Spring 2005 Sightings Archive
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10 June
Well that’s all folks ! The 46th spring of the Long Point Bird Observatory has officially come to an end. Banding wrapped up at the Tip on June 9th and at Old Cut on the 10th. As is normally the case at the beginning of June, banding at Old Cut and the Tip was painfully slow. Migration tapered right off in this past week with just a trickle of cuckoos, Gray Catbirds, Yellow-bellied and
Traill’s flycatchers, and Magnolia Warblers moving through. Luckily there were a number of rarities that helped to ease the ensuing boredom.Shortly after the excitement had settled from last week’s Lazuli Bunting, a breeding plumage Snowy Egret appeared at Old Cut on the morning of the 3rd. It was originally found sitting in the dogwoods overlooking the channel at the back of the Old Cut woodlot. It was found later that morning feeding in the same channel. The bird was not seen again that day or on the 4th. On the 5th however a Snowy Egret, assumed to be the same bird, flew west over the Old Cut parking lot shortly after 0530. That parking lot has been a great birding spot this year, Snowy Egret, Lazuli Bunting!!!
Also on the 3rd, a Common Raven was observed feeding on carrion along Lighthouse Cres. and moving about the Old Cut woodlot. The bird was observed for about 45 minutes before it flew east toward the Provincial Park. It is possible that this bird is a vagrant from the Alleghenies in Pennsylvania.
The Tip didn’t experience as much excitement as Old Cut, but they manage to band a gorgeous Worm-eating Warbler on the morning of the 3rd.
On the morning of the 6th a local resident driving by the Bird Studies Canada headquarters in Port Rowan quickly screeched his tires and pulled into the parking lot to inform the staff that an American White Pelican was flying by the office. Sure enough, the bird was seen by all flying low over the Port Rowan Cemetery, heading west.
On the 7th , the Tip had a fairly successful day with close to 100 birds banded, mostly flycatchers, Yellow-bellied and Traill’s, as well as mix of warbler species dominated by Magnolias. Old Cut did not fair the same with 25 birds banded.
The Tip’s excitement peaked however on the 8th as a young male Summer Tanager was found then banded late in the morning. This bird put the spring's Summer Tanager tally at well over 10 individuals.
Just as we were starting to wrap things up and figured that we had probably seen all the good birds that we were going to see for the season – a White-winged Dove appeared. About 3 pm on the 9th of June, a male White-winged Dove was found on Long Point near Amy Ave., just east of the Causeway restaurant. The bird was observed for about an hour and was heard singing on several different occasions. This is the second record for this species at Long Point this spring. It was then seen later in the day on Hastings Dr. and again, early on the morning of the 10th, at the end of Hastings.
Finally, early morning on the 10th a male Yellow-breasted Chat was banded at Old Cut. What a great way to end the season!
The Long Point Bird Observatory banded 12,854 birds so far this season, a number that will probably be around 14,000-15,000 once the special breeding bird projects and Tree Swallow project are included. An absolutely amazing spring!
The fall season will start back up again on August 15th and who knows what it will bring. Fall birding is just as exciting as the spring and sometimes even more so. Have a wonderful summer and good birding.
3 June
This past week saw a dramatic drop off in the migrant activity at Long Point. After a fair concentration of migrants last weekend
fair weather for the rest of the week gave migrants little reason to stop.
A few Common Loons continue to fly over the field stations and surprisingly there
were even a few late Red-throateds on the 28th and 30th of May at Breakwater and the Tip respectively.
Early afternoon of May 29th two Plegadis Ibises were observed flying over Big Creek Marsh heading south. On the 30th, the Tip had a group of 4
fly by and later that afternoon another two flew by over the lake. Another exciting addition to Long Point’s suite of rarities this spring was
a Snowy Egret in breeding plumage at the Old Cut Field Station on the morning of June 3rd. The bird was observed sitting in the dogwoods just over the channel at dawn, re-sighted on the morning Census at 0730 when it flew towards the Provincial Park.
Large numbers of moulting Canada Geese are heading north to James
and Hudson bays while good numbers of Mallards have also been accumulating off the
Point.
Shorebird numbers have increased with Whimbrels and Black-bellied Plovers moving through. Flocks as large as 200 Whimbrel have been recorded and 55 Black-bellied Plover were along the south beach on the 30th.
Cuckoos have been moving through in small numbers and remaining quite secretive. Nighthawks have also been
migrating in reasonable numbers with 30 recorded at Old Cut on the 28th.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also took advantage of the nice weather this past week with good numbers observed at each field station.
Flycatcher diversity and numbers have increased in the past week
though we have not seen any really big pushes, likely due to the lovely weather. The Tip had a
"peweeful" day on the 27th with 38 Eastern Wood-Pewees estimated
in the census area along with 25 Least Flycatcher. Traill’s Flycatchers have been moving through as well in smaller numbers and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers finally showed up but again in small numbers. Eastern
Phoebes were even recorded this past week with a bird at the Tip on the 27th and one at Old Cut on the 31st. Acadian Flycatchers are back on territory in a number of the local woodlots and we have had a few records on migration. A bird was hanging around the Tip all day on the 31st and there was an individual singing at the old Provincial Park on the 2nd of June as well as another singing bird at Old Cut later that afternoon. Olive-sided Flycatchers have also been fairly regular
at all three stations although only one individual was been banded, at Old Cut on the 31st.
A Hairy Woodpecker was observed at the Tip on the 26th of May and another was at Old Cut on the 31st.
The 2nd of June brought a very unexpected visitor to Old Cut. A Common Raven was observed for about 45 minutes mid-afternoon along Lighthouse
Cres. and in the Old Cut wood lot. The bird was first seen feeding on carrion then observed
on a number of different perches in the wood lot before flying off toward the Provincial Park.
This is the second spring record for Long Point.
Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes have been trickling through but again in small numbers. A very late Hermit Thrush was banded at Breakwater on the 31st. A pair of Hermit Thrushes was found on the
Point mid-June last year so there is a chance that it is more of a wandering breeder as opposed to a late migrant.
The last few days of May saw the last of the vireos with all species
but Yellow-throated recorded. Three late Blue-headed Vireos, some singing, were at Old Cut on the 27th.
Warbler-wise, things were pretty busy at the beginning of the period. LPBO’s wardens did their Birdathon on the 26/27th and only missed Black-and-White and Western Palm
warbler from the expected species. Magnolia Warblers were by far the dominant species followed by Common Yellowthroats and American Redstarts. An Orange-crowned Warbler was banded at Old Cut on the 26th accompanied by a Hooded and a Golden-winged Warbler singing in the woodlot. Breakwater banded
the first Worm-eating Warbler of the season on the 29th completing the warbler suite for the spring. The only warblers on the Long Point checklist not banded this spring were Louisiana
Waterthrush, Kirtland’s and Connecticut
warbler. One Connecticut, the only one of the season, was heard singing at Old Cut briefly on the 31st of May. A Yellow-breasted Chat was also present.
With the Swainson’s Warbler earlier in the season, followed by the Swainson’s Hawk one week later
we thought that we’d seen our share of good birds for the spring. This however turned out to be quite the false assumption. On the 1st of June a second-year female
Lazuli Bunting was banded at our Old Cut Field Station. The bird was banded, photographed then released late morning. It was apparently re-sighted around 1600 that afternoon at the old Provincial Park but despite fairly intensive searching on the 2nd, the bird was not re-located. This represents the first record for Long Point and one of only a handful of Ontario records. Despite a few grumbles about it being a female, she was absolutely gorgeous and we’re very grateful for the opportunity to see her. After that it didn’t really matter what happened the rest of the week, coincidentally nothing
much else did.
