Gorgeous Galinule Glimpse - Purple Galinule at Fox Creek in Kingsville

Along the shore of Lake Erie on the southern edge of Essex County is a wonderful series of small towns between Amhurstburg and Leamington. There is an ERCA Historical Attraction called John R Park Homestead on the shore of Lake Erie nestled beside Fox Creek. This is between Kingsville and Oxley.  A Leamington birder/photographer named Brad Oullette was driving along the shore when he spotted a Purple Gallinule foraging along the Fox Creek marsh. Brad is no stranger to mega rarities... he found a Fork Tailed Flycatcher  at Point Pelee about 10 years ago!

I attempted to find the bird on Saturday (yesterday) but after looking for 1 or so hours, I left only to have it come into view shortly after I left. I tried again today and upon arrival, there was a group along the road looking through scopes, cameras, binoculars... which was a good sign. I snapped a few photos just as I arrived on scene and boom... the bird was gone!

Fox Creek was a nice little wetland that hosted Kingfishers, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, to name a few. Carolina Wren was singing periodically. Warblers were noted in the trees along the shoreline. A small group of birders had also pointed out an Eastern Garter Snake which had attempted to eat a large toad. The snake had the toad's leg in its mouth but after a few minutes, the snake realized that its going to be hard to swallow the toad with the other limb being free.

 

Good Birding!!!
Dwayne

After Work Avocet at Hillman Marsh

After work today, I stopped by Hillman Marsh in hopes of getting a look at some shorebirds at a location I had never even heard of... Couture Dyke in the Northeast corner of Hillman Marsh. Josh Vandermeulen had found an American Avocet (along with a Yellow crowned night Heron) three days ago, and posted its presence on Ontbirds. Oddly enough, Josh was walking the dyke when I arrived on site, and I joined him on the long walk out to the Avocet's location.

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While walking the dyke, I noticed a nice female Bronze Copper. I thought I was very lucky to see this butterfly again, but to my amazement, I saw 40 or more of these butterflies! They are abundant on the Hillman Marsh dykes! Viceroy, Monarch, Fiery Skippers, Eastern Tailed Blue, Grey Hairstreak, Checkered Skipper were all very present as well.

Every few steps, Leopard Frogs jumped out of our path as we walked the dyke.

Leopard Frog - Taken at Hillman (from kayak) on a previos date.

Last Weekend...
Other birds seen last weekend at Hillman include abundant shorebirds such as Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Green and Black crowned night Herons. Richard Carr pointed out a Sora foraging along a distant edge of reeds. Belted Kingfisher flew in from somewhere and perched very close giving nice looks as well.

Stilt Sandpipers

 

Foraging Sora. White balance in this photo is not very good... Sora about that.

 

Just driving around Essex Co this last week, I've seen hawks and falcons:

 

Juvi Red Shouldered Hawk?

Good birding!
Dwayne

Birding Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh in Late October

Its been almost two weeks since I've been birding. Last weekend, I just couldn't make it out and this last week, I was either working or studying for an exam I had to write this morning. I wrote the exam this morning at 9am and drove directly to Hillman Marsh and Point Pelee. Nothing overly exciting although I did get good looks of all the seasonal migrants that are moving through right now. The highlight was a pair of Orange Crowned Warblers as seen at the end of this posting.

Hillman Marsh*
Wow, just driving into the entranceway, I stopped at the self pay area because of the number of birds around. White crowned, White throated Sparrows, along with a few Lincoln's were around. Pelee had these sparrows as well as  Song and Swamp Sparrows. Hermit (many) and one Swainson Thrush were seen as well as a Grey Catbird. Ruby Crowned Kinglets are very common right now as well (obviously).

 

 Along the water, a Belted Kingfisher and Eastern Phoebe were hanging out. Sharp Shinned Hawks and American Kestrels streamed above Hillman as well. Flocks of Blackbirds (mainly Red-winged) were going by as well.

Point Pelee***
I also stopped by Point Pelee after Hillman. I headed towards the tip parking lot but on the way, couldn't help but stop at Sleepy Hollow due to the shear number of birds that were skulking in the roadside foliage. Myrtle Yellow Rumps and Ruby Crowned Kinglets along with seasonal sparrow species were around. A Red bellied Woodpecker was hanging out there as well.

The Tip of Point Pelee was not overly active today. I did get a chance to run into my friends Rick & Dan from Leamington though. One cool thing about this tip this morning was a whirl-wind of butterflies. Mainly Monarch but some Question mark, Comma, and Red Admiral. They were reluctant to leave the tip and cross the water towards Ohio. Some hawks were flying overhead but basically, I soon left the tip of Point Pelee to check out Shuster Trail.

As you can see below, Shuster Trail had Winter Wrens, a gorgeous Red-Shouldered Hawk and Bald Eagle were seen. More Kinglets, Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes as well. Many Sparrows were around (some singing) and I noted a Swamp Sparrow as well in the bunch. Some trees near the end of Shuster had Rusty Blackbirds and Robins perched. An Eastern Comma butterfly was alone on the East Beach.

