Birding Sadler's Pond in Essex - May 23rd 2020

Sadler's Pond is a small natural area in the town of Essex Ontario. Its not particularly noteworthy in terms of size but there is one thing going for it. --- Its a small oasis of natural area surrounded by a monoculture of cash crops.

Today I was pleasantly surprised to see how good it was in May 23rd. There were several Canada, Wilson's, Tennessee, Mourning Warblers as well as Blue headed and Philadelphia Vireos, Scarlet Tanagers and even a Summer Tanager!

Even though I've been birding for about 10 years now, I think I am amazed at how good the birding still is in late May. I recall at Point Pelee a few years ago, everyone used to say migration is over on May 15th... That clearly is not the case!!!

Good birding!
Dwayne

Wed May 6th 2015 - Pelee Fallout?

This past Wednesday, I decided after work to drive out to Point Pelee after reading the daily report that is sent out through Ontbirds. The report always sound "optimistic" but I could tell by the wording that it was a great day to be out birding.

I birded the park for a humble 3.5 hours - between 3:30-7:00. I parked at White Pine and headed towards Cactus Trail, Chinquapin Trail and the Tildens Footpath and back, ... and I had almost 70 species! To be honest, I'm counting some of the shorebirds seen just outside the park, but still, this is one of my most populous PPNP checklists. Some people who were there all day mentioned that some people had over 100 species! One report that I read (once I got home) was that there were hundreds of American Golden Plovers near Hillman Marsh... I would have loved to have seen that!

At Cactus Field, I ran into a friend who mentioned that an Eastern Whip Poor Will was seen along Tildens Footpath! He then proceeded to point out a Northern Parula which was just meters away from where we were standing. 

One amazing bird that I saw near the Whip was a Golden winged Warbler that JB pointed out to me. The bird was skulky but it moved along the Tildens footpath and at one point, the Golden Winged Warbler was right next to the Whip! I tried to take a photo just to document the two birds in the same frame ... A Cape May Warbler was foraging in a tree just meters above the Golden winged!

This is my first Golden winged Warbler at Pelee! Looks like a female

Lots of Thrush species around - Robins, Veery and Wood Thrush filled the air with song. To end off the night I went back to my car at White Pine to have some birders point out another Cape May, Blue headed Vireo and a Prairie Warbler at very close range, and in beautiful golden sunlight. 

One of my favorite birds - a Prairie Warbler at White Pine. 

The Tiger Warbler - I have gone many spring migrations without seeing this beauty...

My first Northbound Orange-crowned Warbler

I stopped by Delaurier on the way out as I heard there was another Kentucky Warbler spotted. I was unable to spot this elusive warbler but a woman pointed out this Orange crowned Warbler!

A great evening of birding for sure. Great birds and great people!

Good birding,

Dwayne

PS: Summer Tanager and Eared Grebe from last weekend!

Malden Park - West Windsor's Little Migrant Trap

I've tried to bird almost every day since late May April, but my birding is typically limited to after work on weekdays. Of course, I would love to get out to Pelee, but for me, Pelee is at least a 4 hour commitment. Malden Park (which is part of the Ojibway Complex in Windsor) is just minutes from where I live so for me, this one of my best local options.

Malden park has a little parking lot and two little ponds that are adjacent to a small forest. Malden Park has a big "hill" that used to be a garbage dump! It can be surprising productive though - Breeding Green Herons, breeding Kingfishers, breeding Great Horned Owls. Not bad for a little park in Windsor! A couple of years ago, a birder found a Yellow Crowned Night Heron along the edge of one of its ponds. Malden Park is one of the best places to find a Northern Shrike in November as well!

In early May, the trees along the edge of the ponds are always crawling with warblers - lots of them - but I must admit, generally low diversity. In early may, (last week) I had tonnes of Yellow Rumped, Yellow, and Palm Warblers. I always seem to find Warbling Vireos here almost before I see them at Pelee! I also had a Carolina Wren blasting me with its song last week, nice to hear after the coldest Winter that Essex County has on record!

