Pelee Birding

I had a good day birding w/ Marianne around the Pelee Birding Circle today. Our day started early at the Tip on account of southwest winds (I still need any jaeger species this year believe it or not!). It was very nice to see the number of birders at the Tip this morning w/ a total of 7 of us scanning for most of the morning. I got to congratulate Josh Vandermeulen in person on his Big Year record. He, along w/ Marianne and I, were hoping for a Cave Swallow flyby at the Tip. It's possible 1 or some will show up in the next few days, especially on Tuesday when a cold front passes through. Unfortunately not a single swallow flew by today.

Observers at the Tip of Pelee

The highlight was a Black-legged Kittiwake that Marianne spotted first and eventually everyone got on it. Blake had a distant Red-throated Loon and a Northern Goshawk making a brief appearance was a new Pelee bird for me, so a personal highlight there. Though I consider a Kittiwake I had last year my first for the Pelee area, it was on the brink of death (found later the same day dead and sent to the ROM) so this flyby was a bit of a more exciting sighting. Not too much activity besides, though there were a good number of goldfinches and siskins flying over as well as a single Snow Bunting. I was hoping for an Evening Grosbeak as Sarah Rupert had a number of them in the Visitor Centre parking lot this week. I need that for my Pelee List (as well as Red Crossbill...this might be the year).

Later in the day, Marianne and I drove the border of Hillman Marsh and came up w/ a decent flock of Dunlin and a single Killdeer. Not much else around but we did have a good number of American Tree Sparrows on the dead end of Seacliff Drive E.

Our next stop was Wheatley Harbour where we met up w/ Brandon Holden and Josh. There was a whole lotta nothing!!

We finished the day w/ a slow walk through Two Creeks Conservation Area, which gave us a bit of time to talk about life and end the day on a pleasant note. Our only birding highlight was an Eastern Phoebe, now a "confirm" bird on eBird since we've rolled over into November.

We also had a couple herptiles today including a Gartersnake in the Sparrow Fields of Pelee and a Spring Peeper calling from Seacliff Drive E. Only a sulphur and an unidentified butterfly that was likely a Buckeye in the insect department.

I'll be birding again tomorrow and hope for at least 1 new year bird (considering any jaeger or a Cave Swallow would be new for my year, it's not actually asking for too much!). There are a lot of eyes in the Pelee Circle this week though so something rare is bound to show up.