Purple Sandpiper at Rondeau - Pie Day Birding

Happy Pie Day Everybody!  Today, I had read on the Rondeau Birding What App group that the Purple Sandpiper that had been found by Craig Anderson and Katie Bond (back on March 8th) was still there!

I had heard that the walk to see this bird on the south beach of Rondeau was an 8KM walk one way!

I tried my luck as - this is such a rare and awesome shorebird in my opinion.

Special thanks to Blake as well as the Rondeau Birding WhatsApp Group - as well as the original finder.


PS: This is only the second time I've seen this bird. The first time was back in 2013!
https://dwaynejava.blogspot.com/2013/01/purple-sandpiper-and-glaucous-gull-nice.html


Good birding!
Dwayne

Great Kiskadee at Rondeau + Migrating Monarchs and Warblers at Point Pelee

This morning, I checked my email upon waking up and was happy to see that Steve C. posted a note to Ontbirds that the Kiskadee was being seen at Rondeau. Being only an hour away - I figured I would try to go see this spectacular bird. The story behind this bird is a little interesting. A woman who goes by the name "rainbowdragon" on Inaturalist photographed the bird and posted it to Inaturalist. Ken Burrell picked up on the sighting and someone soon checked the Exif Data on the photo which contained the GPS co-ordinates of the bird. Some of the excellent local Chatham Kent birders went on Friday evening to find it! Wow!

This range map of the Great Kiskadee hints that it is more of a central and south american bird which usually only goes up into southern Texas. Its really really really far from its normal range. I can't help but wonder about the provenance of this bird. Is it an escapee? Or did it really fly this far north???

Range Map for Great Kiskadee - SRC:  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Kiskadee/overview

There were many familiar faces around to see this bird. I was happy to catch up with Rick from Leamington. We also caught up with Blake Mann and Allen Woodliffe - who are excellent naturalists and excellent bloggers. Blake and Allen are both huge influences in my efforts to appreciate the natural history of our area. I found Blakes blog as I started to get an interest in birding, and Allen of course has shared a wealth of information on botany which got me a little more interested in botany. I think Rick was instrumental in re-finding the Kiskadee at around 10 am after it had not been seen for an hour. This bird is a life bird for me! This is the first life bird for 2018 and my 409th species for North America.

Lots of birds were to be seen at Rondeau
Some that were seen include:
Great Kiskadee
Great crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Least Flycatcher
Cape May Warbler
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Palm Warbler
Purple Finches
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
American Goldfinch
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Carolina Wren
Cedar Waxwing
Greater Yellowlegs
Morning Dove
Rose breasted Grosebeak
Blue Jay
Ring billed Gull

At Point Pelee- there was a strong east wind and I had heard that there were large numbers of roosting Monarch Butterflies.  I rode my bike up the west beach footpath and I'm happy to report that there were a few good pockets of migrating warblers! I also could not help noticing that there was 20 or more Red Breasted Nuthatches! Between a generous number of RB Nuthatches and lots of Purple Finches - it hints that it might be a good year for Winter Finches. We will need to wait for the report ....
Some warblers & passerines seen include:
Palm Warbler
American Redstart Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Pine Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black throated Green Warbler
Black throated Blue Warbler
Bay breasted Warbler
Philadelphia Vireo,
Red eyed Vireo,
Yellow bellied Flycatcher
Eastern Wood Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
& Carolina Wren!

A fantastic day of Natural History observation!

Good birding,
Dwayne


Lifer Summary -
400- Gray Jay
401- Spruce Grouse
402- Ruffed Grouse
403- Pine Grosebeak
404- Northern Gannet
405- Common Eider
406- Razorbill
407- Black Gullimot
408- Nelson's Sparrow

New for 2018!

409 - Great Kiskadee

Mulberry wing Skipper - Finally!

Mulberry Wing Skipper - Rondeau Provincial Park  

Well, its only taken about 5 years to find this little guy! Mulberry winged Skippers are one of the last butterfly species in Southwestern Ontario that I have yet to see or photograph. My butterfly list is "fluttering" at 118 species. The only remaining species in Southwestern Ontario that I have yet to photograph is Dion Skipper - which I still might be able to find this year.

