Friday, March 30, 2012

Pelee day 2 (Mar 29)



My second day at Pelee was a bit less eventful. The expected cold + north winds happened. The expected sunshine did NOT.

I started the day at the usual place (Tip). There was a LOT of activity with the ducks, as they were flushed by a boat and landed close to shore. A few thousand Scaup (99.6% Greaters) kept me busy with the scope. I managed to pick out: 3 female Ring-necked Ducks, 4 White-winged Scoters, ~12 Black Scoters, ~60 Surf Scoters, 3 Wood Ducks (very odd place) and a Mallard.

On the east side there was a feeding group of Mergansers + some Cormorants, but nothing of note (100 Bonapartes). There were lots of Horned Grebes all around the point - but not much else.


--- After that I did Tildens after skipping it yesterday. More of the same with a RC Kinglet, a few Winter Wrens, Sapsuckers etc... My only year bird was a Brown Thrasher here.

I had very high hopes for a great hawk flight, but with the heavy overcast, I didn't even bother. I saw 2 Bald Eagles, a juv Coopers and 2 Red-tailed Hawks but it really wasn't worth hanging around for.. Sun is required!!


=== I don't think I had anything of note north of the park... Hillman was searched, but revealed less ducks and NO Common Teal (figures, since the ducks were CLOSER and I had my camera, but I couldn't find it). About 15 Snipe there today...

Final stop on the tour was Wheatley Harbour, and the timing was right with the arrival of a fishing boat. I watched the gulls and turned up 1 adult GLAUCOUS and 1 2nd/3rd basic NELSON'S Gull (Herring X Glauc hybrid). Bird looked like a Glaucous except for some brown in the wings/tail...


That's all she wrote!


I didn't actually take any pics this day... Here's one from the previous day in the heat... Anyone know their beetles? This thing was rather large.. 



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Edit from yesterday. Forgot to mention 2 year birds.. 2 Chipping Sparrows north of the park and 2 Great Egrets at Hillman




3 comments:

  1. Beetle: A very good candidate for Horned Passalus (Passalidae: Odontotaenius disjunctus).

    http://bugguide.net/node/view/2864

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    Replies
    1. That looks like a mighty fine match! Thanks Michael :)

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