Went on a 2 day trip to Rondeau Provincial Park and area and saw many great birds.
Highlight was a female Blue Grosbeak in the Campground, was my 513th North American Life Bird.
Other great birds were Cerulean Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat on South Point trail, Blue-winged and Canada Warblers at the Pony Barn and Clay-colored sparrows right on the front lawn of the Visitor Center!
There were many tanagers, orioles and grosbeaks everywhere in the park.
Also non bird wise saw an Eastern Red Bat flying around during the day on South Point Trail and Five-lined Skinks, only lizard in Ontario
On a tip we went to check a flooded field near Erieau by a Mcgeachy Pond Reserve, here were an American Golden Plover, Black-bellied plovers, Ruddy Turnstones and Dunlin.
Friday afternoon we went to Erieau Pier and watched the Gulls and Terns, were thousands there, saw 5 Black Terns, hundreds of Forster's Terns and Bonaparte's Gulls, immature Iceland gull, Caspian Terns, ring-billed, herring and Great black-backed gulls. One of the most interesting gulls we saw there was an all white albino Bonaparte's Gull, was trying to make into an Ivory gull but no yellow tip to the billl ;(
Also here were shorebirds, had dozen or so Short-billed Dowitchers and more Turnstones and Dunlin.
Friday evening we went by St Clair marshes area and were invited to see some Yellow-headed Blackbirds ,are not common for Otario but are very pretty for a blackbird.
Saturday afternoon on our way home was given a call about an American Avocet (thanks Cheryl) and stopped by a pond at the start of the Red Hill Expressway where it meets QEW Niagara and there was a beautiful breeding plumaged American Avocet, also here Solitary sandpiper, spotted sandpipers, dunlin, blue-winged teal, ruddy turnstone and a Greater Yellowlegs
We ended with 130species but could have easily had more if we spent more time birding, missed many good birds other birders saw.
I have photos of the highlights on my photo website at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew-don/Enjoy the spring birding
Andrew Don