It was amazing to finally find this species because I've never seen it before and I heard that is can only be found in large sedge patches in July. It was neat to see this species because I saw so few other butterflies that afternoon (Sat July 14th). When I saw the skipper, it was quite close to the path. I immediately tried to photograph it - but as you might know - its hard to photograph anything in a sedgy area as a camera's autofocus has no idea what to focus on. Through the viewfinder of my SLR camera, I was able to make out the "airplane" markings on the underside of its wings that distinquish it from the other skippers.  The butterfly took flight and briefly landed on a small white flowerhead for just a few seconds and then disappeared from my sight by slowly flying away from me into the sedge patch. The flight style of this species is something to behold in itself as it flies "weakly" above then in between sedges.

While riding my bike to see this butterfly, I noticed a Helliborine Orchid along the path - which is always nice to see. This species is not a native orchid species.

Further reading on these two species:

Mulberry Wing Skipper:
http://www.cbif.gc.ca/eng/species-bank/butterflies-of-canada/mulberry-wing/?id=1370403265698
http://www.ontariobutterflies.ca/families/skippers/mulberry-wing
https://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/148-mulberry-wing
https://www.butterfliesofmassachusetts.net/mulb-wing.htm

Helleborine Orchid:
http://ontariowildflowers.com/main/species.php?id=93

Good Leping!
Dwayne

Birding Hiatus Birding... In February

A few weeks ago, in early February, I had seen a White-winged Dove at Rondeau and a friend of mine (Jeremy Birder) asked me if I had seen the abundant Common Redpolls at the Rondeau Visitor Center. I honestly did not see any... and that bothered me! I recall on that last visit that I had stopped many times as I drove to see small flocks of... wait for it... American Tree Sparrows! So today, I took some time in the morning and went back to Rondeau Park to go birding. 


While driving through Tilbury, I saw three or so Red-tailed hawks along the 401. Hundreds of American Crows were seen as well. The road leading to Rondeau had an American Kestrel and Horned Larks. I could hear them singing as I drove! (Note: this was written on Saturday Feb 23rd)

At Rondeau, I stopped by Rick & Anne's Cottage, and they graciously allowed me to view their feeders, which are host to these elusive Common Redpolls I have been seeking. Sadly, just as I arrived, Rick mentioned that a Cooper's Hawk was perched directly above the feeders and spooked the birds that were feeding. I actually saw it buzz around back towards the visitor center. Great!  So I waited, and waited. Slowly, after what felt like over an hour, some birds returned. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Tree Sparrows, American Goldfinches, Downy Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse (mice?) , White breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wrens, more American Goldfinches... but no Common Redpolls. Just as I was about to give up on seeing them, I saw what I thought might be a House Finch, or perhaps a Purple Finch? No... my elusive nemesis bird ... a single Common Redpoll!

Just two or three of these arctic beauties made themselves observable to me, .... very fleeting looks, this one above stopped in at tree-top level for a second -- then vanished! Definitely not soul-satisfying views.

I attempted to find the Ross's Geese and Snow Geese at Rondeau, but sadly (and I see this more and more) there is no access to the shoreline. Every street that runs up to Rondeau Bay, with the exception of Brock Street in Shrewsbury, is chained off with "Private Property" and No Trespassing signs.  I couldn't even salvage a diagnostic photo. Also, I had my scope in my wife's car today ... it wasn't my day to see these

As a chance consolation, Kory Renaud texted me with a Snowy Owl Surprise at some intersection in Essex. Upon arrival, I searched and searched but came  up empty. All I had seen was two Horned Larks, and a flock of 20 or so Snow Buntings. Finally, I found the owl after scanning the field for a third time.

Distant, heavily cropped photo of a Snowy Owl. It is a heavily barred juvenile just left of center. Can you see him?

Good birding!
Dwayne

Bonus Pic:

Trumpeter Swan at Lakeview Marina in East Windsor (Lifer! #318!)

10 of the 20 or so Bald Eagles at Peche Island in East Windsor