Although not as exciting as a Lazuli Bunting, a Dickcissel flew over the Tip with a flock of Bobolinks on the morning of the 27th. Also on the 27th,
a number of Lincoln’s Sparrows made a last dash through the area. The Tip and Breakwater recorded Orchard Orioles of all ages and
sexes quite regularly this past week .
Migration came to a complete halt on June 2nd and 3rd. There is still the potential for some decent days with flycatchers and late warblers in the next week. The spring season will officially come to and end on the 10th of June.
27 May
With prevailing northerly winds, mixed with strong easterlies, the birding has been tough going. However, much like the wind, we prevailed. Loons are still trickling through the region, among them a few Red-throated Loons, mainly at the Tip on 20 and 24 May. Least Bitterns have been sighted a few times over the period, mainly at Breakwater (21, 22, and 25 May) and Old Cut (21 May). Green Herons had a bit of a movement with 8 sighted during the morning’s census at Old Cut and 1, the first for the season, observed at Breakwater on 25 May. Breakwater also recorded a Sora on 20 May. Ducks are few and far between these days. Although, the Tip spotted all three species of Scoter in one flock 24 May, providing a nice comparison. Raptors have also been fairly sparse of late. Of note, a Red-shouldered Hawk was seen at Old Cut
21 May during the morning’s banding. Shorebird movement during the period seemed to be dominated with Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones- the Tip observed 16 on 23 May. Whimbrels have also have begun to move through in large flocks ranging from 6 to 100 birds in size on the Inner Bay of Long Point and over the lake. Woodcock and snipe continue their displays at Old Cut. One of the exciting birds seen this period was an adult Laughing Gull seen at the Tip 24 May. The bird was re-sighted off of Bluff Bar on May 26th. Also seen on the 24th was a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The Tip also reported a rather late second summer Iceland Gull 22 May and two 1st summer Little Gulls on 21 May. Common Nighthawks have decided that now is the time to begin to come our way. Old Cut has had them nightly since 24 May. Breakwater banded a Whip-poor-will 21 May, bringing the season’s total to three-one per station. The Tip banded a Hairy Woodpecker 21 May, to go along with their remarkable 124 species observed for the day!Flycatchers have yet to make their presence felt in the Long Point region. The tip recorded fair numbers of Traill’s Flycatchers on the 26th and the season’s first Yellow-bellied Flycatchers arrived at all three field stations. The most noteworthy flycatcher of the week was Breakwater’s Olive-sided on the 22nd. Of the most numerous species, swallows certainly ranked number one this week. The 24th seemed to be a poor day as many swallows were flying very low over the Causeway many to their demise. Breakwater took advantage of the low flying aerialists banding a extraordinary 204 Bank, 39 Barn, 27 Tree and 2 Cliff swallows on the 24th. This day also pushed Breakwater over the 3000 banded for the season. Both Old Cut and the Tip surpassed 4000 birds on the 24th and 25th, respectively. By far the most numerous swallow species has been Bank, with numbers estimated in the hundreds at each station. Ruby-crowned Kinglets are still being recorded at Old Cut, among a number of late migrants. Thrush species have increased in diversity and abundance recently. Breakwater banded it’s first Gray-cheeked Thrush 22 May. Old Cut has observed or banded each species of thrush, except for Hermit over the period, including Wood Thrush 25 May. Five species of vireo (Blue-headed, Warbling, Philadelphia, Red-eyed and White-eyed) can be routinely seen down in Old Cut’s woodlot and the Provincial Park. Twenty-six species of warbler have been observed over the period within the LPBO census areas. Highlights included: Golden-winged (20 May-Old Cut); numerous Blue-winged and Northern Parula sightings; Orange-crowned (23 May banded at the Tip, 22 May observed at Old Cut); and Prairie (21 May at the Tip). Old Cut banded it’s first Blackpoll Warbler 25 May, while Breakwater netted their first 20 May. Yellow-rumped Warblers are still hanging around, but in sparse numbers. There have been interesting opportunities to have adult male Blackpoll and Myrtle Warblers singing from the same tree. Warbler movements increased on the 25th and 26th of this week with large numbers of Magnolia's, Black-throated Blues, Yellow and Common Yellowthroats moving through.
On the 25th of May the Tip had a young male Yellow-headed Blackbird fly by on the morning Census. In other blackbird news, a pair of Brewer's Blackbirds have now been hanging out on Concession A near Big Creek for about two weeks. One hour after the Yellow-headed Blackbird, an adult male European Goldfinch was spotted at the Tip and remained with a flock of migrating American Goldfinch for about an hour. As always the origin of this European species is somewhat suspect.
20 May
After an exceptional week, things
have quieted down to some degree. Loons continue to trickle through the
area; Breakwater had a summer plumaged Red-throated Loon on the 15th,
sitting quite close to shore. They also continue to observe Least Bitterns
out in the marsh. Scoter species and Long-tailed Ducks were observed
sporadically early in the period at the Tip and Breakwater, the 13th and
14th being the last reliable day for each species, respectively.
The season's first Black-crowned Night-heron was spotted at the Tip
18 May, causing a bit of a stir among the crew. Red-breasted Mergansers
have all but left the shores of the Tip. Breakwater observed a Sora on the
17th as well as the 19th, which also brought Least Bittern and Virginia
Rail to the surrounding marsh. The Tip has been the most successful in the
way of shorebird observation.
The 17th brought the season's first Short-billed Dowitchers (4) and
the 19th saw the first Whimbrel (6). Black-bellied Plover, Least
Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling and Dunlin were added to the daily
observations at the Tip and Breakwater. There are a few lingering
individual Bonaparte's Gulls, but last week's movement was likely the
last. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was observed
on the 13th at the Tip. Perhaps the most interesting gull this period was
a second year Iceland Gull observed at the
Tip on the morning of 16 May. Black Terns have moved back into the region,
with quite a few observed on the lake on both sides of the Point, nearly
daily; Old Cut had one 17 May flying over the woodlot. The Tip banded its
first Yellow-billed Cuckoo 15 May and has reported Black-billed Cuckoo
nearly daily. Chimney Swifts are increasing in number, as are
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Red-bellied Woodpeckers have been consistently
recorded at the Tip and Breakwater; Old Cut has seen them a little more
inconsistently. Flycatchers are now more abundant. Eastern Wood-Pewees are
back at all three stations and Least Flycatchers continue to move through
in good numbers. The Tip alone observed 40 individuals on 14 May. A Willow
Flycatcher was heard on the morning of the 19th at Old Cut and the Tip
heard their first on 17 May. Swallows continue their movement, but in
lower numbers than observed in the last period. Barn and Bank swallows
predominate the mixed flocks moving down the point; included in the
movement are a number of Cliff Swallows. Blue Jays have not increased to
the numbers recorded last spring, but are still numerous, particularly at
the Tip. May 15th brought 35 jays through the lab, among the over 200
observed throughout the day. Sedge Wrens have been spotted periodically at
the remote stations: Breakwater on the 14th and the 13th at the Tip.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets have essentially moved on and are a rare sight in
Long Point with the odd individual female observed.
