the last couple of years.

I did venture out part way along the south beach a few days ago. With no snow or ice to contend with, it seems relatively peaceful and accessible, with some rather wide beach areas now that the water levels of the lake have dropped a bit this year. It looks promising, if my energy and legs can stand it. Walking on sand for that distance dressed in winter garb and carrying a scope takes its toll, especially depending on the weather.

There wasn't a lot to see on this excursion. There was a large flock of mostly Mallards, with a few American Black Ducks mixed in, that flew up from the marsh. But other than those, a single Great Blue Heron at the edge of the marsh, and a few gulls and mergansers off in the lake, there wasn't a lot to see this time. But I only went out a little over half way to Erieau.

On another occasion, since there was a brisk east wind and it was a non-hunting day, I walked part way out the Marsh Trail. Even after a trek of about 4 km, the birds were not very plentiful, nor cooperative for the camera. I did see three sub-adult Bald Eagles, but only got a single photo of one of them leaving its perch almost immediately after I saw it.

Elsewhere in the park, I came across a clump of the distinctive leaves of the rare Puttyroot orchid. I had better success photographing them since they were not going anywhere. This was a new population that I discovered late last winter.

I heard this Pileated Woodpecker long before I was able to see it. And even after I saw it, it was constantly at least partially obscured by many branches. Of course it was intent on digging out some beetle larvae from a rotting tree trunk, and could have cared less about my photographic interests.

I've also spent a bit of time meandering around the former Dover Twp, partially to see what birds are out there in preparation for the upcoming St. Clair NWA Christmas Bird Count on New Year's Day, and also hoping to see my first of the season Snowy Owl. The snowies seem not to have arrived yet this season, but things like Tundra Swans are quite abundant in or near the NWA, and even some Sandhill Cranes are still around.

The shrubby hedgerow where the Great Blue Herons were taking shelter a few days ago, which I featured in a recent blog post, is currently being ripped up. Another tree line being dismantled, allowing the brisk wind to blow the topsoil. I noted one or two spots earlier today where the blowing topsoil was making visibility for driving a bit difficult. Such are the conditions of Chatham-Kent. Sigh.....

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Western Sandpiper and other waterbirds

 Shorebirds are something you don't expect to find very often once December and sometimes freezing temperatures are the norm. But in the last week or so, a few species continue, and certainly a highlight was that of a Western Sandpiper.

The place to see this rarity, and others, was along the Erieau Marsh Trail. Unfortunately the trail wasn't always easy to access, as a large tree limb had come down on one of the windy days that occurred recently. I took note of it, along with this photo, and sent it to my municipal Chatham-Kent Trails staff contact. She indicated it would be cleared as soon as yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, so hopefully by the time this post is sent out, the trail is clear for any hikers and cyclists who wish to use the trail.

The obstruction on the trail wasn't impossible to get through, although a bit of agility made it easier for hikers. For cyclists, that was another matter.

At any rate, getting past the fallen limb to the muddy edges of the wetland near the observation deck, was worth the effort. The shorebirds were not always in sight, as evidenced by various eBird posts indicating the shorebirds were not seen. But patience paid off, as it often does when birding, and after an hour or so, the shorebirds came into view along the more distant shore. A bit more patience paid off, as they eventually came a lot closer to the edge of a small channel that meandered through the mud flats. Even at that, a good telephoto lens and some significant cropping was required to get these.

Some observers may have initially thought of this bird as none other than a Semipalmated Sandpiper (SESA), and indeed, it does look similar. However a SESA is unheard of almost anywhere in North America at this late date, as they are far, far away on their wintering grounds. Western Sandpiper (WESA) is not common by any means, but there are a few records this late in the season even here in Ontario. I have seen them twice before, including on one of the local Christmas Bird Counts, where I had one at the south end of the Rondeau Marsh Trail even in later December!

A closer look at this individual shows some subtle, but definite, differences between SESA and WESA, as can be noted in the three photos shown here. In this individual, (a) the bill is a bit stouter, with a slight droop at the tip, (b) the bird seems a bit stockier, with almost no neck, and (c) a look at the crown shows some slight streaking. All of those features, as well as the lateness of the season, point quite strongly to WESA, and photos that were sent to shorebirds specialists for assistance agreed with this identification.

The WESA was often in accompaniment with 5-6 Dunlin, a slightly larger shorebird that is one of the most likely species to occur this late in the season. It also has a noticeable droop to the tip of the bill, but is overall quite a bit larger, and differs in its plumage pattern.

Dunlin

There were also several Killdeer with it, or at least not far away. This group of 5 Killdeer, shown next, did not come as close, so this photo is very heavily cropped as the birds were right out at the shoreline of Rondeau Bay. As many as 26 Killdeer were noted overall.

Another shorebird species, a Lesser Yellowlegs, was seen near Shrewsbury this same day, but was gone by the time I passed by that spot.

With lots of water spots still at least partially open due to the slightly warming temperatures, other water birds remain in good numbers. I saw more than 30 Sandhill Cranes while on a drive through parts of the former Dover Twp. Some were at St. Clair NWA, as shown here, while others were at a wetland farther north.

During a slow drive by some fields, some dark spots that looked out of place way out in the corner of a field caught my eye. Upon checking it more closely, and capturing a couple of photos, I noted about 14 Great Blue Herons at the far corner of the field, taking some refuge behind some shrubbery from the strong windy conditions. Also, it was a waterfowl hunting day, so they probably didn't feel quite as content in their usual wetland haunts. Seeing two White-tailed Deer very close by was a bonus, although the one had moved a little farther away when I took this photo.

