Migration Ends and Summer Beckons

 As I prepare for my trip to the Yukon, writing from 30,000 feet, on my way to British Columbia, I can look back on the great month of May and the wonderful migration season.  I spent a lot of time in South Western Ontario, only venturing into my old patch in Toronto occasionally this year.  I saw so many warblers and added some Lifers in Canada, including Bell’s Vireo,, Henslow’s Sparrow, Summer Tanager and an ABA Lifer the incredibly rare Marsh Sandpiper.

Sue and I had a wonderful trip to Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Provincial Park, and of course all the exciting visits to the sewage lagoons.  With two days left in May, birding in both the Vancouver area and Whitehorse, Yukon, I have already seen more than 200 species in just the past 29 days, and my year list is at 355, as I try to get to 400 by the end of June.  

So much to look forward to as spring turns into summer.  I’ll be in the Yukon for a week, hunting for grouse and ptarmigan and other northern specialties.  I’ll be driving up the Dempster Highway to Dawson City, searching for some of the locations used to film The Big Year, standing in for Attu Island off the coast of Alaska.  At the ends of the month of June I’ll be heading to the North West Territories and to Wood Buffalo National Park to hopefully see the Whooping Cranes for the first time in Canada.

Then, in the second week of July I get to be a little nostalgic and take the train to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  As a child I travelled with my sister and mother in a private cabin, watching out the windows as the prairies past by the windows and I looked forward to the announcements that lunch or dinner would be served in the main dining car.  And singing, “Don’t flush the toilet while the train is at the station.”  Fond memories!

My last day of birding in Ontario for may was for the shore birds, specifically the last of the spring migrants, the Whimbrels  I saw a lot in flight and at a distance the last week or so, but yesterday, down in Long Point I had two different flocks land close by, offering great looks and nice photos.

For now, though, I will relax on the plane, and take a nap, so I can be ready for a full day of birding in and around Vancouver, this afternoon.  I was up at 4am today to drive to Toronto for my flight.  When I got to the airport there was a little stress as the baggage system was jammed up at the Air Canada check in counters.  20 minutes later, and with thousands of anxious travelers worrying about missed flights, it came back on line and I was able to quickly drop off suit case whisk my way through security and relax before boarding the plane.  

The Shorebirds of Hastings Drive, Long Point

Ruddy Turnstone:

Short-billed Dowitcher:

Whimbrel:

Franklin’s Gull:

Spotted Sandpiper:

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Green Heron:

Migrating to Rondeau and Points East

 Once we left Point Pelee National Park, we migrated east to Rondeau Provincial Park and their Festival of Flight.  It may not have the prestige of Pelee, but it is no less birdy and is a much more relaxed and quiet way to do Spring Migration.  Plus the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons are close by and we made that our first stop, where we saw a  Solitary Sandpiper and a lovely near-breeding plumage Wilson’s Phalarope. 

Another new year bird was a Prairie Warbler, which we side street at the north end of the park, after running into another birder who told us about seeing it.

Perhaps the most exciting species I saw at Rondeau, for me, and for many another birder, was a pair of Summer Tanagers.  I have seen a few in the US, but never in Canada.  This species is one of the more coveted spring migrants, since they are few and far between.  Seeing two in the same stand of trees, a young male and female, was such fun.  One of the other birders, Michele, who I’ve run into at Long Point, said she had died and gone to heaven, seeing her first Summer Tanager.  As a bonus, there was a Scarlet Tanager hanging out with them. Extra thanks to Mark Deabreu for helping me when I saw him photographing a bird at the side of the road.  I quickly parked my car and grabbed my gear so I wouldn’t miss species 348 for the year and 429 for my Canada Life List

Then there was the report of a White-winged Dove in Oakville.  That was certainly unexpected, and good news, since the resident one in Rondeau didn’t show this spring.  I raced over and hung out in the rain with some other birders until it made an appearance.

