Pelee Birds - May 15th (a bit late)

This was how I felt!

With the mad dash of rares over (sort of) I spent most of the day doing photography. I found 2 Willets at Wheatley Harbour early in the morning, and spent a few hours driving the onion fields waiting for the rain to stop. 

I then headed to the tip and did a bit of photography. It had its moments. 

Cool/cloudy/windy days make for great photography - and I enjoyed the birding. A heavy downpour soaked all of the birds, and I actually made a pretty cool collection of "very wet" birds. Nothing that will ever appear in a field guide, but I felt that it told a story. 

A wet story...

Birding at the tip was actually pretty good. Best birds (for me) were a Yellow-throated Vireo and an Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange! Didn't want it's picture taken I guess...

With all that said, I need to vent a little. Pelee totally ruins photography for me. What I do (when taking photos) is SO much more than just walking around and snapping photos of anything I see. I have specific targets, specific images in mind, and want to create an accurate representation of the life history - for the specific bird I'm photographing. 

90% of the time that means I want to gain the birds trust - by learning its behaviours and gaining acceptance into its personal space. I don't want to "trick them" - getting a single snap before scaring it away. Or constantly follow a single bird around until I create a (so called) "perfect" image... 

But I CAN NOT do that at Pelee. There is no chance. I can't blame anyone for it - it just happens. Every single freakin bird is disturbed by the hundreds of people walking around - constantly changing their behaviours and emotions in response to each new distraction. Someone with an umbrella is a new distraction that this bird may have never seen before... Taking off a jacket is a flash of colour that changes their mood. 

And it makes me angry...

Not because it's anyones fault, but because I feel robbed of the chance to create the images I'd like to make - how I would like to make them...

Realllly angry...

So angry, that sometimes I have a strong desire to take my camera and repeatedly smash it into the ground (into a million little pieces), so I never have the desire to take another image in my life...

And it makes no sense! But it happens, so there isn't much I can do about it!

***** I also really need to stress that this isn't anyone's fault at all, as I walked around with some really great people this day while taking photos and had a lot of fun - it just happens to me, year after year, whenever I get my camera out with groups of people nearby! *****

So yeah! That's my story. I think I just need to focus on photography somewhere other than Pt Pelee in the spring. Other than that, I love the place!

Later that day I was shown a Common Nighthawk, and saw a few more warblers... Great birding when they're down low..

Outside the park I had the Laughing & Franklin's Gulls - along with 2 more Willets in a field.

I then stopped at Wheatley to see 2 Whimbrel on the rocks. Awesome birds!

After that, I packed up and went home!

One of my earlier exits from Pelee over the years, and it's still darn early (lots of birds left to move). But with the weather looking more like "photography weather" than "birding weather" - I made the call!

If I go back at all (which may happen) - I'll post the results!

I hope everyone has had (or is having) a superb spring migration in 2014!

"Townsend's Bunting" in Prince Edward County?!?!?

Denis Lepage gets all the credit for this blog post. I saw his comment on ontbirds regarding the strange bird at Prince Edward Point, and dang it looks good:

http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=704270&MLID=ON&MLNM=Ontario


Here's the first post to ontbirds:

http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=704240&MLID=ON&MLNM=Ontario


And the link to the photos on whatbird:

http://www.whatbird.com/forum/index.php?/topic/119420-sparrowjunco-hybrid/#sthash.C2cwKOBz.dpuf


The Whatbird link to the story of this bird:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickcissel#.22Townsend.27s_Dickcissel.22



This is INSANE - this is one of John James Audubon's "long lost species" that was never seen again (even though he didn't actually see it alive?)... I have no idea, I'm just going on what I've just read with the links above...

But you could sort-of say that this is the second GLOBAL record EVER of this crazy bird... And now I'm deciding if I should go twitch the thing if it's refound...

CRAZYYY!

Pelee May 14th !!! This place, I tell ya...

This is how I felt this morning (above)... 

I thought the fun and games would (generally) be over for today, but we got lucky with the rain and winds and had a LARGE DROP of migrants (what the heck is a mini fallout?) in the park today. Long story short - there were a LOT of birds around today, but they were up high - very active - and against a gray sky. Not the best conditions, but I didn't care.

