Point Pelee - Morning Flight - Sep 6, 2026 (Now 10 kph faster!)

Highway 401 between London and Windsor is now 110kph the whole way.

More photos! Sure it was the middle of the long weekend. Sure I didn't have a lot of spare time. However (!) there was a moderate chance that lake-effect rain could notably ground migrants along Erie... The only (real) catch was the 4 hour round trip drive... I'm not sure if it's a side-effect of getting older, or a side-effect of feeling like field ornithology in Ontario has been left in a cage on a strict diet of air and pure abandonment, but I went for it. 

The rain didn't quite cooperate, but thankfully there was still a large overnight movement, not to mention it's near-peak neotrop season. 

The day started off right with 60-70 warblers before the sun came up. The movement was a bit slow for maybe an hour thereafter before the usual mid-morning surge. In the end I tallied ~880 warblers, clicking by rough groups of 10. Other highlights included 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, an Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Yellow-throated Vireo. Locally rare-in-flight species such as Veery and Song Sparrow were also fun. Nothing earth shattering, but worth it. 

The Tally: 

Blue-winged Teal  1
Mourning Dove  45
Common Nighthawk  2
Chimney Swift  30
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  12
Solitary Sandpiper  1
Green Heron  2
Osprey  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Northern Harrier  5
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-headed Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
American Kestrel  5
Merlin  1
Olive-sided Flycatcher  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  15
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  15     
Traill's Flycatcher 5
Least Flycatcher  12
Great Crested Flycatcher  6
Yellow-throated Vireo  1     
Philadelphia Vireo  8     
Eastern Warbling Vireo  5
Red-eyed Vireo  90     
Blue Jay  8
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  18
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4
Gray Catbird  1
Veery  2
Gray-cheeked Thrush  1
Swainson's Thrush  55
American Robin  15
Cedar Waxwing  80
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  15
Song Sparrow  1
Bobolink  12
Baltimore Oriole  5
Black-and-white Warbler  8
Tennessee Warbler  12
Nashville Warbler  8
Common Yellowthroat  4
American Redstart  100     
Cape May Warbler  140     
Northern Parula  11   
Magnolia Warbler  65     
Bay-breasted Warbler  60     
Blackburnian Warbler  3
Northern Yellow Warbler  6     
Chestnut-sided Warbler  3
Blackpoll Warbler  5
Black-throated Blue Warbler  6
Palm Warbler  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Black-throated Green Warbler  7
Wilson's Warbler  9
new world warbler sp.  400   
Scarlet Tanager  3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  5
Indigo Bunting  3

https://ebird.org/checklist/S390429855

As noted previously, this location has unusually good photographic opportunities when the conditions are right. I keep messing with my camera settings, trying to improve my "keeper-rate", but ultimately I usually end up with a similar number of decent images. One Kiah R. Jasper suggested recent problems may be heat related distortion. Definitely something to keep an eye on in future visits.... I may regret this decision, but my next trip will likely involve a different lens... 

Hot weather is still on tap, but mercifully, we seem to be getting regular shots of north winds to let the birds pulse through. Birding is always good in the Great Lakes! More to come! 

Not having an "answer" to an interesting bird ID (2005-2025)

 

Way (way) back on March 4, 2005 - I photographed this interesting "Herring Gull" at the Glanbrook Landfill outside of Hamilton, Ontario... At the time, our American Herring Gulls were known to have dark tails. Whereas European Herring Gulls had mottled white tails with a dark band at the tip. Vega Herring Gulls were somewhere in-between. 

Surely this bird was a strong candidate for a European Herring Gull. Right? 

Interesting birds like this were discussed on the ID-Frontiers listserv at the time. Many "big wigs" of North American Gull ID were quick to chime in - that is looked excellent for European Herring Gull! The only problem was that a number of keen European gullers thought it looked whack (i.e., not like any European Herring Gull they were used to seeing). 

Unfortunately, there never really was a clear cut answer. Birders, as usual, fell into the camps of "it's clearly a yes" to "you clearly need to say no" to "we just never know sometimes!" ... Which, can be kind of frustrating. 20 years later, usually on facebook or discord, the same thing happens today. An interesting bird is posted, there is a rush of (possibly attention seeking) folk who yell out their split second thoughts, some people say "clearly yes", some people say "clearly no"... Sometimes, someone even puts a lot of thought and effort into a detailed reply. 

But nothing really happens in the end. Similar to the 2005 gull, the discussion is ultimately lost. Today, if you're not chronically online, there's a good chance you will have missed it entirely. 

After >2 decades of experiencing this happen over and over - I've had some thoughts... About what was happening, and what we could do better. 