There was also a failed chase for a Hepatic Tanager. Sue and I were on our last day in Rondeau, when the report came in.  We had one more night there, so decided to get up early and head home so I could chase the bird.  We did make good time and I had dropped off Sue by 9am and headed to Oakville.  I got there at 10:30 and the last the bird had been seen was an hour earlier.  It was never seen again.  I was, as my old friend, Blue Jays radio broadcaster Tom Cheek, often said, “a day late and a dollar short.”  I did, however make good use of the time birding there and was able to count my first Golden-winged Warbler of the year, another one I had missed in Point Pelee and Rondeau.

With most of migration season coming to an end, it was time to head further east, to the Kawartha Lakes.  The Carden Alvar, located in Kirkfield, Ontario is an important bird and biodiversity area in Ontario.  It is a unique grassland habitat for Ontario and summer home to many grassland species, including the Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, Sedge Wren, and the endangered eastern subspecies of the Loggerhead Shrike. 

My main goals for birding the Carden Alvar were Yellow Rail and Upland Sandpiper.   I got the latter but not the former.  I spent one late night and one early morning listening for the elusive Yellow Rail, but no calls.  I did see the Upland Sandpiper on Wylie Rd as soon as I arrived and that night also got my first American Bittern of the year.  I heard them long before even seeing one and expected that was how it was going to be.  But as it was getting dark, at least half a dozen bittern flew out of the Sedge Wren Marsh and flew off to parts unknown for the night.  I left the area the next day, with a year total of 354 species.

Splish-splash!

 

American Bittern, Night Flight:

Though not new for the year, I did stop in Hamilton on my way to Carden, to see a breeding plumage Red-throated Loon, a rare sight here in Southern Ontario.  I caught it early in the morning, in the rain, not quite ready to start his day.

The Point of Point Pelee National Park: All the Birds!

We just finished our four day trip to Point Pelee National Park with the addition of a rare and unexpected Bell’s Vireo before heading out to Rondeau Provincial Park for the remainder of our migration week.  We saw 132 species in four days and I added 31 species to the Big Year List.  

I kind of cheated and took a day trip to Rondeau on my own, the previous week.There was a White-faced Ibis and Henslow’s Sparrow there and I knew I couldn’t miss either.  I started with the ibis on the Erieau Marsh Trail, on a very windy, chilly and wet morning.  These guys are much easier to see in Texas, but not during a Canada Big Year, so I braved the stiff winds and got my photo and quickly headed back to the car and my seat warmers and still warm coffee.

Next up was the Henslow’s Sparrow on the Marsh Trail in Rondeau Provincial Park.  By the time I got there the rain had let up, the winds had died down and target sparrow was nowhere to be seen.  But there were a friendly group of birders hungry for this rare sighting, so the time was enjoyable while we awaited its return.  Eventually it did show up and I was able to spot it for a fellow birder and get my own photos of yet another Canadian Lifer, species 426 for Canada.

A week later we were on the road to Point Pelee. We arrived late Monday morning and you need to know two things when you first start birding in southern Ontario: 

1: Point Pelee National Park is the place to be in May, if your want to see the most warblers and other spring migrants.

2: If you get to the park after 7:00am you may not get a parking spot near the Visitor Centre.  

We took heed of step one, but on this day, neglected step two, as we left from Brantford just before 7:00am. We weren’t in a hurry and planned a later arrival on Day One, since we would be birding down here all week.  We started at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, but all we were seeing were Dunlin, aside from the cutest ever baby Kildeer on a nearby side road.

Visit Birders Nearby

So we made our way to the National Park and zipped right in with our swipe pass.  It’s a bit of a drive down to the Visitor Centre parking lot, and once we did get close, the road was blocked and we were told it was full.  What else should we have expected at 10:00am?  We were directed to an overflow lot that was also full, and told to turn around and perhaps circle back and hope a spot came available.  Parking at Pelee is like getting a good parking spot in Manhattan.  No one wants to give it up.  However, as we were getting close to the point of no return, a car miraculously pulled out in front of us and we were able to park in the overflow lot, not that much further from the main lot, and it was a good spot to return to for lunch.

