Spring 2002 Sightings Archive
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June 3 - June 10
The final week of spring migration for the three field stations was extremely slow. The only birds of note were two Yellow-breasted Chats banded at Old Cut. Otherwise, there were a few flycatchers, thrushes and warblers moving through the area.
May 23 - June 2
The biweekly updates were disrupted due to the Grand Opening of BSC's new Headquarters on June 1st - therefore, this summary extends back eleven days. Migration during this whole period was fairly slow paced although some interesting species were recorded. Long Point's first Eurasian Collared-Dove was reported on May 29th at Long Point Provincial Park - although not seen, the bird was identified by its distinctive call. Subsequent searches for the bird were unsuccessful, however. The second Dickcissel for the spring was seen at the Tip (like the first bird) at the end of May. An immature male Summer Tanager was found at Long Point Provincial Park on the 23rd and was seen frequenting the same area for the next five days. The first Worm-eating Warbler of the spring was found singing at Backus Woods on June 1st - this spring has been very poor to date for spring overshoots. In contrast to this, there have been good numbers of Red-throated Loons reported at all three field station over the last week; this species is usually absent or very rare during spring migration. The first Acadian Flycatcher for the spring was found at Long Point Provincial Park on the 28th, the same day that a Yellow-breasted Chat was banded at Old Cut. A few typically early spring migrants, such as Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper and Blue-headed Vireo, lingered in the area to at least the 27th. A late Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen at Old Cut on the 28th. Shorebirds continue to be seen in the pond next to the BSC headquarters, with Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper dominating. A White-rumped Sandpiper was 'picked out' from the rest of the peeps on June 1st.
May 20 - May 22
The cool weather continued during the first two days of the period, with the 22nd finally warming up with winds from the south. The highlight of the period was a flock of 20 Brant seen at Big Creek NWA on the 22nd - this is one of the largest flocks of this species ever recorded in the Long Point area. Shorebirds arrived in larger numbers and diversity, with new species recorded for the spring such as Whimbrel and Red Knot. Over 20 species of warbler were recorded at each of the three field stations on the 22nd, including Kentucky and good numbers of late spring species such as Blackpoll, Cape May, Bay-breasted and Canada. Swainson's Thrush has finally arrived in high numbers, with a few Gray-cheeked Thrush amongst them. Flycatchers still have not arrived in significant numbers as of yet. An interesting sighting was a Brewster's Warbler at the Wilson Tract on the 22nd.
May 16 - May 19
With record low temperatures and north winds, the period was understandably slow for migration. Like the last period, the number of birds were low - unlike the last period, however, there were few rarities reported. An adult Laughing Gull found on the 18th at the Old Long Point Provincial Park was one of the highlights, along with a very bright female Prothonotary Warbler at Old Cut on the 18th. Clay-coloured Sparrows were reported from Breakwater on the 16th and the Old Provincial Park on the 19th. Long Point recorded its second Le Conte's Sparrow for the spring at Breakwater on the 16th. Other notable species at Breakwater seen during the period were Red-throated Loon (4), Whimbrel and Kentucky Warbler. Two Brant were seen along the beach at Turkey Point as late as the 17th. The bulk of the migrants seen at the field stations during the period were Blue Jays, White-throated Sparrows and American Goldfinches; a male Pine Warbler seen at Old Cut on the 19th was late. Species showing up more regularly include Eastern Wood-Pewee, Traill's Flycatcher, Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrush, Veery, Red-eyed Vireo, and Mourning and Wilson's Warbler. The number of Swainson's Thrush, normally a very common migrant this time of year, has been incredibly low (less than five birds daily). Finally, the Harris's Sparrow seen during the last period along Hastings Drive was not reported during this period.