Lots of Blackpolls, Tennessee, Thrushes and Tanagers arrived overnight, augmenting the high numbers of Orioles, Grosbeaks, Yellows etc. It may have been the highest number of migrant birds (individuals) I've seen in the park in the last two years! (which isn't saying tooo much, but still fun)..

BIRDS! -

With all that said (above) - I have very little to report. It felt like a "Kirtland's" kind of day, but no one found any! I just enjoyed the walk and colourful birds until the rain started early in the afternoon! (HEAVY rain at times).

Best bird was a RAVEN !!! That I could hear from the Visitor's Centre (barely) for about 15 minutes before it finally flew north along the west beach...

I drove the onion fields on my way back to our cottage. I actually stopped at Hillman at dawn (didn't see much) so I skipped it later... Good thing, because Wheatley Harbour was packin RARES!

I could see these beauties with my eyes as I drove up! Same Laughing Gull reported as yesterday, but check out Frank! (Franklin's Gull) - hanging out with the snazzy Laugher!!!

Frank stayed for 2-3 minutes in total, before flushing and flying west. Sounds like it eventually settled down at Hillman. Woot! I decided to check the east beach of Wheatley, even though I had already used up my good luck here. wait... WAIT.....

That's an Eared Grebe!! In stunning breeding garb. The photo is AWFUL (it was pouring rain) - but I had realllllly good looks in the scope. BEAUTY!

Back at the cottage, I waited out the rain.. Where would I go? After doing some laundry, the skies broke and it was almost sunny!!! I noticed the clouds were racing out of the NE - then it hit me - I could watch the skies AND the lake from our cottage... I went for it...

8 minutes later............

M I S S I S S I P P I !!!!!

I yelled for Barb Wire and we watched it cruise pretty low over our cottage... Another 1st basic (like yesterday) but a different bird based on feather wear (as expected). I then realized I made the right decision, and watched for the next 4 hours with a brew in tow.

No other rares, but we had some good "cottage birds" like Wilson's, Tennessee and Blackburnian Warbs, Scarlet Tanagers, Black Tern, etc etc etc... There was actually a huge feeding frenzy offshore that provided a lot of entertainment (loons, grebes etc) and we picked out all of the Swallows among the throngs moving along the lakeshore (huge numbers of swifts as well).

Beauty of a day!

(view from the cottage)

Tomorrow's another day! Things gotta be slower tomorrow, no? 

Point Pelee: May 13, 2014 - one of the BEST birding days I've EVER had!!!!!!!!!

WOW ... I really need to go to sleep ... But I'll write a little...


Dawn - walk to the tip from the VC: Mourning (female), Hooded (male), Yellow-bellied Fly

Tip Reverse: YT Vireo, lots of warblers (incl multiple Blue-winged, Parula, Bay-breast etc).


NEOTROPIC CORMORANT -

Bam - less than 10 Canadian records. 

I picked out the NECO in flight as it flew close to the tip with 2 DC Corms. I wonder if this is the bird seen in Ohio??

MORE reverse - lots of warblers, indigo's, orioles, vireos etc. (including some flycatchers). Also weird species like Horned Lark, House Finch, House Sparrow etc. 

DICKCISSELS (2) - male and female reverse 90 seconds apart - 

BAM - I photo'd both. Here's the male. 

What a day so far!

More reverse migrants! - Then came the Bunting... I spent the whole morning birding with Ken Burrell - we had this female bunting flying overhead (slowly) - that wasn't calling like an Indigo Bunting. It was higher pitched and less raspy. We decided that I should take a few photos of it:

A look in the camera showed a bird that looked just how the books says a LAZULI BUNTING should look - 

The plumage seems to match quite well, and the flight call was obviously different (the only reason we gave the bird this attention), and beyond that - I'm not sure what more I could add. Maybe some "experts" can shed some light on the situation beyond what I have here...

To Northwest Beach! - Summer Tanager! Kentucky Warbler! 2 Yellow-breasted Chats!!! WOW!

Sanctuary - more migrants! Grasshopper Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warb etc..

Text - MIKI at VC (so I drove to the VC) - boom! Mississippi Kite!!!!!