The season's first Gray-cheeked Thrush was observed and then banded
at the Tip 14 May, but have otherwise been absent this spring. Veery,
Swainson's and Wood thrushes are observed daily. Brown Thrashers had a
good movement on the 13th with 5 observed at the Tip, a good number for
May. May 14th saw a large push of American Pipits: 52 were observed at the
Tip alone. Vireos have not arrived in any significant number; the season's
first Philadelphia Vireo was found at Breakwater on the 13th. Blue-headed
Vireo continue to trickle through the Long Point region. Both the Tip and
Old Cut have spotted Yellow-throated Vireos (14 May Tip; 19 May Old Cut).
The White-eyed Vireo at Old Cut has been observed daily. Warblers continue
with a nice diversity of over 30 species observed over the period. The
area has been fortunate this spring with good numbers of Northern Parulas
observed and banded at each station. The season's first Worm-eating
Warbler was observed on the 14th at Old Cut. The 14th also brought
a nice surprise to Old Cut: a Yellow Palm Warbler was banded, increasing
the season's total to 2 individuals. Other notable on that day include a
Brewster's backcross, Golden-winged, Hooded, and Blue-winged warblers
providing our Birdathon open house with a nice group of birds to add to
the day's list. In fact, the 14th was perhaps the best day of the period.
Each station recorded over 100 species in their respective areas for the
day. The season's first Blackpoll Warblers arrived on the 19 at both
Breakwater and Old Cut. All that remains are those elusive Oporonis species
(Mourning and Connecticut warblers) that are generally the last group to
move through the area in the spring. Yellow-breasted Chat have been
observed nearly daily along the Point. Summer
Tanagers continue to thrill the LPBO crew; one female was observed
on the 14th at the Tip.
Scarlet Tanagers had a good push on the 18th with 10 observed at
the Tip. Indigo Buntings (13) made their presence known at the Tip on the
15th, which was the first good movement of the species this season. A few
lingering migrant sparrow species continue to hang around in the area
including White-crowned, Lincoln's, and Savannah. White-throated Sparrows
have moved on further north; Old Cut observed a mere 2 individuals on the
18th. Breakwater and the Tip were treated with Bobolinks in the lab this
past week: 1 after second year female at the Tip and an after second year
male at Breakwater, bringing the total banded this season to 5. Orioles
have continued their abundance, with flocks observed flying off the Tip in
the latter half of the period. Orchard Orioles continue to delight the
crew at the Tip; one female was observed on the 14th.
With a couple of weeks to go this season and the late movement of
species thus far, the LPBO crew is eagerly anticipating something big.
Stay tuned. Thank you to all of the participants of the BSC open house
Birdathon on the 14th who made it one to remember.
13 May
What a spectacular week at Long
Point! Even though there were no obvious weather patterns that
concentrated birds on the Point, we didn’t really need any. The winds
shifted south, the weather got warmer and that was enough.
As has been the case almost every week so far, Common Loons
continue to trickle through in small numbers. This was also an exceptional
week at Long Point for Red-throated Loons. On the 10th of May Breakwater
was lucky enough to spot 10 floating on the
lake. Six of them were in breeding plumage.
Green Heron numbers have dramatically increased at Old Cut this
past week with local pairs scouting out the Scots Pine forests nearby. Two
Least Bitterns continue to counter call at Breakwater and 3-4 American
Bitterns are within ear-shot of Old Cut. Two Tricolored
Herons were spotted in the far reaches of the Big Creek National
Wildlife Area on the 8th of May, but they have not been relocated since.
The four Glossy Ibis that were at Lee Brown's
Ponds last Friday were also observed at the Big Creek Marsh last weekend.
The Tip experienced what will probably be one of the last pushes of
Bonaparte’s Gull on the 8th of May as more than 750 flew by. They also
had two Little Gulls briefly on the 7th.
Shorebird diversity has slowly begun to increase but there isn’t
much in the way of numbers. Least, Semipalmated, Pectoral and Spotted
sandpipers as well as Semipalmated Plover have been observed on the Point
as well as the BSC HQ ponds, the Port Rowan and Townsend sewage lagoons.
Also at the Port Rowan lagoons on the 12th of May was our 2nd spring
record of Stilt Sandpiper. There are also a number of beautiful female
Wilson’s Phalaropes at the Townsend Sewage Lagoons. Other shorebirds for
the period include Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Sanderling and
Ruddy Turnstones. Black-bellied Plover have also been stopping by the Tip
and Breakwater periodically.
The south winds and warm weather also stimulated a little bit of a
raptor movement this past week, mostly Sharp-shinned Hawks and young
Broad-winged Hawks. On the dreary and wet morning of May 7th, Breakwater
had the glorious treat of an after-second year male Northern Harrier in
their hawk net.
Even though the first Whip-poor-will was observed at Old Cut on the
25th of April, we hadn’t seen much of them since until this week. The
Tip banded one on the morning of the 10th and Old Cut banded one that
evening. There have been almost daily observations at all three stations.
Cuckoos arrived this week as well the first one surprisingly being
a Yellow-billed banded at Breakwater on the 9th. Numerous sightings of
Black-billeds have been made since and there were four at Old Cut on the
11th.
The first Red-headed Woodpecker arrived at the Tip on the 6th of
May and there have been a few sightings since both there and at Breakwater
but none were observed at Old Cut. Red-bellied Woodpeckers on the other
hand have really started to move. The Tip banded ten during the week and
Breakwater did another six. The daily estimated totals have also been
quite high with 2-8 birds being recorded daily at each station. It will be
interesting to see how the numbers compare to last year which was a banner
year for Red-bellieds. There have also been a number of lingering
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Vireos, besides Blue-headed, made their first appearance this week
with White-eyeds, Yellow-throateds, Warblings, Philidelphias and Red-eyeds
recorded in small numbers. On the 10th, the Tip banded two White-eyeds
while Old Cut banded one.
Least Flycatchers have been dominating the flycatcher movement the
past week, especially at the Tip which recorded 30 on the 11th, banding
10. A few Traill’s Flycatchers have been observed and banded at all
three stations, and from the limited calling that they have been doing
they appear to be mostly Alders. Eastern Kingbirds have also been moving
through in very low numbers as have Great-crested Flycatchers. On the 10th
of May a yellow Tyrannus spp., probably a Western
Kingbird quickly flew by the crew at the Tip but it was not seen
well enough to make a specific identification. There have been a few late
Eastern Phoebe’s moving through as well as the season's first Eastern
Wood-Pewees.
In the past few days we have noticed that Blue Jay numbers have
increased though nowhere near the numbers that we had last year. As with
the Red-bellied Woodpeckers it will be interesting to see if Blue Jays
move through in large numbers again this spring.
Swallow movements were somewhat impressive on a few days this past
week with numbers of Bank Swallows at Old Cut in excess of 1000
birds.
A rare breeder and visitor to Long Point, the Tufted Titmouse made
an appearance at Breakwater’s bird feeder on the 10th and sure enough it
was banded on the 11th. Red-breasted Nuthatches have also been around in
fair numbers with a large push of migrants this past week and a few Brown
Creepers are lingering at Old Cut as well. We’re beginning to
suspect that they may be setting up territories as one male did last year.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers continue to be a popular visitor at all
three stations particularly at the Tip which continues to record good
numbers with over 20 estimated to be moving through on the 9th. The female
Ruby-crowned Kinglets made their last push through this week from about
the 5th to the 9th with good numbers banded and observed all around. There
were also a few Golden-crowned Kinglets observed.