May 13 - May 15
While last period the most noteworthy species were non-passerines, this period the rarities were songbirds. An adult Harris's Sparrow was found along Hastings Drive on the 13th, and was seen reliably through to at least the 15th at cottage number 213. Another rare songbird was a Dickcissel seen at the Tip on the 15th, along with a Yellow-throated Warbler. Also at the Tip, a Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen on the 14th. Spring overshoots continued to show up, with an adult male Summer Tanager (very rare as most birds in spring are immature birds) found at Old Cut on the 15th, and a Kentucky Warbler banded at Breakwater on the 15th. Otherwise, migration was fairly slow with White-throated Sparrows and Magnolia Warblers being the dominant migrants. Shorebirds, such as Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs, continue to be seen at the BSC Headquarters pond. Northern Bobwhites continue to be seen along Concession A but are apparently birds from a large release from a local farmer, making them 'uncountable'.
May 9 - May 12
Many good species were found during this period, although the pace of migration itself was fairly slow. The annual Baillie Birdathon was held on May 11th, with one team managing to tally 141 species within a 24 hour period. The two best species found on the 11th were shorebirds: three Willets were seen by many observers at Big Creek NWA, and a Long-billed Dowitcher was spotted at the BSC Headquarters pond, which had its water level lowered to provide shorebird habitat (other species present here were Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher and Common Snipe). Two White-eyed Vireos were sighted at Old Cut, and Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Cerulean and Hooded Warbler and Louisiana Waterthrush were seen at several locations inland (Wilson Tract, St. Williams forest, etc.). Always rare in the Long Point area, a Brant was located at the Turkey Point beach on the 12th. The first 'spring overshoot' species of the year, a Kentucky Warbler, was seen at Breakwater on the 11th. Grasshopper Sparrows were seen at the Tip and Breakwater on the 9th while Iceland Gull and Surf Scoter were seen at the Tip as late as the 10th. The only new arrival for the period was Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Old Cut on the 10th. Veery arrived in good numbers, although Swainson's Thrush appears to be late this spring with hardly any being sighted to date. Orchard Orioles continue to be seen in good numbers, with all three field stations reporting multiple birds daily. The Tip had a small Lighthouse attraction on the night of the 9th, with 117 birds killed. The main species involved were Ovenbird (28) and Veery (18) - unusual fatalities were one Cerulean Warbler and a Pied-billed Grebe.
May 6 - May 8
With rain and the passage of a cold front, migration was not as brisk as the previous reporting period. The bulk of the migrants were White-throated Sparrows, which are peaking later this year than normal. Birds of interest include five Orchard Orioles seen together at Old Cut on the 7th, Northern Mockingbird at Old Cut and Long Point Provincial Park on the 8th, Yellow-breasted Chat and Clay-coloured Sparrow at the Tip, two Hooded Warblers at Old Cut on the 6th, and an impressive four Grasshopper Sparrows, White-eyed Vireo and an Orange-crowned Warbler banded at Breakwater. The Tip tallied a total of 104 species on the 7th, including a second Yellow-breasted Chat and Sedge Wren and a banded Northern Mockingbird. New arrivals included Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Veery, Mourning Warbler and Wilson's Warbler. Good numbers of Blue-winged Warbler and Northern Parula have been sighted, along with Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Shorebird habitat is very limited in the area, with the only species reported being Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and Common Snipe. Lingering birds include a pair of Northern Shovelers along the Causeway on the 8th and a Dark-eyed Junco at Old Cut also on the 8th.
May 2 - May 5
With a mixture of rain and cloud with periodic southerly winds, the entire reporting period was exceptional for spring migrants. Among the many uncommon birds, the most noteworthy was a Henslow's Sparrow seen briefly at Long Point Provincial Park on the 5th - as this species continues to decline in Ontario, Long Point has fewer and fewer spring records. Other noteworthy birds recorded were a Harris's Sparrow banded at Breakwater on the 2nd, Clay-coloured Sparrows seen at Breakwater and the Tip on the 2nd, Sedge Wren and Le Conte's Sparrow banded at the Tip on the 5th, two Northern Bobwhite seen along Concession A on the 5th, and two Hooded Warblers and a White-eyed Vireo banded at Old Cut on the 5th. Still lingering at the Tip were small numbers of Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, while a Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen there on the 1st. The 2nd had an impressive movement of birds, with 83 species recorded at the Tip, and an estimated 6000 White-throated Sparrows seen at Breakwater. Warblers seen that day included Cerulean, Pine and Blue-winged, and Northern Parula. Bald Eagles and Sandhill Cranes were seen on numerous occasions, and a Black-crowned Night-Heron was detected at Old Cut on the 3rd. A Louisiana Waterthrush was heard singing at the Wilson Tract and Backus Woods had a singing Tufted Titmouse. New arrivals seen in the Long Point area during the period include Peregrine Falcon, Whip-poor-will, Green Heron, Orchard Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Great Crested and Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Nashville Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow and Indigo Bunting.