Thanks to Barb and Doug for getting this one out there. 

Does the insanity ever stop!?

Around this time I had my FOY Giant Swallowtail and a Painted Skimmer near the tip....

Marsh Boardwalk! -

I saw some really crazy turtle behaviour - photographed TWO SPOTTED GAR!!!!!! - And THEN (then) had an adult LAUGHING GULL way out in the marsh! 

It just never ends!

A drive of the Onion fields had some regular gulls/shorebirds - and a VERY pale Savannah Sparrow - 

Where do you think this weirdo came from?

I checked Hillman late (pretty slow actually, but cool birds) - Hooded Merganser seemed odd...

Then I had a Peregrine Falcon kill a Yellowlegs just outside Hillman on my drive home for one of my last "new" birds for the day...

-----------

I don't know why the Pelee report looked so BAD for today. I had 150 (!!!!!) species inside the Pelee circle doing my normal birding! The Kite was the only species I went after. I wasn't even trying to get a high number! That was just regular birding!!! (missed several common species).

zzzzzzzz......................

Pelee May 12th

No shortage of turkeys 'round here... 

Another great day to be in the park. Another wave of new birds greeted us and the birding was fun. The tip seemed slow to many, but there were birds to be found somewhere in the park if you looked!

My highlight was lingering at the tip, watching the light reverse migration. When virtually the entire morning crew left, I had two seperate Summer Tanagers fly off:

The female showed off a bit by catching a wasp in flight, returning to the tip and eating it (at close range), and then continuing on her "reverse migration" - very cool:

Mmm.. stinger... 

It was foggy at the tip (sort of?) which gave my photos a bit of a blur (and washed out) but it was fun being out there. Two days in a row with HOT weather and little/no wind out there! Beauty!

In my travels around the park today I had a singing Orange-crowned Warbler (east side) and a (late) singing Louisiana Waterthrush (WNT) as my highlights. Solid numbers of birds around to look at. Can't think of much else to add though.

Once again, we have serious promise for tomorrow (today!) - we'll have to see how it all shakes down!

I also forgot to mention that I had a Painted Skimmer (rare ode) the previous day at Pelee!! Always exciting to see.

Prettybird! 

Pelee!!!!! May 11th, 2014 (Flyday)

Things got all flipped upside down at Pelee today!

It was a very good day of birding, with scattered birds throughout the park. A lot of "goodies" were around with people seeing Cerulean, Chats, Prairie, Hooded, Prothon etc. A few Summer Tanagers in the mix and everyone was happy...

The big highlight of the day (for me) was the morning reverse migration. Here it is:

YOWZERS!

A new bird for me for Ontario! #376 or #377 for me, depending on who you ask. It was really spectacular. Thanks to the Tropical Birding guys who found all the goodies today. It didn't end there - 

Western Kingbird! This one was up a lot higher, but still awesome!

Two great Flycatchers in one reverse migration. It was actually pretty slow, but who cares!? I'm thinking Monday (today) and Tuesday look like they could be AMAZING (which means, there is a chance they'll be dead) - but I know one thing, I will NOT be missing those days!!!

A few more pretty birds from today to close this out, before I sleep. 

Birding outlook - Sunday, Monday superb for migration.

Sunday at 8am - a clear "path" - lacking rain - from the southern USA up to Lake Erie with light winds! 

Monday 8am - strong (and hot) southerly flow moving into southern Ontario - should be huge migration. Rain will dictate just how many birds one sees...

Two nights that I think will be very good for migration - which means anything is possible at dawn. We need a bit of rain (or something) to knock down huge numbers, but there is always something good to be found after a night of huge migration...

This past "event" (Weds-Friday) turned out pretty well. I knew the weather wasn't the best I'd ever seen, but the timing sure was good. We enjoyed a massive surge in migration with dozens of species entering the province in huge numbers. The rarities weren't too bad either (ST Fly, Bell's, Kirtland's, Summer's, Blue Grosbeak, Dickcissels, etc etc etc)...

Speaking of vagrants - the severe weather outlooks for Sunday and Monday... Severe weather = vagrants!!! We have this new dosage of very good weather for the next two days... Looks better for vagrants than this last push, so let's see if we can find more birds!!!