On the 5th of May we had an exceptional push of Hermit Thrushes
with 45 banded at Old Cut and another 20 banded on the 6th. Despite this
movement of Hermits, there were very few other thrushes until the 10th
when everything seemed start up. All three field stations experience large
thrush movements, but the greatest of all was at Old Cut where we banded
11 Veerys, 13 Hermit Thrushes and an incredible 14 Wood Thrushes which are
not often caught in large numbers here at Long Point. The Tip banded four
Wood Thrushes that day, which they felt was exceptional. Swainson’s
Thrushes arrived in smal numbers but there are still loads to come and
Gray-cheeked Thrushes have yet to be observed.
The thrushes weren’t the only thing that got moving around the
10th, Gray Catbirds were everywhere! There had only been a few seen and
banded before the 10th when 34 were banded at Old Cut. The Tip banded
another 22 and Breakwater had a fair number as well. Brown Thrashers
continue to move through in low numbers and there has been small movement
of Northern Mockingbirds beyond the local birds at the Tip.
Warbler numbers and diversity were low at the beginning of the
week, but as the temperatures rose so did their numbers. This past week at
Long Point 34 warbler species have been observed, most of which have also
been banded! In fact the only somewhat regular warbler species to evade
detection so far have been Worm-eating and Blackpoll Warbler.
The Kentucky Warbler that was reported last week at Old Cut
remained for the entire week, last observed on the 12th. In fact there
were two separate individuals from the 7th to the 9th. There was a
movement warblers on the 9th when the Tip had a large number of Yellow
Warblers with 22 banded and 65 observed. The wood lot at Old Cut was
hopping, but most of the warblers stayed above the nets. The real warning
sign that something was about to happen was at Breakwater. On the 9th of
May Breakwater started off their morning by banding a beautiful adult male
Hooded Warbler, which was followed by four Blue-winged Warblers, a Pine
and a few Northern Parulas. If this wasn’t enough, they banded a
second-year male Summer Tanager and then,
much to their surprise, an after-second year Swainson’s
Warbler. 
The
bird was released late morning on the 9th and not re-sighted. This is the
second record for Long Point and 7th for Ontario. Our last Swainson’s
Warbler was banded at Old Cut in May 25th, 1991.
The 10th and 11th of May was absolutely phenomenal for warblers,
not necessarily for numbers but the diversity was certainly there.
Breakwater observed 18 species on the 10th, including the seasons first
Wilson’s which was also picked up at Old Cut. On the 11th of May Old Cut
banded a super 20 species of warbler including Blue-winged and a
Yellow-breasted Chat. The Tip also had an absolutely phenomenal day
banding 337 birds of 62 species! Other notable warbler species for the
period included Prairie (Tip on the 7th), Cerulean (Tip on the 9th),
Prothonotary, Yellow-throated (11th at
Breakwater) and a number of Hoodeds at all stations.
Along with the warblers there was a good movement of Orioles,
Tanagers and Grosbeaks. 
A
spanking adult male and a young male Summer Tanager
were at Old Cut for the 10th and 11th of May in addition to the one banded
at Breakwater on the 9th. There was also a good movement of mostly
male Scarlets. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks also moved through in a big way. On
the 10th, The Tip estimated that 340 were in their census area having
counted 203 on the one-hour morning census alone! Also incredibly numerous
were Orchard Orioles, with 11 observed and 5 banded at the Tip. There have
been a few observed at Old Cut and Breakwater throughout the period as
well.
We can attribute the high banding totals this past week largely to
the great movement of White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows that
coincided with the beginning of the neo-tropical migrants. The Tip was
lucky enough to even band three more Gamble’s White-crowned Sparrows on
the 7th and 10th. Swamp and Lincoln’s sparrows were also moving through
in good numbers. Grasshopper Sparrows have almost become almost a regular
visitor at Breakwater and the season's first Clay-coloured Sparrow was
observed at the Tip on the 7th.
Bird Studies Canada’s ‘Baillie Birdathon’ open house is this
Saturday the 14th. Birding tours for Birdathoners will be leaving Old Cut
at 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning and continuing on to tour the Long
Point area for the rest of the morning. Anyone doing a Birdathon is
welcome to join us.
6 May
So spring has finally sprung here
at Long Point and it’s about time. The beginning of the week was slow
but as the temperatures gradually started to increase and the winds
shifted southerly, the birds trickled northward. In fact it was May 4th
before any real sparrow, thrush or warbler movement occurred.
Common Loons are still moving but are not nearly as numerous as
they were in the last period. The Tip and Breakwater have also still been
picking up a number of Red-throated Loons over the lake. American Bitterns
are still common at Old Cut and can be heard Ka-klunking at any fair size
chunk of marsh one can find. Least Bitterns are a little harder to come by
but Breakwater had two counter-singing in the Long Point Company marsh on May 5th.
There were four beautiful adult Glossy Ibis
at the Lee Brown ponds along Reg. Rd. #42 for at least an hour, mid-day on
May 5th. They left in the early afternoon.
Duck numbers have continued to decrease but a few hundred divers,
mostly Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, Red-breasted Merganser and Ruddy Duck
remain on the Inner Bay. Long-tailed Ducks are still moving far out on the
lake along with a few scoters , mostly Surf. Dabblers such as Blue and
Green-winged teal, Gadwall and American Wigeon are best found at the Lee
Brown pond or in the flooded fields off of Concession 1 near Big
Creek.
Bonaparte Gull movements have subsided while the number of
Ring-billed Gulls has increased in the past week and some Little Gulls
are still around. One flew by the Tip on the 4th and three flew
over Old Cut on the 5th. Caspian, Common and Forster’s terns can still be found
regularly along the lake or from the causeway overlooking the Inner Bay.
Black Terns arrived for the first time at Big Creek Marsh and the BSC
headquarters on May the 3rd and six were noted flying over Big Creek Marsh on
the 5th.
Shorebirds numbers are still low but about 40 Greater and
20 Lesser yellowlegs, and one Least Sandpiper were in the flooded fields west of Hwy#
59 just north of Walsingham. The Tip had their first Least Sandpiper on
the 2nd of May. A Black-bellied Plover was at the Tip on the 29th of April
and three Dunlin have been frequenting the Long Point beaches along with
numerous Spotted Sandpipers which arrived on the 3rd. On the 4th of May the
Tip had a gorgeous Upland Sandpiper on their morning census.
The eerie quietness at Long Point this past week was broken on May
2nd at Breakwater as a White-winged Dove
zipped by the Breakwater field station. The bird was headed west but was not re-located.
The season's first
Common Nighthawk was observed at the Tip on the 4th of May. The bravest of
the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrived at Old Cut almost on cue on the 1st
of May and have been observed everyday since.
As predicted, Red-bellied Woodpecker numbers have continued to
increase. Not many have been banded, but anywhere from two to five birds
are present at each of the field stations. The season's first Red-headed
Woodpecker was heard at Old Cut on the 4th of May though none have been
observed since. Migrating Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are pretty much finished as
are Northern Flickers.
Although there has not been much in the way of flying insects this
past week, the flycatchers have appeared more or less on
schedule. The season's first Least Flycatcher was banded at Old Cut on the
5th and they have been observed at the other stations. Breakwater had luck with flycatchers on the 5th with the first Eastern
Wood-Pewee and Great-crested Flycatcher. Breakwater also had the season’s
first Eastern Kingbird and there have been a few sightings on the
mainland. The Tip also banded what may be one of the last Eastern Phoebes
of the season. Blue-headed
Vireo’s continue to be the dominant vireo though we have yet to see good numbers of them. A White-eyed Vireo was found at Old Cut on the 1st
and Breakwater had a Yellow-throated Vireo on the 4th and 5th. There have
also been 3 or 4 sightings of Warbling Vireo at Old Cut and Breakwater's
first was on the 5th.