We made our way directly to the Woodland Trail, behind the Visitor Centre, though I did stop for a coffee and a long look at a frosted donut.  I just took the coffee and Sue and I headed to the trail.  It didn’t take long to be seeing birds.  First up, was a White-eyed Vireo, not new for the year, but a very nice bird to start the list.  Point Pelee has a 100 bird challenge and once you reach that number, you can present your list at the Visitor Centre and receive a commemorative pin. I got mine on the third morning and promptly lost it.  I did go back the last morning we were there and someone had returned it and I safely stowed it in a pocket this time.

Another thing you need to know about Point Pelee is that the cell service is not good at the best of times and nonexistent most of the time.  That means word of mouth and looking for large congregations of birders is the best way to discover rare sightings in the park.  Once we made it down to The Tip, that’s where the real action started.  With this being the first festival after a two year break due to some kind of Global Pandemic, birders were eager to get out and share the excitement of finding spring warblers with others they hadn’t seen since 2019.

Hundreds of birders were gathered at the tip and every time a novel bird landed, we all flocked in the same direction, with the same migrating instinct the birds exhibit as they head from places far south to find their mates and nesting grounds.  The birds, having just travelled across the lake after, in some cases, thousands of miles in the air, were often so tired they were just sitting on the ground or hopping around on the rocks at the edge of Lake Erie.  The tip of Point Pelee is is the furthest southern point in Canada and is the first land the birds see as they finish their lake crossing.

Over the next few days we chased all the rare warbles that were being found, with, at first, less than stellar results.  But finally, we started catching up with some of the tougher spring warblers, including Cerulean, Hooded and the one we’ve all been waiting for, the Canada Warbler.

The beautiful Cerulean Warbler, one of the few non-yellow Warblers:

Hooded Warbler:

Canada Warbler, Many a Birder’s Personal Favorite:

I had been unsuccessfully chasing reports of rare spring migrants, and even once had to text and call Sue to race back to the park for a reported Kirtland’s Warbler.  She came back, a little frustrated because she was driving to a flower seller she wanted to visit outside the park,  and had to pull over to read my texts and answer the phone.  I walked while she drove back and eventually we got to the reported spot, but the Kirtland’s was nowhere to be found.  On the upside, there was a pair of cuckoos,(well to be honest there were more than a pair!).

Yellow-billed Cuckoo:

Black-billed Cuckoo:

On the last two days we where to be at Pelee, things even got better.  We were seeing Woodcock, Wood Thrush, Wilson’s Warbler and even a tired Least Bittern sitting in a tree at the Tip. Then we ran into friends of ours, Ellen and Jerry, who we bird with in Brantford, and things really got exciting.  Ellen had found a Mourning Warbler, one of the stealthy and tougher birds to see, and Sue and I were searching for it, when Ellen called to let us know she and Jerry had one right in front of them.  We got back in the car and drove quickly to the main parking lot and Ellen guided us to the correct spot and, yes there it was!  As we were chatting, Ellen mentioned that she had heard a Bell’s Vireo was being seen the West Beach.  That is indeed a rare bird for Canada and one I had only seen once or twice in the US.  

We drove and walked quickly over to the West Beach trail to the shores of Lake Erie, where, in a grove of bushes a large group of excited birders were searching for the bird.  Were we too late?  Did I miss another Pelee rarity?  My fears were put to rest when the bird finally popped out into the open and I even was able to get some photos.  Thanks to Ellen and Jerry I had species 335 and 336 for the year!

Mourning Warbler:

Least Bittern:

Wilson’s Warbler:

Bell’s Vireo:

Wood Thrush:

American Woodcock:

The final and maybe most exciting bird for the Point Pelee Park List, before we headed off to Rondeau Provincial Park, was a Mississippi Kite.  Sue was attending a shore bird talk by the illustrious Gene Iron, and I was birding on my own for a couple of hours.  I ran into one of the bird hike guides and he mentioned how good the winds were for hawks and especially Mississippi Kites that morning.  So, as I walked and birded, I kept my eyes on the sky and as I was walking back to the Visitor Centre to meet up with Sue, a Turkey Vulture caught my eye, and in close pursuit behind it, was a smaller bird. I got my binoculars on it and could see it was very light underneath with dark wings and a small white head. I had one of the most sought after birds for the park, and species 337 for the year.  