Tundra Swans are pretty regular in parts of Chatham-Kent these days, especially if there are recently harvested corn fields with the stubble remaining. There are large flocks scattered in various fields near SCNWA, but even larger flocks are in fields north of Ridgetown. I believe it is partly because of the presence of the sewage lagoons where they sometimes rest for the night, but mainly because there are far more untilled fields with corn stubble still available for feeding. In Dover Twp, most harvested corn fields are already worked up, or at least have had the stalks cut smaller and have been baled to then be used as a covering for some vegetable crop to protect it from harsher winter weather.

A couple of days ago while driving north of Ridgetown, I came across several fields with swans, totaling well over 3000 birds. Along one quiet gravel road, the swans were quite close to the road. But as soon as I slowed up, the birds showed an immediate concern and at least started to head farther inland.

Once I stopped with the camera lens showing out the window, most of the birds took flight to points farther inland.

For some reason this first year bird, as evident by its continuing grayish neck and the pinkish bill, gleaning corn or whatever from the edge closest to the road, showed no concern. I was able to get several photos that were hardly cropped at all.

Sticking with a water bird theme, sort of, here is a photo of one of a couple of dozen American Tree Sparrows which, along with some Dark-eyed Juncos, a couple of Fox Sparrows and an American Goldfinch, was enjoying some of the puddles along Harrison Trail at Rondeau. Certainly not a true water bird, but...

Carolina Wrens pop up once in awhile, still singing to proclaim their territory.

The Eastern Screech Owl still shows up from time to time, peeking out of its cavity in the American Beech along Bennett Ave.

The woods are certainly quiet these days, an excellent time to enjoy the tranquility of the world of nature!

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Lingering shorebirds, lots of ducks, an opossum and a late moth!

 The autumn is getting quieter, but there are still lots of things to get one's attention. I have stopped at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons, and there was a lot of ice, but that didn't mean there weren't any birds. I had a couple of species of shorebird, including several Killdeer walking on the ice...

....and a late Pectoral Sandpiper working the edges where there was a little open water.

One of the lagoon ponds had a bit of open water, where the waterfowl were concentrated. Given that it is waterfowl hunting season, although not here at the lagoons, the birds were a bit nervous, and the Northern Shovelers were often up flying around.

The Ruddy Ducks were more tolerant, even allowing me to get some relatively close photos.

Ruddies, plus a Bufflehead at the back

I went to the Erieau Marsh Trail, and there were a lot of ducks and coots out in the open water of Rondeau Bay, but well beyond photo range.

I did manage to see a Wilson's Snipe, quite motionless and presumably hoping I wouldn't see it due to its cryptic pattern. I got a distant photo.

A few Song Sparrows stopped their busyness in some shrubbery long enough for me to get a few shots

I had a reason to get out to Clear Creek Forest Provincial Park, and got a few photos. Some Wild Turkeys were feeding in a field immediately adjacent to the park, at a distance....

The park is closed on weekends for the deer herd reduction going on there, but since it was not a weekend, I decided to take a short walk to one of my favourite vantage points. It looks much more barren and winter-ready than the second photo below, taken in late October, from roughly the same vantage point. The creek bed in the first photo sure represents the dryness of the last few months, as there was not a drop to be found anywhere along this stretch.

The woods in winter are not for everyone, but I enjoy the solitude. On one occasion I went to Rondeau specifically for a twilight walk along a quiet trail, and other than a few geese flying overhead, a Sandhill Crane heard way out in the marsh, and a few Great Horned Owls and an Eastern Screech Owl calling, it was peaceful. Until I came across a Virginia Opossum along the trail, and it scolded me quite loudly for interrupting its solitude. It was way too dark to get a photo. This is one from a few years ago.

The even bigger surprise of this walk was to find a moth! It is an Autumnal Moth, a species that I have only seen on a couple of occasions when some came to my black light in early November a couple of years ago. As its name suggests, it is usually encountered fairly late in the season. This one was just sitting on the lower trunk of a maple tree. I didn't have my macro lens, so this is a heavily cropped photo, and given the twilight time of day, I had to use a very high ISO (3200) and held the camera as steady as I could with the lens being wide open (f/5) to get even a record shot like this. Fortunately the moth never moved, and I didn't need much depth of field to capture the pattern.

On another occasion I went out much earlier in the day, and saw a greater diversity of birds, and even got some photos. But the heavy overcast conditions made it challenging. There were several thousand Red-breasted Mergansers flying northeast, but well out in the lake....

...a bit of a surprise was to see almost 4000 Ruddy Ducks spread out over a large area of the lake, east of the park. They were not very close, and were spread out for well over a kilometre along the east side, enjoying the relative calm of the lake for a change. I have seen large numbers of this species on the lake before, but never in quite this abundance.

Along the trail I came across a group of 5 Cedar Waxwings, busily feeding on some berries and then flying up into a nearby tree.....

....and in the campground, there was a flock of 4 Eastern Bluebirds. I hadn't seen Cedar Waxwings or Eastern Bluebirds for quite awhile, so it was nice to catch up to a few of them.

The light was not good, and they were a bit flighty and against the sky, making a careful examination of them difficult. I am always hoping that some day, I will see a Mountain Bluebird, which has never been recorded in the park. I have seen them in Essex and Lambton, but so far not in Chatham-Kent.

A couple of Hairy Woodpeckers were along my paths.

I came across a couple of Norway Maple trees, in the campground, that still had leaves but were heavily blotched with a condition called Black Tar Spot, a pathogen that affects maples and sycamores and typically shows up in late summer and early autumn. I seem to find it primarily on the non-native Norway Maple more often than not. While it looks problematic, it apparently doesn't usually affect the long-term health of the tree.

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