There has yet to be a real movement of swallows, but all three
stations have found every species with the exception of Cliff daily. The
biggest movement was recorded at Old Cut on the 30th of April with 1100
Tree Swallows, 170 Purple Martins, 75 Northern Rough-winged, 29 Bank, 2
Cliff and 42 Barn. Although migration has shifted a bit more towards
neo-tropical migrants (warblers and thrushes), there are still a number of
Brown Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Dark-eyed Juncos
mucking about. Winter Wrens still frequent the Old Cut woods but they are
usually accompanied by House Wrens chattering nearby. Marsh Wrens arrived
at Breakwater on the 4th and they also had Sedge Wrens on both the 4th and
5th. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers continued to trickle through but the Tip again
pulled out an amazing number on the 1st of May with 19 estimated to be in
the area. The 5th of May was the first real push of warblers, thrushes and
sparrows. Typically most Hermit Thrushes have made their way through by
the end of April, but the 5th of May was a Hermit Thrush
party! Forty-eight were banded at Old Cut and it was estimated that there were 86
in the Census area during the morning. The Tip and Breakwater had
similar numbers. There was a Veery calling at Old Cut also on the 5th
along with the two of the season's first Wood Thrush. Brown Thrashers
continue to move through the area in small numbers and the Tip's resident
Northern Mockingbirds have returned and are frequenting the nets out
there. The seasons first Gray Catbird was banded at Old Cut on the morning
of the 6th.
Warbler diversity started to creep up around the 1st of May with
small numbers of Nashvilles, Black-throated Greens, Black-and-whites and
Yellows. These were of course dominated by Yellow-rumpeds and, surprisingly, Pine
Warblers, which have been quite numerous this spring. This is
perhaps the result of a drawn out early migration due to the cold weather.
The warbler diversity quickly picked up by the 6th when we had 18
warbler species including a young male Kentucky
Warbler at Old Cut. Other species included
Tennessee, Nashville, Yellow, Chesnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May,
Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Western Palm,
Black-and-white, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, and
Common Yellowthroat.
Sparrow numbers have also picked up in the past few days with a
large movement of hundreds of White-throated Sparrows on
the 5th and 6th. White-crowned Sparrows also arrived on the 2nd. The Tip
has been observing large numbers of Savannah Sparrows in the past few days
and, on the 5th, Breakwater had two Grasshopper Sparrows. Large numbers of
Swamp Sparrows have been moving through, particularly at Old Cut.
Lincoln's Sparrows have arrived in numbers.
The number of male Eastern Towhees around has dramatically dropped.
However, a male Spotted Towhee found near
Breakwater on the 5th more than made up for it. The bird was followed for
about an hour and was even heard singing. This represents the first record
for Long Point if accepted by the Ontario Birds Record Committee. There
are still a limited number of Rusty Blackbirds in the area, most notably
along Concession A near Big Creek where there was also a pair of Brewer’s
Blackbirds on the 5th. Bobolinks have begun to fly over all three
stations in the early morning and the first Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet
Tanagers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have finally arrived. Things are
only bound to get better in the upcoming week. If there is some unpleasant
weather late at night or early morning accompanied by a south wind in the
area – watch out, we’ll probably be tripping over White-throated
Sparrows!
29 April
The mid-April lull that mentioned in the last update has become a late-April lull as a result of the weather. Thousands of temperate migrants, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Myrtle Warblers and White-throated Sparrows, are bottled up somewhere to the south and its only a matter of time before it breaks.
Pied-billed Grebes are still calling at Big Creek Marsh and can be heard on almost every calm morning from Old Cut. There was a Horned Grebe was at the Tip on the 24th.
With
loon numbers increasing, it’s not too surprising that Double-crested
Cormorants, another bird that winters mainly in the
There is not much to speak of in the way of herons this past week although
Great Blues continue to move in small numbers and Green Herons have
returned to Old Cut. The
parking lot at Old Cut has been the most productive spot as a Great Egret
flew over on the 24th and a Black-crowned Night Heron flew by
early on the morning of the 27th.
American Bitterns can still be found daily at Old Cut.
With a lot of southern herons sightings throughout the northeast in
the past few weeks (Snowy Egret in
Other marsh birds have scarce though Virginia Rails are regular at Breakwater and at the Big Creek Marsh. With a little effort you can find Sora in the peripheral wooded areas of the Big Creek Marsh. The local Sandhill Cranes are still an easy find on Big Creek.
Things
have also slowed right down on the waterfowl front although with a little
effort over 20 species can still be found.
The Lee Brown WMA pond and the flooded fields off of Concession # 2
at Big Creek have been fairly productive in terms of dabblers like
American Wigeon, and Blue-winged and Green-winged teal.
Northern Shoveler has been a noticeable addition to the Big Creek
Marsh as have Ruddy Ducks on the Inner Bay.
Shorebird activity has continued to be slow, but the seasons first Black-bellied Plover was at the Tip on the 26th.
On the gull front, Lesser Black-backed Gulls continue to frequent the Tip as do Little Gulls. Caspian, Common and Forster’s terns have finally returned to the area and are best found along the Causeway.
Northern
Flickers have continued to move, most notably in
Blue-headed Vireos have been present in the past few days at Old Cut with 4 singing males on the 28th.
Five species of swallows have been found almost daily at all three field stations, most notably Old Cut where the season's first Northern Rough-winged Swallow, an adult female, was banded on the 28th.
Winter Wrens have pretty much finished although there are still a few of the little brown balls scurrying around. House Wrens have begun to take their place. Red-breasted Nuthatches has also continued to move through in low numbers usually increasing with any wave of warblers.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets have yet to make a real appearance and finding Golden-crowned has turned into the daily challenge at Old Cut. Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers have replaced them as the small bird on the Point. The first one showed up last week and one or two have been recorded at all the field stations periodically. The Tip had 19 on the 28th !
Warblers
have continued to tease us, but that’s about it.
Yellow-rumpeds have been recorded daily at all three stations and
the largest movement was recorded on the 28th with about 12
were hopping around Old Cut. Accompanying
these were 3 Western Palm Warblers and one Yellow Palm Warbler (eastern
sub-species)! Early that
morning a very chilled Ovenbird was heard singing from the banding lab.
Two Black-throated Greens were also at Old Cut on the 27th
as was a
Sparrows have made up a majority of the abysmal banding totals at the Tip and Breakwater, mostly Chipping and White-throated. However, the highlight of the week for Breakwater was a Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow (Western/Interior sub- species) at their feeder on the 26th.
The
abysmal banding totals at Old Cut have been made up mostly of Red-winged
Blackbirds and Common Grackles from our trusty J-Trap.
There are still a few Rusty Blackbirds lingering in any low lying
wet areas at Old Cut, the
We will continue to await the massive back-log of migrants and hopefully by the next update we’ll be able to tell you all about it.
The
Old Cut Field Station is open to the public every day from a half hour
before sunrise till
22 April
April certainly started out with
a BANG, but the bird activity of late has been much slower than previous
weeks. The mid to late April 'lull' is certainly in effect. Despite this
we did have some really neat birds this past week.
Common Loons have begun to make their trek to our northern lakes as
all three stations have started to record movements in the early morning,
usually about 10-15 daily. Grebes are not as numerous as they were a few
weeks ago though resident Pied-billed Grebes are singing away behind the
Old Cut field station and at Big Creek Marsh. A recent boat trip to the
Tip found 6 Red-necked and around 75 Horned Grebes on the Inner Bay.
