Sunday, November 24, 2013

Point Pelee Piping Plover


This morning, I had heard my phone chime as new email had come in. Classically conditioned like Pavlov's dogs, I instinctively checked my email to see that Steve Pike and a Local Leamington Birder who goes by the name "afternoon shift" posted a Point Pelee peninsula Piping Plover! Much to the chagrin of my wife and two kids I kissed them adieu and fled to the southernmost point of Canada. Upon arriving to the tip, Jeremy Bensette hinted that I might best walk to East Tip (not East Beach!) through Sparrow Field. There it was, in perfectly front-lit perfection! At one point, we heard it singing or 'piping'! This little flufball of cuteness was for many years (and still is) "Endangered" because its preferred habitat is big wide sandy beaches. If you have a few minutes check out this amazing link documenting the life and habitat of the piping plover: http://www.audubon.org/plover




It soon fled from East Beach upon Kory's arrival to see the bird. But we agreed it probably flew back to the tip, and that guess was correct. At one point, a few birders were laying down on the sand to get better photos and I had noticed a lady with a dog was walking by - Did she think we were nuts? It just so happens that staying low to the ground lets you separate the bird from its background, making the bird jump out from its Gaussian-blurred background.

A couple of other cool birds seen today were four Tree Swallows (sitting on the sand!), an Eastern Phoebe, and a Long Eared Owl!






Last weekend, I tried to get a Purple Sandpiper at Pelee's Tip but dipped. I did get a breathtaking look at this Eastern Screech Owl... A dirt bird at Pelee but still amazing!


Tufted Titmice are easy to see at Ojibway Park during the late Fall and Winter months. Always fun to see these birds!

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

This is what a plover looks like at normal zoom range. Can you find it?
Note: At some point today on Sunday Nov 25, 2013 - My blog reached 100,000 hits!

6 comments:

  1. Another good plover for Pelee!
    I saw a plover today too but it was at Mitchell's Bay.

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  2. But Blake, was it a Piping Plover or a Killdeer Plover? :-p

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    Replies
    1. Wrong answer! It was a Black-bellied. I tried to make it into a Golden, but it wouldn't work. Pretty good for this date though.
      No frozen godwits.

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  3. Great pics Dwayne. The kids always love them.

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  4. Dwayne! How can ANY owl be called a "dirt" bird!!! :) :) There are two Eastern Screech Owls (both Red and Grey morph) out my what that I know the location of, but despite many visits, still have not seen! Argg!!

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  5. Wow Dwayne!! You got some amazing shots of the Plover!! Great pics! And Owls too...no matter how many times you see them they are always breathtaking!

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