I the simplest terms - keen birders were a bit "starved" for material (or knowledge) to consume. There was only so many journals, newsletters or field guides out there. 

The internet & digital cameras created an explosion of "content". But even into the early years of the 2010's, you could still "run out" of things to view in an evening on your computer. This blog was part of that era. Even if it was a bit "slop"y - it was still something. 

Today, the "slop" has completely taken over. We are in the era of the attention economy (have a read, it's worth it). It's bad for our health & well-being. 

So what could be done? 

We could just ignore it, and continue to let everything get sloppier and sloppier... 

Another thought - is to try to de-slop birding information. It won't be a crowd pleaser, it won't get the most likes on facebook. It won't help people sell books or tours. But it could be interesting (and valuable) if a small group of people put some effort on improving the dissemination of birding knowledge - away from social media websites that are rotting our brains. 

So how would that work? 

Take my interesting Herring Gull as an example. Since the observation, it's become clear that birds with a striking tail pattern like this, are rare but regular - particularly in the Great Lakes. 

Hamilton - Sep 25, 2011

The frequency of sightings was high enough that it seemed unlikely true vagrant European Herring Gulls were showing up in my hometown. The most logical explanation was that it represents just how variable first year American Herring Gulls likely are. A less likely explanation is that there are European-influenced Herring Gulls are nesting somewhere in North America - perhaps not unlike Lesser Black-backed Gulls - although the molt timing (advanced 1st basic molt on the bird shown above) may not support a northerly nesting population. 

This still isn't an "answer" to the identification - but how many keen birders are aware of these birds occurring in North America? 

My proposal lands here - in the age of online brain-melting (and polarizing) social media slop - the community could try to 100% reverse course. Instead of trying to add more and more material to the internet - synthesize it !!  Act as a birding encyclopedia if you will. 

Gather, summarize, and organize our knowledge into an accessible space - free of social media algorithms - and free in the monetary sense as well. Many birders will prefer to see how they "rank" on eBird, rather than take part - but at least our notable learning opportunities won't constantly be lost to the digital abyss - for the small number who are keen to learn more. Perhaps equally as important, this learning material won't require you to be chronically online to see it. 

I feel a notable rise in illusory superiority or a growing egocentric bias, in our little hobby - which is becoming a new roadblock to change... Especially when combined with a standard expectation of people who just don't like change... But more on that some other time! 

Morning Flight - Point Pelee - Aug 28, 2026 !

 

I didn't travel with the same gusto as previous visits. But with the prospect of a warm start to September on the horizon, I wanted to make the most of a big night of migration. 

I lucked out, with Birdcast lit all night, and well-timed arrivals of migrants. Birds were moving pre-dawn, another good sign! I also thought I had finally found some settings on my camera to make the most of the photo-chances here - but alas I was a bit disappointed to review my shots when I got home. Nonetheless, I still had some decent images - but it's a bit disappointing to devote my effort to photographs (ie not getting great looks at some of the passing birds) - and not leave with 10/10 gold star material... But that is the way birding goes! 

The Tally: 

Black-billed Cuckoo  1
Common Nighthawk  8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  8
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  2
Olive-sided Flycatcher  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  11
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  4
Traill's Flycatcher  12
Least Flycatcher  20   
Empidonax sp.  15
Great Crested Flycatcher  9
Eastern Kingbird  16
Philadelphia Vireo  6   
Eastern Warbling Vireo  5     
Red-eyed Vireo  90     
Red-breasted Nuthatch  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
Gray Catbird  2
Veery  1
Gray-cheeked Thrush  1   
Swainson's Thrush  14
American Robin  8
Cedar Waxwing  100
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  15
Bobolink  130
Orchard Oriole  1
Baltimore Oriole  32
Northern Waterthrush  5
Golden-winged Warbler  1     
Blue-winged Warbler  1     
Black-and-white Warbler  6
Tennessee Warbler  35   
Nashville Warbler  5
Mourning Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  2
American Redstart  80     
Cape May Warbler  250   
Northern Parula  1   
Magnolia Warbler  80   
Bay-breasted Warbler  120     
Blackburnian Warbler  65   
Northern Yellow Warbler  14     
Chestnut-sided Warbler  4
Blackpoll Warbler  3
Black-throated Blue Warbler  5
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Black-throated Green Warbler  4
Canada Warbler  1
Wilson's Warbler  2
New world warbler sp.  700     
Scarlet Tanager  3
Northern Cardinal  3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  8

https://ebird.org/checklist/S387708876

Numbers are educated estimates for most species, given my attention on getting images. I clicked ~610 warblers by x10 for the first while, before the movement picked up and I couldn't do both - so the numbers are still reasonable. 

