It's a presence I've not felt since...

Maybe last summer? I don't really remember... But my rarity-romp around Pelee Island a few days ago has since turned into my first poison ivy of the year...

My old arch nemesis has the ability to terrorise me at every turn this time of year, yet seems to affect virtually none of my birding comrades. A few itchy spots started to appear on my drive home monday (on my hands), which is always scary. Sometimes they go away soon afterwards with little fanfare, and sometimes they continue to build and blister for weeks; leaving me (at times) practically incapacitated.

The next morning brought a brand new poison ivy scare for me --- a few tiny red bumps forming in the corner of my left eye!!! I've had it in a number of places over the years, but the eyes were new. What if it built up into blisters? Did I mess up my spring birding a few days into May?

Well thankfully I'm now 3 days removed from the island, and there has been little else forming. The eye barely looks different, and I spent last night in my hotel room (work) washing all of my gear from last weekend. Nothing like making a mess somewhere you don't live!

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After the skies were terrorised by fast-moving super-storms for most of April, the last few days have blocked everything from moving, and we've been stuck in a lull.

Yes, it's migration, so there's still a healthy dose of rare/uncommon warblers and other birds being seen at the migrant traps, but there hasn't been any additional help from the weather. (See weather help for rarities: Apr 24-Apr 28. Finds of Neotropic Corm, Glossy Ibis, Yellow-T Warb, Eared Grebe, Summer Tanager and Laughing Gull)

Things look to be slowly moving again, and tonight (thursday) could bring some overnight rain to drop a new patch of birds.. The forecast seems a bit uncertain right now, but sometime between now and tuesday looks like a system or two will pass by.. After that, we're really getting into prime time!!! Which I can hardly wait for.. Reasonably warm temps most days should keep migration truckin along, and the rarities will be out there to find!

I'm not 100% sure yet, but I'll possibly be in the Point Pelee area for Friday and Saturday, then onto Pelee Island again on Sunday! (For a week) with the 3 people I enjoy spending my time with the most in this world! (Mom, Dad and Jennifer)

Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.