Tonight after work, I'm quite certain that I saw a Summer Tanager! My looks at this bird were fleeting, but my first look at it through binoculars was that it was a solid red bird, it quickly moved away to a higher elevation and this is about the best diagnostic shot that I could get of the bird. It seemed to quickly move on from the forest edge where I was and the photo below is about the best documenting shot of it that I could get. This might be my first self discovered summer tanager!

Summer Tanager

A pretty awesome bird at my local birding patch!

Good birding!
DM

Backdated Birding and Blogging (May 8-10th)

I was talking to a friend tonight over the phone and I mentioned to him that a work project that I involved myself with literally caused me to miss the second week of May birding. Its ok, I'm not even bitter but between Mothers day last Sunday to Friday night, I did not even pick up binoculars!

Yes, I missed alot of the mega-rarities that have shown up but I no longer get upset about it. Ken-tucky? Maybe next year? Scissor tailed? Not in a million years! I did have my own exciting noteworthy finds though. I saw several Canada Warblers this year (other years I had missed them or only obtained distant views). Several Philly Vireos were nice to see as well (prior years yielded singles and were discovered by others). I've seen two separate Yellow breasted Chats this season, and only 1 in the previous four years so that was amazing! Finally, I got really nice, soul satisfying views of a Prairie Warbler... a long sought-after species for myself, which I had incidentally lifered back in March in Florida.

So the following photos go back to May 10th, I had some highlights worth mentioning: Summer Tanager, Philadelphia Vireo, Prairie Warbler... Incredible birds!

Summer Tanager - Molting from Yellow to Red!

Philadelphia Vireo - Note the yellow throat - a subtle distinction from the Warbling Vireo

Prairie Warbler - My first of this species after birding Point Pelee for four years!

Thanks Jeremy H for the heads up on this bird... Amazing...

The Prairie was really nice. I had seen one in Florida this past March, but did you know Florida has its own endemic non-migrating species? So really, I had seen a Prairie Warbler sub-species and not the full fledged migrating version that you see above.

Later that day I was able to see 3 American Avocets at Hillman Marsh as well as a Prothonotary Warbler!
Other nature sightings include a FOS Painted Lady, a lifer mushroom at Cactus Field (Morel) and a Brown Snake!

American Lady Butterfly

Cactus Field Fungi - Morel Mushroom

DeKay's Brownsnake - A lifer snake - I did not even know these were at Point Pelee!

I will post this past weekend's birding soon. (More Pelee, Kopagaron and Oak Openings (Ohio) birding)

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

PPNP with Ojibway Birders Group

I joined the Ojibway Park birding group today led by Paul Pratt. We mainly walked the tip this morning and walked back to the PPNP visitor center as our main pathway. Two interesting lifers I saw/ photographed today were the Common Loon and a Wilson's Warbler. The weather this morning was warm, but very cloudy and scattered showers. I hate to blame the weather for my mediocre photos but I'm going to! This Wilson's below is a lifer. I think I'll have to wait till next year to get a better shot.

 Paul heard this Wilson's as we were walking on the road back to the visitor center, then pished it into view!

One of the most common migrants today were Cedar Waxwings. They flew around in large flocks and our birding group often joked that every bird we saw today was a Cedar Waxwing.

The final photo above is a Red-Eyed Vireo.(Click the photo for a larger view). There were also some Warbling Vireos,
Indigo Buntings,
Canada,
Blackburnian,
Bay Breasted,
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
Both Orioles
Black Tern
as well as an assortment of Flycatchers.

It's really incredible how quickly May goes by when you are a birder! I'm sad that it's basically over, but any longer and my wife would start to get fed up. I often think that Pelee Wings, after the birding rush of May should stop selling optics, and start offering marriage counselling! (joke... my wife is cool with me birding).

Happy Birding,
Dwayne