April 25 - May 1
The period was very slow for migration, with strong winds mostly out of the north or east along with rain and temperatures well below seasonal. Despite this, there were some new arrivals. Grasshopper Sparrows were seen at both the Tip and Breakwater on the 28th. Eastern Kingbird arrived at the Tip and Breakwater on the 30th, Purple Finch and Red-headed Woodpecker at Breakwater on the 26th, Orange-crowned Warbler at Old Cut on the 26th, Least Flycatcher on the 30th, Nashville Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler at Old Cut on May 1st, Common Moorhen at Big Creek marsh on May 1st, and Virginia Rail and Sora at Old Cut on the 28th. A possible adult Thayer's Gull was reported from the Tip on the 27th. Out of place was a male Ring-necked Pheasant at Breakwater on the 25th and 26th. Sandhill Cranes and Bald Eagles continue to reported regularly from throughout the Long Point area. The White-eyed Vireo, banded on the 17th at Old Cut, continues to be seen (to May 1st) in the same small area so may be on territory.
April 22 - April 24
Temperatures below seasonal marked the period and bird activity was fairly low at all three stations. Nonetheless, White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers have been moving in steadily at all stations. Some of the highlights include an early Baltimore Oriole at Old Cut, a Grasshopper Sparrow at Breakwater (which is now in operation since the 20th) and a Willet presenting the characteristics of a western bird at the tip. Other birds seen at the tip include the three species of scoters, Glaucous, Iceland and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, while Breakwater reported a Horned Grebe, 2 Iceland Gulls and Long-tailed Ducks.
April 18 - April 21
This reporting period was fairly slow for birds, but some interesting species showed up nonetheless. An extremely early Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen at Old Cut on the 20th, the White-eyed Vireo first found at Old Cut on the 17th was seen daily through to the end of the period, and the Tip had Surf Scoter, 19 Sandhill Cranes, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. New arrivals included Whip-poor-will on the 20th, Dunlin on the 21st, Bank Swallow on the 18th, and Northern Waterthrush on the 20th. Songbirds being seen regularly in the Old Cut area include Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Pine Siskin. Little Gulls continue to be seen in small numbers throughout the Long Point area.
April 15 - April 17
With southwest winds prevailing for all three days, many new and rare species were seen during the period. One male Eurasian Wigeon continues to be seen at Lee Brown's while a Brewer's Blackbird made a rare showing at the Tip on the 17th. Two Red-eyed Vireos were seen at Old Cut on the 17th, constituting Long Point's earliest ever spring sighting. The first 'spring-overshoot' species of the year, a White-eyed Vireo, was seen at Old Cut on the 17th. Other new arrivals include Broad-winged Hawk at Old Cut on the 16th, House Wren at the Tip on the 16th, Spotted Sandpiper, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Waterthrush, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Louisiana Waterthrush (a pair back at a regular breeding location) and Purple Finch. Other species of note include numerous Little Gulls (many locations), Red-bellied Woodpecker at Old Cut, Northern Mockingbird along Hastings Drive, and lingering Evening Grosbeak and Common Redpoll at Old Cut on the 17th.
April 8 - April 14
Migration was brisk mid-week, with one day banding totals exceeding 200 birds at both the Tip and Old Cut. The Tip was opened on the 8th and has already passed 800 birds banded, very impressive considering it's only mid-April. The pace slowed greatly, however, with the heavy rain and fog on the weekend. On the 12th, Lee Brown's hosted two male Eurasian Wigeons, making one wonder how many of this spring's previous birds (March 4th - Booth's Harbour; March 5 to 15 - Turkey Point; Lee Brown's - March 6th) are different individuals, creating a possible total of five birds. A Brewer's Blackbird was reported on the 13th from the 2nd Concession. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen at the Tip mid-week, along with Glaucous Gull. New arrivals included Pine and Yellow-rumped Warbler on the 10th, and Chimney Swift on the 8th. Sparrows, such as Savannah, Vesper, Swamp, Chipping and Field Sparrows arrived in the area in good numbers during the period. Species being banded at the field stations include Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Common Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird.