There are a number of American Bitterns that echo through the
marshes off the dyke at Old Cut and Breakwater is also getting its fair
share as well. On the 16th a Least Bittern flew right by the cabin
window. Green Herons arrived this past week at Old Cut on the 17th and the
Tip banded one on the 19th!
Waterfowl have mostly moved on although there are still a great
number of divers on the Inner Bay or on Lake Erie, depending on the winds.
Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks dominate the Inner Bay while
Red-breasted and Common mergansers are the most common along the
lakeshore. Long-tailed Ducks are also spotted regularly on the lake. All
three scoters have been recorded in the past week on either the Inner Bay
or the lake from all three stations, although Surf and Black Scoter are
most commonly observed at the Tip. Dabbling ducks have also increased with
more Blue and Green-winged teal and American Wigeon at the Lee Brown's
ponds as well as in the Big Creek Marsh. Tundra Swans have all but left
though with extreme luck one might be able to pick up one or two
stragglers. It is important to take a second look at any swans in the
region as a number of Trumpeter Swans have been recorded. On April 14th, a
patagial tagged Trumpeter # 709 was observed flying over the Breakwater
field station.
Thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls have been making their way along the
lake this past week, and there was one sighting of a Little Gull at the
Tip on the 21st. A 2nd-year Iceland Gull was also at the Tip on the
20th.
Sandhill Crane numbers have leveled off, though it is not hard to
find half a dozen or so at the Big Creek Marsh or in the neighbouring
fields. They have also been a regular visitor to the Tip, with 7 on the
18th, which may indicate that a few are still moving through.
Things have also been slow on the shorebird front with Greater and
Lesser yellowlegs the most common, besides Killdeer of course. There was a
Dunlin on the south beach of Long Point on the 19th and 17 American Golden
Plover also flew over a brave, wet and cold group of volunteers heading
out to the remote field stations.
There have not been any major movements of raptors although a
number of Osprey have been recorded and the Tip has had anywhere from 2-6
Merlins daily since the 17th. Bald Eagles are most numerous at the
Breakwater station with 2-4 seen daily and they can also be found easily
along the Big Creek marsh or along the shoreline on any given day.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers appear to be following a trend from last
year when we had record numbers. There is a regular couple at Old Cut and
the Tip and Breakwater have started to record fair numbers in the order of
2-5 a day. Another exciting woodpecker for the period was a flicker
integrade (Yellow-shafted/Red-shafted Cross) banded at Old Cut on the
18th. The bird had 3 salmon primaries, 1 salmon tertial on each wing and
the outer two rectrices of both sides of the tail were salmon coloured.
There was also a little bit of red coming through on his moustache. It
appears to be a good spring for woodpeckers in general as the Tip in
particular has had good numbers of both Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (7
banded on the 17th) and Downy Woodpeckers.
We were hopeful that we would at least have one more push of
Golden-crowned Kinglets, but in this past week the Ruby-crowned have taken
over as the dominant kinglet.
Blue-headed Vireos arrived this week with the first one spotted at
Breakwater on the 17th. One showed up at Old Cut on the 18th and the Tip
finally got their first one on the 19th. Also, much to the surprise of the
crew at Old Cut, a record early Yellow-throated Vireo was observed and
then banded on the 18th! There was also a report of a Red-eyed Vireo just
west of Fisher's Glen on the 20th. Also just west of Fisher's Glen on the
21st were the season's first two Baltimore Orioles.
Although it has been around 10 days since we saw our first Yellow-rumped
Warbler, this week was the first time when we had groups of them including
the first singing males (Old Cut on the 18th). Pine Warblers have also
been a regular at the Old Cut field station and sporadic at the other two
with one banded at the Tip on the 17th. Four were recorded at Old Cut on
the 19th. To continue the early arrival trend, 3 warbler species made
almost record early appearances this week. First of all a Yellow Warbler
was found hoping on the lawns near Old Cut on the 18th. Breakwater banded
a beautiful adult male Black-throated Green Warbler on the 19th, and there
was a Nashville Warbler in the Old Cut woods on the 21st. Some Louisiana
Waterthrush are also back singing on territory in the nearby
woodlots.
There continues to be a slow trickle of White-throated Sparrows
through the area and just as the Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Myrtle
Warblers, their numbers are starting to build. With any luck, the next
shift in weather will produce the proper conditions for all three of these
species to make their first big push to the Point. Chipping Sparrows have
been the staple at Breakwater and the Tip (21 banded on the 17th), but Old
Cut has not seen the same numbers. Other sparrows for the period include
the first Savannah Sparrows banded on the 16th and a Vesper Sparrow banded
at the Tip on the 17th.
Spring so far has also been fairly productive for Purple Finches,
with almost daily observations at all three stations, especially
Breakwater and the Tip. Banding effort at Old Cut this past week has
confirmed the breeding of Pine Siskins in the Old Cut woodlot. It had been
suspected that a pair of Pine Siskins were up to something, but on the
19th one of the pair, which just happened to already be banded, was
re-captured and was sporting a beautiful brood patch. She was probably
banded in the local area this past winter at one of a few feeder banding
sites, we'll find out for sure within a few weeks.
Another interesting phenomenon this spring is the movement of
Northern Cardinals through the area. There were two at the Tip on its very
first day of coverage, which is remarkable in its own right, but since
then the Tip has banded 11 of them. Breakwater has banded another six but
Old Cut surprisingly has only banded two. There was a fairly high
proportion of second-year birds suggesting a dispersal of younger birds
last fall.
We're banding every morning for six hours after sunrise at the Old
Cut field station so be sure to check us out. Spring warblers and large
numbers of sparrows and kinglets are bound to hit us hard in the next two
weeks.
15 April
The dominant species reported last period continue their movement
northwards. Kinglets, juncos and blackbirds are still being recorded in a
fairly good abundance. Over the past week LPBO’s remote field stations
began monitoring - the Tip 9 April and Breakwater 14 April. With full
coverage of the point, things should start to heat up.
Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets continue to be the predominant species banded at Old Cut. Hermit Thrushes have increased in number at both Old Cut and Breakwater. The Tip observed its first and only warbler species-Yellow-rumped -10 April. Old Cut has had the pleasure of at least one Pine Warbler since 10 April bouncing around the wood lot. Northern Cardinals have been very common out at the Tip, where they are generally infrequently observed, if at all. Interestingly, 5 individuals - 4 females and 1 male - were banded 14 April. American Tree Sparrows have dwindled to rare sightings of late. The Tip banded one individual 13 April, while Old Cut has observed at most 4 daily; Chipping Sparrows have replaced their cousins. The Tip has reported upwards of 20 individuals daily, increasing every day. Savannah Sparrows arrived out at the Tip 10 April, but have been observed infrequently. On the first day of banding at the Tip - 10 April - Dark-eyed Juncos were apparently on the move with 211 individuals were banded in 4 hours of operation. A respectable 900 individual juncos were estimated to have passed through the area during the day. Among the 283 total birds banded for the day, Song Sparrows, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds passed through the banding lab, keeping the small crew of three rather busy, but extremely thrilled with an excellent start to the season. Rusty Blackbirds are still observed frequently at Old Cut; less so at the Tip. Purple Finches enjoy the feeders out at the Tip, with the odd observation at Old Cut.
With much of the week spent getting the two remote stations set-up, the LPBO crew is eager to get the machine running on all cylinders. If you’re in the Long Point area come by our Old Cut field station and check out the banding in the mornings and excellent birding all day. Old Cut is located on Old Cut Blvd just before the Provincial Park boundary, off Hwy 59.
