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!

Winter Kiskadee

The Great Kiskadee adventures at Rondeau continue. This mega rarity has gone AWOL before, and had last been reported on Nov 9. In spite of local birders being on the lookout for it on regular visits to Rondeau, including at its usual haunts, the bird eluded us. That is until Dec 2, when two birders were walking down the Marsh Trail a bit before noon and saw it at the usual former canal along the north end of the trail. The discovery was reported to the staff at the Visitor Centre, which fortunately was open that day, and the word got out to others almost immediately. It was seen for a short period before going into its disappearing act once again, but this time only for a few hours. It was heard by several of us towards the end of the afternoon in the vicinity of the maintenance compound. Then it went silent, and we had no idea exactly where it went.

Bright and early the next morning, well as bright as a heavy overcast day with a hint of precipitation can be, several birders were stationed in what we thought were the most likely places it might appear at. After about two hours, we heard it, then saw it briefly as it flew north east over the maintenance compound. It continued by wing as we pursued it on foot, continuing in its northward trajectory. Then we briefly lost it, only to find it again heading into the campground. Was it looking for a vacant campsite? Probably not, but this was the first time any of us had seen it this far north in the park, even though it was only a short flight from its usual area. Is it possible that it had spent some of its time there after it disappeared in early November? Possible, but considering the amount of time that local birders had spent combing the campground in recent weeks for late migrants, or early wintering species, it would be a bit surprising. Regardless, there it was. But it was almost constantly on the move, rarely spending more than 30 seconds in one spot before moving on in what was a large circling route. We did get some distant views of the bird, and even fewer photos, also from a distance. This first one is cropped to the equivalent of about 60X, and with the bright, bland background, is nothing more than a record shot.

It eluded us for awhile longer, but we all thought that the best chance of re-finding this bird was to stake out the area immediately south of the maintenance compound. As the afternoon arrived and then wore on, there was likely a bit of uncertainty felt by the dozen or so birders who were committed to the task of waiting the bird out. And then it was heard, and seen where we had hoped. First it was down low over a slough and then it went and sat fairly high in an open deciduous tree branch facing us. The bright yellow belly was quite visible even against the bland sky, although binoculars were a necessity to truly appreciate it. At this point, it sat relatively motionless for about 30 minutes, and never made a sound.

It was apparent that being as motionless and silent as it was, and so high up, it would have been easily missed by even the most careful and observant birders. Who knows how often birders had walked by within view of it over the past several weeks when it was not reported?

After awhile, the bird flew downward and off towards the beginning of the Marsh Trail, and a few of us followed it as best we could before losing it again. It was seen briefly along Water Street feeding on berries before flying back towards the maintenance compound, presumably getting ready to enter its still unknown overnight roost.

It will be interesting to see if this bird can be found for the upcoming Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count in less than two weeks. Given the weather that it has survived through already, and its omnivorous diet of berries, tadpoles, dragonflies, leeches and undoubtedly a few other things, we have no doubt it can survive. But will it be seen?

While on the lookout for the kiskadee on this day, a few other noteworthy birds were seen, including White-eyed Vireo, (Western) Hermit Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Gray Catbird. Most were seen by only one or two others who happened to be at the right spot at the right time which is all so typical of birding. I was only able to catch up to the sapsucker and catbird, the latter species noted skulking amongst the dense honeysuckle shrubbery across from Lot 17240.

Flakey Friday

Okay I realize that many people look forward to Friday as it means the weekend is almost here. My title is in reference to the snow flakes that are gently falling on this Friday as I write this, and winter is still more than three weeks away. But if every year and season were identical and predictable, it would be boring, right?

I've been out and about a little since my last post. The former Dover Twp between Chatham, Mitchell's Bay and Lake St. Clair is often worth checking at this time of year. Snowy Owls are arriving in larger numbers, at least for now. On the day I was out looking, I came across 5 of them. Whether they stay for most of the winter or keep moving farther south, remains to be seen. There have been 4 or more along Lagoon Road, a bit north of Rondeau Bay as well.

Most of the Snowies that I have seen tend to be out in the partial shelter of a recently harvested cornfield.

 Once in awhile, one is a little closer to the road.

While out looking for Snowies, I came across a large number of Tundra Swans. Large numbers of them have been a little slower arriving in the Lake St. Clair area than some years, it seems. On this day I saw an estimated 7000 or more in several fields. This first photo is of a very small portion of one of the larger fields.

 They were frequently on the move, seeming to be startled when vehicles slowed down or ATVs roared by.

I looked for other birds mixed in such as Ross's Goose or Snow Goose, but did not see any at the time. However there have been Trumpeter Swans hanging out in southern Chatham-Kent in the last few weeks, sometimes at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons or McGeachy Pond or somewhere in between. These were photographed at McGeachy Pond one cloudy, late afternoon.

A Great Blue Heron was at McGeachy Pond as well, taking shelter from the brisk westerly wind.

The forested landscapes are generally quiet these days, although they are still attractive in their own right.

Harrison Trail

Southeast Oak Savanna (Rondeau)

McKerral Woods

There are still berries around, but they are disappearing in response to birds feeding on them so as to withstand the colder season.

Bright red berries such as those in the first photo, are appropriately called Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). This native species is widespread but not abundant.