April 1 - April 7
Like the last period, the weather was fairly cool and wet. Banding at Old Cut was generally slow, with the dominant species caught being Song Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. A few additional species, such as Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren and Eastern Towhee were banded in smaller numbers. A male Eurasian Wigeon, found on the 6th at Lee Brown's, was the best bird of the period, and is the second one seen this spring. A Red-throated Loon, seen only occasionally in spring, was reported on the 6th also. Other birds of note include roosting Northern Saw-whet Owl and Black-crowned Night-Heron (present for three days) at Old Cut, 22 Little Gulls at Turkey Point, and new arrivals such as Lesser Yellowlegs (2nd), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (7th), Barn Swallow (3rd) and Chipping Sparrow (7th).
March 25 - March 31
The weather during the period was generally cool with a fair amount of precipitation. Nevertheless, good numbers of birds arrived in the Long Point area, with species such as Killdeer, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle seemingly everywhere. Waterfowl numbers continue to be high in areas such as Big Creek, although Tundra Swans are present in much lower numbers now. Clearly the best bird of the period was an Eared Grebe reported on Lake Erie at the extreme west end of Hastings Drive on the 29th. The bird was observed flying from the lake into the nearby ponds in Big Creek Marsh. Despite subsequent searches, the bird was not relocated. Another interesting highlight was a Long-eared Owl banded at Old Cut - the bird was spotted roosting and quite obligingly flushed into a mist net. Tree Swallows arrived in good numbers towards the end of the reporting period, and amongst them was one of Long Point's earliest ever Purple Martins. Other new arrivals included Forster's Tern on the 29th, Eastern Towhee on the 29th, and Fox Sparrow and Eastern Phoebe on the 30th. Along the Causeway, Greater Yellowlegs and Great Blue Herons can be spotted on the mudflats while Horned Grebe can be seen on the Inner Bay. Finally, Eastern Screech-Owl and Tufted Titmouse continue to be sighted at Concession A. The Old Cut Field Station, on Old Cut Blvd., will be open daily for the spring season starting April 1. Visitors are welcome.
March 18 - March 24
With cool temperatures and mostly northern winds, this reporting period was very quiet for birds. Noteworthy were over 20 Little Gulls seen at Turkey Point on the 24th, and twos and threes being seen along the Causeway, Big Creek and the Port Rowan overlook. The first Horned Grebe for the area were reported on the 23rd, along with Pied-billed Grebe. At Old Cut, a Hermit Thrush was heard singing on the 22nd, and a feeder at Booth's Harbour reported a White-crowned Sparrow on the 24th. Hundreds of Tundra Swans can still be seen in the fields north of the Inner Bay, while over 20 species of waterfowl, many in very high numbers, can still be seen in the entire Long Point area. Finally, an Eastern Screech-Owl was observed along Concession A.
Results of the third spring (2002) aerial waterfowl survey on March 24, conducted by the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund:
Canada Goose - 725; Mute Swan - 123; Tundra Swan - 624; Wood Duck - 69; Gadwall - 184; American Wigeon - 443; American Black Duck - 3084; Mallard - 3968; Blue-winged Teal - 20; Northern Shoveler - 15; Northern Pintail - 603; Green-winged Teal - 727; Canvasback - 4369; Redhead - 4902; Ring-necked Duck - 255; Scaup (Lesser and Greater) - 12527; Long-tailed Duck - 8; White-winged Scoter - 5; Bufflehead - 522; Common Goldeneye - 641; Common Merganser - 651; Red-breasted Merganser - 50; Ruddy Duck - 12
Total waterfowl - 34527
March 11 - March 17
The male Eurasian Wigeon found on March 4th was seen as late as the 15th at the Turkey Point overlook. The week was generally slow for migrants, with most of the Tundra Swans having departed the Long Point area. The first Blue-winged Teal of the season was seen at Big Creek marsh on the 16th. As can be seen from the numbers below, waterfowl are still plentiful in the Long Point region, with close to 75000 tallied during the aerial survey on the 13th. March migrants, such as Common Snipe, Rusty Blackbird, Tree Swallow and Eastern Meadowlark have been reported in the area, especially towards the end of the week. Sandhill Cranes continue to be easy to see and hear in the Big Creek and Turkey Point areas.