8 April
After a super start to the season, Mother Nature decided to put us back
in our place with a last hoorah from winter. Snow blanketed the Long Point
area over the past weekend, mixed with rain and heavy winds, essentially
halting the movement seen on 1 April. However, the winter woes have left
and milder temperatures and nice weather-and hundreds of kinglets and
creepers-have arrived, of late. Pied-billed Grebes have been noted in the
local marsh around Old Cut; Red-necked Grebes
(rare for Long Point) have been observed in the bay as well. Sandhill
Cranes are being heard daily at Old Cut. A nice diversity of ducks are
hanging out in various parts of the Inner Bay including Long-tailed Duck,
Canvasback, Redhead, both scaup, Bufflehead, and all three mergansers. The
best movement of raptors so far this season was on 5 April, which included
2 second year Bald Eagles and 6 Northern Harriers, among the 7 species
observed.
American Woodcock and Wilson’s Snipe continue their aerial displays over Old Cut daily. The 6th brought a Little Gull to viewers at Old Cut’s dyke overlooking the mash and inner bay. The first Great Black- backed Gull of the season for LPBO was observed 5 April. Bonaparte’s Gulls are observed frequently at this point. Flickers had a decent movement on the 7th (26), and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are observed almost daily. Eastern Phoebes remain the only flycatchers brave enough to have ventured this far north. Purple Martins and Barn Swallows have arrived in the area, although in low numbers. The martin boxes are now up at Bird Studies Canada’s headquarters in Port Rowan, leaving little excuse for their absence. Remedial work on BSC's wetland is almost complete and it will soon be flooded for the remainder of this year
Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets are certainly the most numerous species in the area. Old Cut banded 86 creepers and 347 Golden- crowneds over 6-7 April. April 7th was by-far the best day yet, in terms of numbers moving through. The woodlot behind Old Cut was dripping with kinglets and creepers, keeping the banding operation on its toes. A remarkable 344 individuals were banded in under 6 hours!
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are around, but the abundance is nothing like their Golden-crowned cousins. Eastern Bluebirds have been reported in the area; one was observed near Old Cut 2 April. Hermit Thrushes arrived 4 April-3 were banded 7 April. The season’s first Brown Thrasher was spotted 6 April in the woodlot behind Old Cut; one was reported earlier in the week on Hastings Drive. Yellow-rumped Warblers arrived 6 April; the first observation of an after-second year male was an excellent start to the wave of kinglets that crashed into Old Cut on the 7th. There’s something about the first spring warbler that gets you all giddy. Vesper Sparrows have been observed in various locations over the past week- Old Cut and Hastings Drive.
Chipping Sparrows are also recently arrived and have increased in number daily. The season’s first Lincoln’s Sparrow (record early) was observed 7 April, singing none-the-less. As well, the first Swamp Sparrow was observed 4 April and one was banded 7 April. The weather from the weekend, albeit wet, has provided good habitat for Rusty Blackbirds and they have taken full advantage. It is now possible to sit in Old Cut’s parking lot and observe this beautiful species effortlessly; this will soon
end,
no doubt. A young female Rusty was banded 6 April. A pair of Pine Siskins
continues to hang around the woodlot behind Old Cut, potentially up to
something; one of the pair is banded and might be trapped soon to
determine its origin. White-winged Crossbills were observed 4 April on
Lighthouse Crescent, but have not been observed since. Preparations for
opening the remote field stations are in full swing, now that the boat
channel which was blocked with ice has opened. As always, visitors
are encouraged to visit Old Cut field station on Old Cut Blvd just before
the Provincial Park.
1 April
The Tundra Swans have moved on.
Last Saturday (25th) there were 10,000 on the ice off of Big Creek, but
this was the last great accumulation of the season. That afternoon only
about 500 remained and they have become increasingly hard to find
throughout the week. Other waterfowl continue to be present in respectable
numbers, but there are certainly not the flocks that there should be.
There are a few hundred Canada Geese in the fields north of Big Creek
Marsh and, on any given day, one to three Snow Geese have been present.
Pied-billed, Horned and Red-necked Grebes can still be found around the
mouth of Big Creek but most of these species require a little more effort
now that all of the ice is gone. Divers continue to dominate the duck
numbers but dabblers have started to increase in the past week as numbers
of Northern Pintails, American Wigeon, Mallard, Black Duck, Blue and
Green-winged Teal grow. On March 31st, about 500 Long-tailed Duck were
flying west over Old Cut and their numbers have also increased along the
lakeshore. Also flying over Old Cut on the 31st was the season's first
Black-crowned Night Heron. American Bitterns started calling on April 1st
at Old Cut and Great Blue Herons are also more abundant. Sandhill Cranes
are still an easy species to find, particularly in the fields along
Regional Rd. # 42 west of Port Rowan. On the 30th 19, including one
Lesser, flew over Big Creek Marsh.
Killdeers are numerous while the only Greater Yellowlegs in the
past week flew over Old Cut in the snow storm on April 3rd. American
Woodcocks are displaying everywhere and Wilson's Snipe are also quite
active around Old Cut and Long Point Provincial Park. Bonaparte's Gulls
were a noticeable arrival this week with up to 500 reported along the
lakeshore on the 30th and 31st. Two adult Little Gulls were seen flying
over the Inner Bay with about 50 Bonaparte's on the 3rd.
Raptors are never that numerous in spring at Long Point, but it is
always possible to pick up a few species and this last week was
particularly good. Bald Eagles, as always are common and Northern Harriers
are still fairly numerous on the Big Creek Marsh with Rough-legged Hawks
still present occasionally. Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Sharp-shinned
hawks have been seen at Old Cut along with a pair of Cooper's Hawks which
have been displaying in the area. On the 1st of April, an Osprey
successfully caught its lunch right off of the Port Rowan pier. Eastern
Screech Owls are very territorial at the moment, particularly at Old Cut
and there have been a number good nights for Northern Saw-whet Owl
migration. The first official bird banded of the 2005 season was a
second-year male Saw-whet which brought a Song Sparrow into the net with
it. We banded two females that night as well.
As mentioned above the first official day of the migration
monitoring season started on Friday April 1st and was it ever a good
start. One hundred and thirty-one birds were banded by the end of the day,
which provided lots of entertainment for the many visitors and a 3rd year
Ornithology Class from the University of Toronto who joined us for opening
day. Brown Creepers dominated the catch with 19 banded, followed by
Golden-crowned Kinglets, Slate-coloured Juncos, Song and American Tree
sparrows. There were also a number of other first for the year goodies
frequenting Old Cut and the Provincial Park including Winter Wren, Tree
and Barn swallow, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated,
Fox, and Vesper sparrows, Rusty Blackbird, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, and
a pair of White-winged Crossbills.
With March so cold and unfavourable for migration, there is a very
good possibility that we could be in for a large April migration this
year. With temperatures expected to reach 19 degrees by Wednesday the 6th,
we could be in for a good movement of temperate migrants. Unless it's
raining or there is more horribly inclement weather, we'll be banding at
Old Cut for six hours every morning from here on in, starting half an hour
before sunrise. Be sure to stop by if you're in the area.