We left Pelee having seen over 120 species in just 4 days, which qualified us for commemorative 100 species pins they were handing out, which was cool.  We had picked them up the previous day and I promptly lost mine, having pinned it to my camera strap.  Just before we were headed to the car to drive out to Rondeau, we stopped by the Visitor Centre and I told my story of having lost the pin.  The nice woman behind the counter, smiled and and reached onto a shelf and handed me a pin that had been found on the path outside the door and handed in.  A nice way to end our trip to one of the best Spring Migration hotspots in all of North America.

Mississippi Kite:

(I didn’t get photos of the one in Pelee, but I did take these in Texas a few years ago)

Bring Forth the Warblers

 Spring Migration.  Kind of feels like my days with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Spring Training.  A new year, a new season, the weather warming up after a long, cold winter, and hope springing eternal, for yet another year.  Everyone starts in first place and the sky is the limit.  Until the games begin, of course.

Just over 4 months into the year, I am holding my own, with my Year List.  But I have been sorely lagging in picking up warblers.  So, with travel outside the province suspended until the end of the month, it’s time to bird the migration Hotspots in Ontario, mainly Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Provincial Park.  We leave in the morning, and I hope to get an early start.

On Saturday, we drove down to Long Point Provincial Park, and though we didn’t see much in the way of warblers, we did enjoy seeing a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  If you catch them with the sun just right, their throat glows like Dorothy’s ruby-red shoes.

        We caught this one with his tongue hanging out:

                      

Yesterday I got up early and  I drove down to Haldimand County and a cemetery in tiny Decewsville.  You just never know where birding will take you on any given day.  I was looking for a Grasshopper Sparrow and species 300 for the year.  I hit the jackpot there, as I got the sought-after sparrow, but also added a Bobolink, and Eastern Wood-Pewee.

        Grasshopper Sparrow:

        Bobolink:

My next stop was Rock Point Provincial Park, a place I birded quite frequently last year, since I wasn’t going to Rondeau or Point Pelee, during the Covid shutdowns.  I had found it a good place for early spring warblers activity, and this morning was no exception, including Blackburnian Warbler and American Redstart.  Also about a zillion Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumpled and a single Cape May Warbler.

Yellow Warbler:

Blackburnian Warbler:

Cape May Warbler:

American Redstart:

It’s early morning on Monday May 9 and we are loading up the car for out trip to Point Pelee National Park.  It’s one of the great spring migration hotspots in North America and thousands of birders have descended on the park this year after a two year hiatus due to Covid-19.  But life is returning to normal and birders across Canada are returning to the field and festivals again.  I can’t wait to see what the winds of spring bring forth!

That West Coast Birding Vibe and an Amazing Rarity in Ontario

Breaking News: I arrived home from British Columbia to the knowledge that the super rare Marsh Sandpiper was still being seen at the Thedford Sewage Lagoons.  I drove directly there, stopping in Brantford on the way to pick up Sue, and on a dreary and wet afternoon, met up with a bunch of birders and was able to view this incredible bird.  Lifer number 698 for the ABA Area and species 288 for The Big year.  

Now, back to the west coast…

I couldn’t have asked for a better start for my trip to British Columbia than to see a Sooty Grouse in full breeding display.  My BC birding buddy Rich, who is doing a Metro Vancouver Big Year, suggested I visit  Burnaby Mountain where a fellow birder had just been hearing a Sooty Grouse.  I abandoned my search for song birds down at Burnaby Lake, and drove right over.  It was a short drive and an even shorter search.  As I walked up the hill above the parking lot, past the playground and dog walkers, I was already hearing the grouse calling.  Then, to my amazement, the grouse was walking right toward me.  I had to back off a bit so as not to scare it.  It was so close I even got videos with my iPhone.