The Golden-winged Warbler was an obvious highlight - passing through late in the watch. The Blue-winged Warbler was only noticed in photos afterwards. 

The narrow vegetation strip at Pelee is excellent for detecting cryptic or low-moving "Morning Flight" species. Counts of Empids or Thrushes is often quite good here vs. other locations I have watched around Ontario. Several rare-in-flight species were recorded on this front: Black-billed Cuckoo, Veery, 2 Common Yellowthroat, and Mourning Warbler in particular. 

A few years ago I recorded a rather long video sharing ideas on Morning Flight, and while I'm happy with how it turned out, my appreciation for the importance of small-scale habitat features has only grown. Someday I will need to do an update! Perhaps I'll (someday) start with the text of the GGLB website to collect these new-and-improved thoughts. 

A bit of a pattern shift in the weather is underway. I'm not quite sure what the next 2-3 weeks holds, but it seems dynamic enough. Zonal flow in El Nino seems to be supporting a western arrival (FRGU, WEKI, SWHA, etc)...  I'm sure there will be interesting birding opportunities somewhere! There usually is... 

Morning Flight Watch - Point Pelee - Aug 25, 2026

 

My desire for some "earlier" season Morning Flight was still high (after missing an "early early" season day in late July). So it was back to Point Pelee!

https://ebird.org/checklist/S386892288

A bit of "night birding" went well, with EASO, CONI, 5 SESA, a few high passerines & a low warbler sp... A variety of bat species was also a major highlight. 

The overnight radar was decent but not amazing. Things started slow, and got slower, to the point I was convinced that I had totally and unexpectedly busted on this attempt. The bird gods were just testing my faith however as a mad flurry of birds (30-45 mins) started around 8am. 

The Tally: 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  5

Downy Woodpecker  3     

Eastern Wood-Pewee  5

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  3

Traill's Flycatcher  5

Least Flycatcher  3

Empidonax sp.  5

Great Crested Flycatcher  4

Eastern Kingbird  18

Eastern Warbling Vireo  5

Red-eyed Vireo  15

vireo sp.  5

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2

Gray Catbird  3

Swainson's Thrush  1     

Cedar Waxwing  55

American Goldfinch  10

Chipping Sparrow  2

Bobolink  250   

Orchard Oriole  1     

Baltimore Oriole  60     

Black-and-white Warbler  2

Tennessee Warbler  15

Nashville Warbler  4

American Redstart  20

Cape May Warbler  75     

Magnolia Warbler  3

Bay-breasted Warbler  40     

Blackburnian Warbler  35     

Northern Yellow Warbler  2     

Blackpoll Warbler  1     

Black-throated Blue Warbler  1

Black-throated Green Warbler  2

Wilson's Warbler  2

new world warbler sp.  150   

Rose-breasted Grosbeak  5

Not too bad in the end. Perhaps my best fall flight of BAOR to date. 

The bird gods fully smiled on my route home. A stop at Zion Rd. in Chatham-Kent (for insects & hummers) turned up one of my bigger nemesis birds in Ontario. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE! I don't think I could have asked for better viewing. 10+ minutes of the bird slowly moving westward - constantly distracted by dragonflies - pulling off every aerial acrobatic maneuver you can imagine to catch them. 

Sometimes you just get lucky! 

A Three Day Lakewatch (Aug 22-24, 2026 -- Lake Huron)

 

Sorta. Not really. 

For some reason, whenever I'm excited about a weather system, I'm tempted to bird the "system" a few extra days. It gives me a baseline to compare with the "good" day. 

The "good" day was Monday August 24... My family happened to be away on Saturday & Sunday - so those were my baseline days. Here how it went down: 

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Aug 22: Ipperwash Beach (Lake Huron):  https://ebird.org/checklist/S385906899

Light winds (generally SE) and scattered rain passing on either side of me.... Generally "poor" lakewatch conditions, but I sometimes find these crawling rain bands get the birds active. 

Noted sightings:  A few BWTE & NSHO, a handful of shorbs, RTLO, and a distant but enjoyable LTJA chasing terns. A very small "morning flight" of warblers down the shore as well. Not bad for a day with zero expectations. 

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Aug 23: Ipperwash Beach (Lake Huron): https://ebird.org/checklist/S386220863 

This was a fairly typical (if breezy) cold front passage in our area. Its' quite early in the season for a lakewatch here, but Jaegers had been reported at several locations already around the Great Lakes (incl yesterday), so I was interested to see what would happen. 

