50 days of rare: Where do I go first?

50 Days of Rare: vagrant hunting... T-minus 2 days..




Looks like this past weather system brought some sweet birds with it:


-- Mud-wit on Lake Ontario - Oshawa

--- Report of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (!) on Lake ON in New York

--- at least 13 Franklin's Gulls in Ohio on Lake Erie (+ a Red Phal)

--- Pacific Loon and Red Phal at Pelee

--- Avocet at Dunnville 

--- Black-headed Gull in NY (on Lake ON)

--- Dark Ibis continue on Lake Erie in Michigan and Ohio

--- Piping Plover on Lake MI (IL)

==========

A pretty healthy dose! Got to love those low pressure sytems... And to be honest, the "return of the wind" has me pretty damn excited right now...


Here's the wind for the next six days in Burlington:

Monday: SW 25kmh

Tuesday: SW 30kmh  

Wed: NW 20kmh

Thurs: NE 15kmh

Fri: NE 10kmh

Sat: E 25kmh


My rarity hunting starts Tuesday, 30kmh SW winds.... Sounds like Lake Erie to me! My goal is Port Burwell and Port Stanley --- probably for several hours... Best way to find rarities (in my opinion) is to look.. Less time driving, more time watching!  You never know what will fly past as well, and if that Brown Pelican is still on Lake Erie - maybe its due for a stop at Stanley..

Wednesday: hawkwatching is always fun, but seems low on rarities in Ontario... I also have a meeting to attend for work at 2pm, so I'll busy myself by checking some local spots like Mountsberg or Cootes if I find the time... Maybe Woodland Cemetery at dawn - if I don't have to do a morning survey for work...

Thursday: looks like a zodiac day to me! Probably have better chance of spotting rarities on shore than in the boat (other than Phalaropes), but I can't say no to the chance at photographs

Friday: Did you see what I said for Thursday? Obviously we are looking pretty far into the future, and it could easily change, but I'm very hopeful for some boat time..

Saturday: getting a bit strong for the zodiac! Way back on Oct 3, 2010 I had Arctic Tern, Pomarine, Brant, Kittiwake etc - only a few days different than Sep 29 --- so maybe we'll get some great "later-season" pelagics?


=============================

Other notes: those are probably the best choices for me personally, but this time of year, there are other great options.

Niagara River + Fort Erie: on a SW Wind, can be very much worth a look this time of year...

Shorebirds: still mega rare possible - sewage lagoons, beaches, marshes and rocky points could be checked any days.. Will check when I get the chance

Pelee: I love pelee on an east or NE  wind, BIG TIME - I just never get down there, mainly due to my greater love of Jaegers..  SW winds are good too, along with N winds for hawkwatching

Never mind that generic "passerine vagrant hunting" at superb geographic locations and good habitat... You just gotta keep looking (and looking and looking) for these gems...