 

As I left Point Pelee, I stopped near the "meadow" at Sanctuary Pond. I checked out a Heron initially but then heard a Caronlina Wren (Breeeeet, Breeet Breeeeett) and followed the sound. Golden crowned Kinglets greeted me along with a late House Wren and an Awesome look at two Orange Crowned Warblers (male and female). These warblers have been very rare to me. I've only seen a female OCW last fall from a great distance and it was pointed out to me. Today, this sexually dimorphic pair of Orange Crowned Warblers were at close range, giving great views. They have a very distinct colour, almost yellowish-green with very distinct spectacles on the male and crisp, sharp beaks.

 Not a bad afternoon of fall birding. Winter Wren was nice to see. I wanted to see a Yellow bellied Sapsucker but good looks at Orange crowned Warblers was a nice consolation.

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Holiday Beach on Labour Day Weekend

A little tradition I started two years ago is to basically bird the forested area at Holiday Beach on Labour Day Weekend. I can almost say that the concentration of warblers, vireos and thrushes in this 200m strip of beach is consistently higher than any other place I've birded, including PPNP! (This statement only applies for the first week or two of September.) Today was a little quiet at Holiday Beach overall, even though the WNW winds were somewhat favorable to birds being found along the shore of Lake Erie.

The first three birds I saw today were a perched Kingfisher right on some rocks along the beach, an obligatory Northern Flicker and Blue grey Gnatcatcher. A Carolina Wren was singing loudly near the banding station, but I could not locate it. House Wrens and Black capped Chickadees scolded me as I walked the dunes of holiday beach in search of migrants.

 
I hit a really nice pocket of warblers along the beach today. It was a really nice 20 minutes of birding!  Outside of that small flock of warblers, it was pretty quiet. A few warblers seen include: Wilson's, Black and White, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Blackpoll, and American Redstarts. I had seen or photographed a few more but could not really ID them confidently.

Besides warblers, there were many Cedar Waxwings and Blue Jays. Raptors seen from the tower included several sharp shinned hawks, bald eagles, swallows, humingbirds and more (the daily report is sent out to Ontbirds Subscribe to or See: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/ONTB.html). I was only on the hawk tower for 20 minutes.

This Eagle flew over the bridge over big creek in Amherstburg.

Its amazing to read the Ontbirds reports and read about people's interactions with migrants along Lake Ontario, Huron and Erie. I've seen and read several reports about Jaegers in Hamilton and Sarnia... (drool). I think I might make the effort to get out there and see these guys (P & LT Jaegers). I'm due for a lifer!

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Black Crowned Night Herons at Ojibway

Well, if you are reading this posting, you probably have read that a Yellow Crowned Night Heron was spotted at Malden Park on Wednesday this week. And as usual, I went on a Fool's Errand and went to look for it this morning and later after work. I did not see it of course. I almost don't beleive it was at Malden. I mean really... Four species of Herons at that park??? Blue, Green, Black Crowned and Yellow Crowned?

***Update - Josh V has posted a wonderful photo of the Yellow-crowned Night Heron ... Incredible. . It makes sense that this southern bird may be moving northward. I read an article today  stating that Texas is experiencing a severe drought and its expected to get worse as the summer goes on. This may stress some species to move north or their regular summer geographic regions. *** 

My quest led me to get nice views of a Black Crowned at the Ojibway Park Pond. Great Crested Flycatcher, Green Herons and Belted Kingfisher were easily seen. Indigo Buntings are very present as well. Singing their hearts out and easily seen in the Ojibway Grassland Prairie.

I think the Kingfisher above bit off more than he can chew! I wonder if this Kingfisher cares that Goldfish are not native species. Probably not. Protein is protein. ...

Good birding!
Dwaynejava

Malden Park Treasures

Malden Park is an old municipal garbage dump that has been turned into a beautiful grassy, scrubby park. It has two small lakes (near the Malden Rd Parking lots) that, year after year, attracted Belted Kingfishers and Green Herons as breeders. So, during a recent walk at Malden Park I heard a Belted Kingfisher making its loud laughing call, and saw it flying from one perch to another perch on the long, narrow pond near the parking lot. I had no camera so I made a note of returning.


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Upon returning this last weekend with my Camera, I did not find the Kingfisher right away, but instead, found a nesting pair of Green Herons! Yes, a Green Heron sitting on a nest... Very cool! Later on, I heard, then visually found my target species, the Belted Kingfisher. I usually find Green Herons at Ojibway Park, but have not seen them there yet this season. Ojibway Park is just down the road from Malden Park.

Also, another cool West-Windsor bird has been the mating Peregrine Falcons at the Bridge. Last year, if I went to the bridge to find the Peregrine family, it seemed like it was easy to see the mother, father and the fledglings. This year, they have been low key (difficult to spot), or I am just not going at the opportune times?

This weekend, I finally saw one perched on the drain pipes under the bridge.  I'm not sure if the new Peregrine falcons have fledged. The local paper has not really followed these birds very much this year. I know these are not super-rarities, but still very nice birds for West-Windsor industrial wasteland.

Good birding!
Dwaynejava