Noted Sightings: Another handful of shorbs (incl 1 RNPH & 1 REKN), and some very distant sightings of LIGU, RTLO & BLTE. 

In general - expectations were higher - but the birding was perhaps less fun than the day before! 

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Aug 24: Grand Bend Beach (Lake Huron): https://ebird.org/checklist/S386537702 

Kaboom. This was "the day". The low pressure system had stalled and pretty much "circled back" on itself - giving phenomenal connection of winds from James Bay to Lake Huron. Cooler temperatures had kicked off a lake effect rain band as well. 

Noted Sightings: just as it was getting light enough to see, flocks of peeps were passing every few minutes. A majority were WRSA - an uncommon species around here! They soon slowed down but other "James Bay" shorebirds picked up the slack. Locally uncommon to rare species like HUGO, WHIM, REKN, AGPL, etc. It was quite the event! 

A rather small increase in ducks (ABDU, NOPI, GWTE) but notably "James Bay" flavoured as well. Only 1 Jaeger (PAJA) was a bit of a surprise, but I wasn't complaining!

A HUGO/AGPL mixed flock (above). 

I had other commitments - and left while the odd flock of birds was still passing. I suspect it would have been entertaining all day!

Thinking About Birding at Van Wagner's Beach - Oct 30, 2025

With a ripper of a NE wind on Oct 30, 2025 - I decided to bird Van Wagner's Beach (VWB) in Hamilton, Ontario. A famous inland location to view "pelagic" birds like Jaegers. Sure, the drive was long - but I grew up in Hamilton and I would probably run into some familiar faces while enjoying the birds. 

Yet six hours into the watch I hadn't seen another birder. Where was everyone? Yes, it was late October, and a Thursday... But I couldn't help but think about the state of the birding community. 

The above photo was taken over 20 years earlier at VWB in late September (on a weekday). If you wanted to add Pomarine Jaeger or Northern Gannet, to your life or year list - your best bet was to go to VWB when the winds were blowing. In fact, prominent community members would actively tell you the same - go during east winds - bring a scope - and a crowd of people will join you in the search. 

Today, the best way to see those species for the first time - is to make sure your phone beeps at you - when one is reported somewhere (Discord). 

I followed this train of thought further. A welcome element (for me) back in 2005 was a chance to discuss bird identification, gull molt, or even just see something like a Pomarine Jaeger well. A chance for study and learning. There were not thousands of images available online for review. There were people you could actually talk to (face to face) about birds and birding. Today, you can largely scratch that "itch" by joining a Facebook Gull or Jaeger group, without leaving home. 

Many others enjoy the competitive side of birding. As noted, if you wanted to add Northern Gannet to your year list,  you should probably be at VWB. Even more so, if you wanted to compare your list to everyone else, you were going to encounter other listers at VWB. Had anyone else managed to break 300 so far this year!? You could talk to people (face to face) and find out. 

Now, you can get your fill by checking the "top 100" page on eBird for your favourite hotspot / yard / county / province / country literally anywhere, anytime of day, on your phone. 

Ultimately, you're left with a significantly reduced number of birders at VWB, wondering where everyone else is. 

And do you know what? That's probably ok. I'm not writing to try to convince anyone to change how they bird. I know there are still days with lots of birders present. I know keen young birders will still find their way in our hobby. 

But I do wonder if more could be done to remind members of our community that there is joy to be had by simply spending time in the field. I personally love being outside in a storm - strong winds, rain, the sound of crashing waves. Seeing your first Pomarine Jaeger is exciting, no matter the context. I just hope everyone also gets the chance to see their first "unexpected" Pomarine Jaeger too, ripping down the beach at close range, on the edge of a squall. 

Birding at Night

 
It was fairly "known" that some amazing things were happening in the bird world - at night - in Cape May in recent years...... With a notable publication our earlier this year detailing their work:

Story via the Cornell Website: Study reveals new technique to identify individual night-flying birds for the first time

Paper:  https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/143/2/1/8506565?login=false

Citation: 

Johnson, T. B., D. Gochfeld, M. C. Roach, G. A. Apte, R. Gallardy, S. C. Wilson, A. Marden, D. J. Irons, A. Farnsworth, and C. L. Rutt (2026). Seeing in the dark: Using thermal imaging to directly observe nocturnal migration. Ornithology 143:ukaf074.

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Long story short, I didn't think this type of equipment was in the cards for me (expensive) - but the potential to learn more about bird movements & migration was just too much to bear! So as of a few days ago, I've found a way to make it work - and I'm really looking forward to putting it to use in the coming months.

Hopefully a lot more interesting tales to tell - with time!