25 March
Spring continues to tease us here at Long Point although, in the past
few days, the birds have been telling us that it is on its way. As every day
passes the open water at the mouth of Big Creek gets larger and, as to be expected, it
continues to be filled by more and more waterfowl. A variety of ducks tend to gather in the open water off Big Creek
most mornings then continue on their way or visit neighbouring
fields into the afternoon. Last weekend (18-19th) daily counts of Tundra
Swans were in the 10,000 - 15,000 range. This morning (25th) a conservative
estimate of 10,000 was made on the ice off of Big Creek alone
but they were all gone by noon. The fields west and north of Port Rowan
have been the best for swans lately. A few thousand Canada Geese
are also using these same areas and there have been a number of sightings
of Snow Geese (white and blue Phase). Up to 3 white phase
were in the open water off Big Creek on the 22nd -23rd, two remained on
the 25th. Early on the 25th, 18 Cackling Geese were in the fields
north of Reg. Rd. # 42 with a few hundred Canada's. Later that afternoon
only three were located.
Other waterfowl that are in good numbers in the area from the 23rd-25th
include Canvasback (2500-3000), Northern Pintail (1000-1200), Common
Merganser (1000), Redhead (8-900), Mallard (800), Red-breasted Merganser
(550), Lesser Scaup (500), Greater Scaup (200), Bufflehead (300), American
Wigeon (150), Ring-necked Duck (75), Am. Black Duck (60), Common Goldeneye
(50), White-winged Scoter (40), Long-tailed Duck (20), Gadwall (12),
Hooded Merganser (6), Green-winged Teal (4) and Blue-winged Teal (4). Wood
Duck have also returned in small numbers along Big Creek and neighbouring
ponds.
There are also a number of American Coots along Big Creek as well as
the season's first Double-crested Cormorant on the 24th, and a Belted
Kingfisher on the 25th. This is also a good place to find
Horned, Pied-billed and Red-necked grebes (25th). Sandhill Cranes,
anywhere from 2-15, still frequent Big Creek Marsh and neighbouring
fields. Killdeers are now verging on numerous and 2 Greater Yellowlegs were
found on the 25th , one at Old Cut and one at Big Creek Marsh.
The adult Golden Eagle that was reported last week continued to show up
a number of times this past week and was last seen on the 23rd. On the
22nd, it kept thousands of waterfowl in the skies for about an hour
as it soared around and over Port Royal. There are also a number of
Bald Eagles around. Rough-legged Hawks are not as numerous as they have
been
the past few weeks, but are still around with Northern Harriers on Big
Creek marsh. Eastern Screech and Northern Saw-whet owls can be found
with a little effort at the Old Cut Field Station and two Short-eared Owls
were seen hunting over Big Creek marsh around dusk on the 24th.
The daily blackbird flock going to and from the Long Point marshes
numbered around 40,000 on the 24th: 25,000 Red-winged Blackbirds, 10,000
Common Grackles, 3000 European Starlings, 2000 Brown-headed Cowbirds,
and around 300 Rusty Blackbirds. Other migrants in the Old Cut area
include Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
Slate-coloured Junco, American Tree, White-throated, and Chipping
sparrows, Pine Siskin, and Purple Finch.
On the outskirts of the Long Point birding circle, 8 Gray Partridge (6
female, 2 male) were found on the corner of the East ¼ Line Rd. and
Regional Rd. 1 on the 24th.
The spring season starts officially on April
1st, so be sure to plan a trip to Long Point this spring and visit the Old
Cut Field Station on Old Cut Blvd.
18 March
Not much has changed in the Long
Point area over the past week. The Inner Bay and lake are still mostly
frozen with few open spots. However, there is open water from Turkey Pt.
to Port Dover. This is one of the better spots to find Common Merganser,
Common Goldeneye and scaup with several thousand birds present. The open
water at the mouth of Big Creek has continued to expand and is filled with
waterfowl, including Tundra Swan, Canvasback, and Redhead. Other
waterfowl include Black Duck, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, scaup, Hooded
Merganser, American Coot, and Horned and Pied-billed grebes. This is
probably the best spot for waterfowl in the region but is not easily
viewed. Parking anywhere on the roadside along the causeway is very
dangerous. We recommend viewing from the overlook at the Bird Studies
Canada Headquarters property on Front St. in Port Rowan. A scope is
required.
An aerial waterfowl survey of the Long Point area conducted on
March 16th by the Long Point Wetland and Waterfowl Research Fund tallied
good numbers of Canvasback, Redhead and scaup in the middle of the Long
Point Bay. Four to five thousand Tundra Swans were counted in the area.
Ground surveys earlier in the week had counts of 5000 at the mouth of Big
Creek and in the corn fields between Port Rowan and Port Royal. Canada
Geese are congregating in the same fields and a Cackling Goose was
observed at BSC's HQ property on March 17th. Sandhill Cranes continue to
be found at Big Creek Marsh and in the fields just north of the marsh
towards the Lee Browns Waterfowl Management area, which is still frozen.
Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers are regulars at Big Creek
Marsh.
Blackbird numbers are slowly increasing with a daily flocks
anywhere from 3000 to 5000 individuals, mostly Red-winged Blackbirds.
American Robins have started to show up in greater numbers with a flock of
90 on Front Rd. just west of Port Rowan. Horned Larks are numerous and
Killdeer are increasing along the roadsides. Most of the Horned Larks at
this point appear to be territorial.
A Field Sparrow was found at Old Cut on March 13th and Pine Siskin
and Purple Finch are still regulars at the feeders. Song Sparrows appear
to be a little more numerous and two Swamp Sparrows were discovered along
the causeway on the morning of the 18th. The spring migration monitoring
season will officially start on the 1st of April. Be sure to plan a trip
to Long Point this spring and visit us on Old Cut Blvd.
11 March
Even though old Jack Frost is
having trouble letting go of winter, some of the more ambitious migrants
are starting to show their faces at Long Point. The first Tundra Swan
movement occurred this week with a few hundred accumulating at the mouth
to Big Creek and in the cornfields off of Concession A, west of Hwy # 59.
By this past weekend (12-13th) there were as many as 1500 and earlier this
week there were 4 Snow Geese. Sandhill Cranes have also
started to return with up to 9 individuals in the neighbouring fields on
the 13th. Other ducks are rare but there is open water at the mouth of Big
Creek where Common Goldeneye, Hooded and Common merganser, Canvasback
(40), Redhead (3) and a number of American Coot have been found. A
Pied-billed Grebe was also there on the 13th. Otherwise the lake is still
very much frozen but starting to break up around the mouth of Big
Creek.
The entire length of Big Creek is open, creating waterfowl viewing
opportunities at each cross road. At the Regional Rd. 42 crossing just
west of Port Royal there were 2 Black Ducks and 2 Mallards on the 13th
along with an early Eastern Phoebe!
Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers still frequent the Big
Creek Marsh and a record-early Osprey was observed at the Crown Marsh
(base of the Point) on the 12th. The morning/evening blackbird flock to
and from the marshes currently ranges from 2-3000 to 5-6000 (March12th),
dominated by Red-winged Blackbirds (60%), Common Grackles 25%, and
European Starlings (15%). A Northern Shrike was hunting along the Front
Rd. just west of Fisher's Glen on the 12th and 2 male Eastern Bluebirds
were across from the Onion Fields at Turkey Point.
Territorial Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows and Red-winged
Blackbirds are starting to sing around the Old Cut Woods. The dominant
species at Old Cut are currently Red and White-breasted Nuthatch,
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Slate-coloured Junco, American Tree Sparrow,
Purple Finch, Pine Siskin and Red-bellied Woodpecker.
The spring migration-monitoring season will officially start on the
1st of April. Be sure to plan a trip to Long Point this spring and visit
us on Old Cut Blvd.