It was species 263 for year and my fifth new bird of the day, which included west coast specialties Black-throated Gray Warbler and Bewick’s Wren. Still, it was just the start of a magical couple of days on the mainland.  That evening I drove up to Squamish to spend the night and the next morning drove up to Whistler and birded Fitzsimmons Fan Park which borders on a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course, where I got Western Meadowlark, Pacific Wren and even an American Pipit.

The next day I drove up Lillooet, which I am still unable to pronounce, about two hours northeast of Whistler, mainly looking to see a Chukar or Dusky Grouse. I got much more than I bargained for, even though I did not see the intended targets.  I came upon a house with a For Sale sign and a woman in a car stopped to ask me if I was birding.  I told her about my quest for a Chukar and she said I was in the right place, if not at the right time.  Her yard is one of the places they hang out and she gave me permission to walk down the driveway and search.  

And what a yard it was.  Teaming with birds and feeders of every variety.  I had added Cassin’s Finch amongst the many Pine Siskins at the feeders when the homeowner, Ian Routley, arrived with his friend Chris and guided me around his property. He was a little taken aback at first when he saw a stranger on his driveway, but I explained that I had told his wife about my Big Year and she had given permission to enter.  He found a flock of Gray-crowned Rosy Finch on his deck railing, but they had flown off before we could see them up close.  They did come back to his trees shortly thereafter and then the hummingbirds started coming to the feeders, including a Calliope Hummingbird.

We then walked up the driveway listening for Pygmy Nuthatches.  Ian and Chris were hearing them, but I wasn’t picking up the call, so wasn’t going to be able to count them unless they showed.  And boy, did they, a flock of about 45.  I think in previous years seeing them in places like Arizona, seeing one or two was a big deal.  Like the rosy finches, they. filled the top of a tree.  I also go really nice looks at a male Mountain Bluebird as a bonus.

After a long drive, ferry ride and another long, late night drive along a twisty, dark road I made it to Tofino and was ready for my pelagic.  I was not really prepared for the tiny finishing boat this trip took out to ocean.  Yes, I had my seasickness patch on and yes I took an anti-sea sickness pill, but after about 4 hours it was too much for many of us and we chummed the sea, so to speak.  No lifers on the trip but the birds were amazing.  Cassin’s Auklet, Marbled Murrelet, Black-footed Albatross, Fork-tailed, Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwater, and even a Western Gull.

Once on dry land I was grateful I had a complete change of clothes in the car, as I was soaked from top to bottom, even though they had put us in these heavy, orange suits.  Turned it they were only for protection against drowning, not to keep us dry.  The trip back was described as the worst conditions they had ever had on a pelagic.  Oh, lucky me.

Once changed and dried out, I drove over to Chesterman Beach, Pacific Rim National Park where I got Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers and the bonus bird of the trip I wasn’t expecting, a Snowy Plover, another Canadian Life Bird.  I headed back to the ferry and a well deserved sleep, before my final day in Vancouver.

I spent my final day in Vancouver fretting over the Marsh Sandpiper sticking around in Ontario, but had a fun time birding with Rich, who helped me find Hutton’s Vireo, Hammond’s Flycatcher, a Least Sandpiper and my two favorites of the day, a Cinnamon Teal and a very friendly and striking Yellow-headed Blackbird.  The Red-winged Blackbirds were even more friendly, landing on my hands and even side view mirror as I was leaving, as if they didn’t want me to leave.  I had to apologize and get going, but did get a Short-billed Dowitcher and a Whimbrel before leaving British Columbia.

The next day, I was flying to Toronto, happy in the knowledge the Marsh Sandpiper had been seen that morning and as soon as I got my car, drove to Brantford to pick up Sue, and calmly as I could, drove to Lambton, Ontario and the Thedford Sewage Lagoons.  Though it was raining, that didn’t dampen the spirits of the birders who were there and with the help of local ambassador Alvin, we got amazing looks at this Canadian celebrity bird, even if the pictures on a gray and wet day did not come out as well.

From eBird, until I have a photo of my own:

What an exciting week it was, and by the time I was unpacking and doing laundry back home in Brantford, and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, I had 289 species in the books.  Now, it’s May and time to really begin birding during the migration season, so bring forth the warblers!