Lake Erie Bir-ding ding ding

I spent the better part of 2 days birding along the Lake Erie shoreline, and for purposes of stream-lining with Ontbirds, I'll jump to the highlight!

(click for larger view)

Yes that delicious pink and white blob is an adult Cattle Egret that Ken Burrell and I found very early this morning (Jul 22) at Holiday Beach CA... A new addition to my already good "self-found" year!

The bird was viewed from the hawk tower, preening on the snag shown in the above photo for the duration of our observation... Fairly distant (as you can tell from the photo) but nice views in the scope (and morning light).

A final view of the scene

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Here's a rundown of some other locations I visited:

Townsend Sewage Lagoons:

Baird's Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

(habitat still looking decent here)

(possibly worse than the CAEG pics, the Baird's)

Port Burwell PP

Little Gull - 2 migrant adults, 1 summering 1st alt. 

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 (1st alts)

Short-billed Dowitcher - 1

Semi-p-sand - 1 

Did you know that the furthers 1/3 of the beach at Port Burwell is private? And also appears to be a nude beach? I had no idea until yesterday.............

(1st alt Little Gull, behind similar age Bonapartes')

Port Stanley:

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 (1st and 2nd alts)

Ruddy Turnstone - 1 (alt adult)

Blenheim SL:

Greater Yellowlegs - 1

and yeah I can't think of anything else. There was a decent number of shorebirds in "the sprinklers" - but not much noteworthy. Didn't look for the Dickcissels

Erieau

Little Gull - 1 (alt adult)

Wheatley Harb - 

1 (or 2?) 1st alt Lesser Black-backed Gulls

1 (dead) Swamp Darner

(1 of 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls I had this day... Summering much?)

Hillman Marsh - 

2 Black-crowned Night-Herons

1 Osprey

1 Blue-winged Teal

1 Solitary Sand (only shorebird)

1 Fiery Skipper

1 Wandering Glider

Pelee Tip:


Lance-tipped Darner -1
Sanderling - 5
Lesser Black-backed Gulls - 3+ (didnt really pay attention)

Seacliffe Beach


Not much, but a good place to mention that adult Bonaparte's were observed at several locations (fall migrants!)

Holiday Beach:


previously mentioned Cattle Egret with Ken Burrell
numerous other herons, pied-billed grebes, moorhens, (too many) Mute Swans etc etc

Detroit River (near mouth):


Lesser Scaup (pair) - ???

Tilbury Sewage Lagoons:


Stilt Sandpiper - 2
Short-billed Dowitcher - 2 (very few in ON this fall... need rain to ground them (which we haven't had)
Greater Y-legs - 1

--- habitat here looks goood for herons/shorebirds... Lots of Pectorals indicate this would be a nice place for a Ruff to show up...

The biggest highlight for me at Tilbury was a juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs!

(so fresh, so... early? -- Juvenile Lesser with Pectoral) 

And I think that's it! (for now)...........   videos and more photos from my adventure soon... maybe...