Let's get somethin nutty!

Pelee Repor - May 9th, 2014

Short post today. Once again, I didn't see the rare bird of the day (in the park area) - no dice on the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. We were not anywhere near the car when news (finally) broke, and it was gone before we even made it there. I hope it somewhat-sticks!

Bam - there it is. Our bird of the day. Dead King Rail that we found just north of the park on the road. Pretty exciting and really awful all at once.

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Sleep is lacking, so I may not write as much as I normally do. I thought there was another decent influx of birds into the park today, but they largely skipped the point. I had ok numbers at the north end (was at Blue Heron mid-day - no STFL!) - and saw a good pocket of Warblers at Hillman Marsh in the evening. - Speaking of Hillman Marsh, we walked the marsh trail for the first time this year and were rewarded with a calling Least Bittern and a Peregrine Falcon for our efforts!

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Reverse migration at the tip was pretty good - although still not that many warblers involved. This presumed "female indigo bunting" looked pretty odd - 

It's an indigo...

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OK sleep time! Saturday is still lookin good... There must be a LOT of birds coming still. Where are the Red-eyed Vireos!?

Pretty birds to close this out - 

Pelee May 8th - new birdies everywhere!!!

Although some commented that it was a "slowish" day at Pelee today, I thought there was an insane push of migrants into the park overnight. Warbler numbers were still a bit low, there was a massive surge of Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore & Orchard Orioles and some Scarlet Tanagers..

That was on top of high numbers of Kingbirds, Least Flycatchers, White-crowned, Lincoln's & White-throated Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets etc. I thought it was a great day!

I had 24 species of warbler without doing any twitching at all - and I even took the evening "off" due to a lack of sleep. Beauty of a day!


Some notables (that I can remember) -


Reverse Migrants! -

BLUE GROSBEAK! (Female)
Golden-winged Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
2-3 Blue-winged Warblers
A Scarlet Tanager that I yelled out as a Summer Tanager at the tip! (Whoops)

Other -

DICKCISSEL - flyover west beach mid-day
Willets (4) - Wheatley H.
Hooded Warblers (2)
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-throated Loon
Eared Grebe
2 Little Gulls

Really other -

The leucistic Red-breasted Nuthatch!

I'm expecting a similar day tomorrow - huge migration, lots of new birds - maybe a pretty darn good reverse migration. Be there or be square!

Reverse migrants today -

The Grosbeak! 

Bugs also arrived in great numbers. American Lady, Orange & Clouded Sulphur went from 0 to dozens in no time...

I also had a Glider sp!!! (dragonfly) - that I think was Spot-winged - but it got away. 

Pelee May 7th - very good - yet not quite...

I'm a bit tired, so I'll have to keep this post short... I had massive hopes for wednesday, and had to settle for a darn good day. Just no major drop of birds!

Radar from Weds early... The rain hit at just the wrong angle and time. We had lots of new migrants, but the numbers didn't materialize (eg/ not thousands upon thousands) 

Lots of FOY for me...

Cape May

Black-throated Blue
Redstarts

Trails Flycatcher
Black Terns
Hummingbirds

(I don't remember them all)... 

There was lots of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Least Flycatchers, Common Yellowthroats, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, and maybe more Yellow Warbs... As the major species of the day...

Some highlights include Acadian Flycatcher, Hooded Warbler, and probably something else... Look - birds! 

All photos from today!!!

I thought there was an 80% chance today (weds) was going to be truly amazing. The rain messed it up, and (as stated) as all happily settled for a very good day...

For tomorrow (Thursday) - I think there's a 95% chance it will be truly amazing. The silly rain is still pressing on the doorstep, and could throw a wrench in last minute (it's currently raining and storming) - but I really think we'll have a LOT of fun tomorrow...

Time will tell!

Oh - Michigan had Long-billed Curlew, White-faced & Glossy Ibis, Tricoloured Heron, Swainson's Hawk and Says's Phoebe on Wednesday - along with a White Ibis in Minnseota... I think monster rares are moving with this sytem! Let's hope it pans out for Ontario!!!!!!!