Results of the second spring (2002) aerial waterfowl survey on March 13, conducted by the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund:
Canada Goose - 571; Mute Swan - 120; Tundra Swan - 2781; Wood Duck - 45; Gadwall - 138; American Wigeon - 408; American Black Duck - 1962; Mallard - 3362; Northern Pintail - 140; Green-winged Teal - 213; Canvasback - 13610; Redhead - 5213; Ring-necked Duck - 578; Scaup (Lesser and Greater) - 35055; Surf Scoter - 2; White-winged Scoter - 5; Bufflehead - 226; Common Goldeneye - 2777; Hooded Merganser - 20; Common Merganser - 6927; Red-breasted Merganser - 277; Ruddy Duck - 508
Total waterfowl - 74938
March 4 - March 10
The best bird of the period was a male Eurasian Wigeon found on the 4th at Booth's Harbour. Presumably the same bird was seen on the 5th at the Turkey Point marina and also on the 7th and 8th at the Turkey Point overlook. Other interesting waterfowl include four "Blue" Geese seen near Hahn Marsh on the 8th. Waterfowl abound in the entire Long Point area, with up to 24 species being seen in one day, including thousands of American Wigeon, and small numbers of Ruddy Duck, Hooded Merganser and Long-tailed Duck. The Inner Bay has thousands of Lesser and Greater Scaup, Redhead, Canvasback and Ring-necked Duck. On March 5th, thousands of Tundra Swans were seen flying over the BSC Headquarters west of Port Rowan, many of them birds moving inland from the Inner Bay to feed during the day though a good proportion of the birds were true migrants heading northwest. Of interest was Long Point's earliest ever Tree Swallow seen at Big Creek on the 9th. Up to 20 Sandhill Cranes have been seen regularly in the Big Creek area as well. Finally, many of the regular early March migrants, such as American Woodcock, Common Snipe, Rusty Blackbird, Turkey Vulture, American Robin and Brown-headed Cowbird, have been showing up.
Results of the first spring (2002) aerial waterfowl survey on March 4, conducted by the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund:
Canada Goose - 1746; Mute Swan - 133; Tundra Swan - 4423; Wood Duck - 27; Gadwall - 30; American Wigeon - 82; American Black Duck - 1080; Mallard - 916; Northern Pintail - 351; Green-winged Teal - 103; Canvasback - 14003; Redhead - 895; Ring-necked Duck - 913; Scaup (Lesser and Greater) - 10430; Bufflehead - 294; Common Goldeneye - 1007; Common Merganser - 541; Red-breasted Merganser - 47; Ruddy Duck - 4
Total waterfowl - 37025
February 18 - March 3
The unusually mild winter resulted in large numbers of waterfowl remaining in the Long Point area through January and February. Tundra Swans, in particular, were noticeable in the Inner Bay and shorelines throughout the period. In the last week of February, however, true migrants arrived from the east coast and numbers soared. Some fields in the local area appeared snow-covered from a distance, with so many swans feeding in them. Considering the early date, high numbers of American Wigeon are present in Big Creek marsh and the Inner Bay. Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck and Gadwall are also present in smaller numbers. The open waters of the Inner Bay contain thousands of Canvasback, Redhead, and Lesser and Greater Scaup, along with smaller numbers of Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and Common Merganser. Other arriving migrants include Bonaparte's Gull, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Red-winged Blackbird (some large flocks of 10000 or more birds reported) and Common Grackle.