 Unfortunately another bright red berry producing shrub is much more abundant but not native. It is Japanese Barberry and is a real problem species in our landscapes.

Northern Saw-whet Owls have been migrating through the area from their northern haunts. They can be difficult to find, however. This next photo shows one that I was able to find, but only due to some kinglets and chickadees that were heard scolding it, which alerted Steve Charbonneau to find it and pass on the directions to others. Even with the very good directions it was hard to pick out quite high in this White Pine of the Rondeau campground. This bird was an estimated 25 feet up, much higher than they are normally found.

Of course bird feeding areas are often the best place to seek out birds, and the feeders at Rondeau are worth checking out at anytime.

 Winter finches, including Evening Grosbeaks, are irregular winter visitors to southwestern Ontario. This fall and winter seems to be one of those times that local birders look forward to, and at least a few of these grosbeaks have been sighted over the last couple of weeks or so. I photographed these at the drinking pool of the Rondeau Visitor Centre.

 Pine Siskins are another irregular winter visitor. Here are a few feasting on the niger seed at the Visitor Centre.

 White-throated Sparrows are fewer in number than they were a few weeks ago, but some remain.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are another, mostly winter visitor.

One has to work a little harder to find birds this time of year but the results, even if it is just being out for a nice long walk, can be quite satisfying.

Lingering shorebirds and more at KMCL

Don't these shorebirds know that it is winter, or at least almost winter like? Certainly the autumn period did not last long, given that we had mid-summer like temperatures into early October, and after a couple of weeks of normal autumn temperatures, the winter conditions arrived.

The shallow wetland area of the Keith McLean Conservation Lands, just north of Rondeau Provincial Park, has been a real boon to birders this year. The high water levels of Lake Erie and Rondeau Bay are partly responsible, since portions of the KMCL adjacent to the two creek systems are so close to the water levels of the lake that flooding occurs and therefore have remained wet for the entire season. Rarer water birds such as Am Avocets, Willet, Red Knot and Snowy Egret as well as dozens of more typical species have all made use of it. From a bird perspective, one hopes these conditions persist. These conditions are not typical, however. I used to live right across the road from Keith McLean and knew him fairly well. He told me that on more than one occasion in the past, the larger wetland along the causeway just before entering the park was so low that he farmed it!

Although the general temperatures have been close to freezing, or even below, on numerous occasions, being close to the lake has provided the 'lake effect' resulting in slightly warmer temperatures and therefore less ice along the shoreline or mudflats. Shorebirds that are lingering for whatever reason have definitely taken note of it. A few days ago I decided to spend several hours at KMCL to see what I could find in proximity to the wetlands as well as some of the woodland component elsewhere on the property. It was a good decision.

Sandhill Cranes are occasionally seen either feeding or in flight.

When I first approached the wetland, it was plain to see that ducks were taking refuge here from the hunting action on nearby Rondeau Bay. Hooded Mergansers were fairly plentiful, as were a few dozen 'puddle ducks', a.k.a. Mallards, Am Wigeon, Gadwall, etc.

 Nonetheless they were nervous and took flight to another part of the wetland.

I checked for sparrows along the way, hoping that a Nelson's Sparrow or two might still be around. They might be, but all I saw were Am Tree Sparrows, Song Sparrows and Swamp Sparrows.

Swamp Sparrow

Along the far shore of the wetland were mudflats, and there were several shorebirds busily searching for food. After manoeuvring myself to a position with better lighting and letting them get used to my cautious approach, I got some good close-up photos. This first photo shows a couple of Dunlin along with a smaller, Semipalmated Sandpiper, the latter species with its leg up.

 A Lesser Yellowlegs came scooting by.....

 ...as did a Pectoral Sandpiper.

 I also saw a White-rumped Sandpiper, obvious by its size and white rump in flight, but I did not get any photos of it. Dunlin are to be expected this late in the season, but all of the other species are not.

All of them were constantly on the move, until at one point all of them froze. I was a little surprised  and immediately thought that there must be a raptor within view.

Sure enough, I looked behind me and although it was at least a couple of hundred metres off, a Cooper's Hawk was perched in a tree.

Whether it was looking for food or not, I couldn't tell, and I presume the shorebirds were not taking any chances at being an opportunistic meal for this particular predator. The shorebirds remained motionless, hardly even closing an eyelid. Their rigid posture and unwillingness to move and give themselves away gave me opportunity to get a bit closer for some better photos. I guess they figured I was less dangerous than a raptor, and they were right.

Dunlin

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semiplamated Sandpiper

The hawk flew off, and for a few seconds the shorebirds became a bit more active, then froze again. The hawk had moved, but not that far off, landing in a tree a bit farther away. Once the hawk left the area altogether, the shorebirds carried on with their frenzied feeding. Just to add to the shorebird theme, I noted a Greater Yellowlegs feeding on the washed up vegetation mats along the shoreline of Rondeau Bay.

Greater Yellowlegs

I also spent some time checking out some of the grassland and woodland edges of the KMCA, and saw birds such as:

Black-capped Chickadee

Carolina Wren

Tufted Titmouse

I ended up with about 56 species of birds for my time there, not bad for the time of year and considering the majority of the KMCL is still in agricultural use. It just goes to show what even smaller natural areas can support on occasion.