White-faced Ibis - Hillman Marsh

After all the Panama City Beach posts, I completely forgot about making a post on the White-faced Ibis, which now seems like the distant past. October 27 marked the addition of this species to my life list when Blake Mann and I saw the bird, which stayed at Hillman Marsh for about a week, fly over the northwest bridge near the entrance to the conservation area. The weather conditions were quite poor as the sky was overcast and lighting was terrible. Also, where the bird first landed, it was very difficult to see its pinkish face (no white due to it being in nonbreeding plumage). Needless to say, we couldn't detect the iris colour at that distance either. Fortunately, the bird eventually flew closer while hanging out with a group of Greater Yellowlegs and at that point, I could see the pinkish face through my scope. Blake has photos on his blog that you can see here.

This record accounts for very few Ontario sightings and I'm relieved that I was able to see this particular bird (I would have had trouble making it to see the Dundas Marsh bird and I missed Pelee's former sightings). I now have Glossy and White-faced Ibises in the Pelee Birding Circle and it's always a pleasure to study a new species we don't often get to see.

Potpourri

Just a quick update as to what will be happening around here for the next couple weeks. As I've been writing, my trip to Florida has arrived and I'm leaving soon to the Panhandle for a week. Obviously, many posts with many lists will follow. I wanted to get around updating the High Park hawk counts from this week but it's been another slow week for migrants (at least at this particular counts...according to reports from Holiday Beach and a few other locations, huge numbers are still going through; especially Turkey Vultures). Hopefully when I get back from Florida (November 7), there will still be some good hawk movement and I can get Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, and Red-shouldered Hawk (at least the first and last should be easy).

I'm also VERY MUCH hoping that the White-faced Ibis is still in the vicinity of Hillman Marsh. Marianne just sent me an email telling me there are a lot of migrants of all kinds flying through the Pelee area right now so hopefully we can get a good day of birding in there before I hit the road to Florida.

A few highlights from my week: a great show from 2 Cooper's Hawks at High Park, chasing squirrels and pigeons. They were an adult (probably male by the size) and an immature bird. Another great sighting was on a rainy day when I watched a relatively late Osprey hunting in Grenadier Pond at High Park. I also had a domesticated Greylag Goose there, which was a first for the park (not that it's countable, just interesting). Grenadier Pond is very reliable for decent numbers of Northern Shovelers right now with 20 birds present the last day I visited. I have also seen at least 1 or 2 Pied-billed Grebes each time I've visited this week. Not much in terms of passerines, but good numbers flying over the hawk count including migrating Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, Robins, Goldfinches, and Cedar Waxwings. A few Eastern Bluebirds and Purple Finches have been flying through as well. On Thursday, we had a flock of White-winged Scoter fly over, many migrating Canada Geese (no Cackling), large numbers of Mergansers (probably Red-breasted), and Double-crested Cormorant. Definitely worth it to take a visit to High Park this time of year.

Lastly, the Cormorant Cull meeting regarding Middle Island was very interesting, a bit frustrating, but very informative. It really sounds like they're going through with the cull no matter what. The meetings may just be part of the environmental impact assessment so management can at least say they consulted the public. A lot of strong words about the cull were stated and my final thought is that there is too little strong scientific evidence to back up a management decision of this capacity, time-scale, and cost.

Well, I guess I'll sign off until I get back from my Florida trip.
Happy birding!

Correction - third White-faced Ibis

In my last entry, I mentioned that the 2007 White-faced Ibis was only the second record for the Pelee Birding Circle. However, Blake (check out his blog in my links section) informed me that this is in fact the third record. Unfortunately, the second (a bird in a local birder's backyard) went unreported and it's possible that an OBRC (Ontario Bird Records Committee) report wasn't written for the sighting. This took place in 2004, a year after the first record. Surprisingly, I wasn't aware of the sighting, but because it went unreported, the 2007 bird remains the second official report for White-faced Ibis in the Pelee Birding Circle. There appears to be an influx of sightings in Ontario for this species and the fact that there were 2 birds in the same week in the southwestern portion of the province may predict that the species will show up more often in future years.

White-faced Ibis - ANOTHER MISS!!

White-faced Ibis (photographed by Steve Pike)- second record for the Point Pelee Birding Circle

On Saturday, October 20, Dean Ware of Wheatley reported a Plegadis Ibis sp. at Hillman Marsh. This is one of very few records of Plegadis Ibises for the Point Pelee Birding Circle. I'm just surprised the bird wasn't witnessed by any other birders during the OFO convention. Here is his post:
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Ontbirders,

Yes, I am still alive. I still do look at birds! And here is a post for down south here is Essex County.

Early afternoon Saturday Oct.20/07 my uncle and I observed a dark Ibis flying from west to east through the center of Hillman Marsh. When the bird arrived to the beach it turned around and few back the same flight path heading west. I did not get close views however a nice sight no matter what species. The Ducks Unlimited/ERCA shorebird/waterfowl cell is being filled slowly and perhaps it may have went there.(?) Perhaps I may look for it later and try for a closer look.

Good Birding,

Dean Ware
Wheatley ON.
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As if this wasn't exciting enough news, I just got a message from Marianne saying she got a call from Alan. The bird was a White-faced Ibis, only the second record for this species in the Pelee Birding Cirle (the first was seen during May of 2003). Here is Marianne's post:

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This afternnoon around 2:00pm an adult White-faced Ibis was seen at Hillman Marsh near the north bridge right at the Hillman Marsh main entrance. I arrived at 3:30pm and the Ibis was still there feeding, and preening.

This is most likely the same bird that Dean Ware posted on Saturday.


Good birding,
Marianne Reid

Special thanks to Alan Wormington for the phone call....

DIRECTIONS:

>From Leamington:
Take Oak Street east out of the town. When you see the entrance for Hillman Marsh just keep going a little further until you see the bridge. The Ibis has been seen from both sides of the bridge.

>From 401
Tilbury exit south to County Road 1 (Wheatley townline) to Number #3 highway. Turn right onto the number #3 then watch for the Hillman Conservation area Signs. They will show you the way.
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Hopefully this bird will stick around until this coming Saturday. It's a long shot, but I'm going home a few days before leaving for Florida so I could have a chance to see it. I missed the first sighting on the lawns next to Pelee Days Inn and I was IN Point Pelee at the time! It's probable that I'll miss it again. I guess I shouldn't be complaining though...I did just get Northern Wheatear for my Ontario list. Interestingly enough, this is the second report this week of White-faced Ibis. There was also one present on October 20 at Dundas Marsh, Hamilton. Here are directions to the marsh as posted on Ontbirds by Cheryl Edgecombe:
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Dundas Hydro Ponds

It is best to park in the front of the hydro utility station on Olympic
Drive (near the intersection with Cootes Drive) in Dundas. To reach the
pond follow the north side of the Desjardins Canal on the east side of
the road.

There is a small trail that leads through a dense stand of Phragmites
grass for 200 - 300 m. You then reach the medium sided pond where the
bird was seen.
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I have not read any further reports of whether the bird is still present at Dundas Marsh or not. But when two birds of this species are reported in Southern Ontario on the same day, the best advice I can give other birders: keep an eye out!