Ontbirders Threatening grey skies greeted the small group of birders who met at the Presqu'ile Lighthouse this morning. Initially action was good with nice looks at a singing Carolina Wren, glimpses at hummingbirds darting about jewel weed and quick looks at several warblers. Then the rain came and increased so that the group had to seek shelter beneath the front porch of the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre. While we waited, a Great Black-backed Gull (now uncommon at Presqu'ile) was spotted off-shore and a darting flock of warblers moved quickly through the lakeshore treeline. Then things slowed right down and it was hard to imagine that eventually warblers would win the species count fifteen to fourteen over shorebirds. Most of the group travelled through the campgrounds to Chatterton Point were good numbers of shorebirds foraged at close range on the shaly shoreline. Good looks were had at various peeps and at Baird's and White-rumped Sandpipers, often in the same scope field of view. A warbler flock passing between us and the shorebirds contained a brightly coloured, portrait-grade Red-Breasted Nuthatch. Returning to the Lighthouse, we encountered a couple of Merlins that were harassing a crow and several Blue Jays. After lunch, with the rain persisting, we briefly picked up another warbler flock that contained a Northern Parula and a Bay-breasted Warbler. A female Indigo Bunting flitted about a dogwood bush with a couple of Nashville Warblers. En route to Owen Point, we discovered several clusters of attractive Bottled Gentians. Besides a lot more rain, Owen Point offered several juvenile Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, a distant American Golden Plover and a Trumpeter Swan. A few Monarch Butterflies bounced around the area prior to their departure to the south. Again, wherever there was jewel weed there were zipping hummingbirds. After absorbing our quota of rainwater, the determined remnants of our group travelled out of the park to the Brighton water polishing ponds. These were made accessible thanks to the kindness of Keith Lee, manager of Brighton's water treatment facilities. A large, dead tree next to the ponds was full of Cedar Waxwings and the ponds contained Lesser Yellowlegs, a Solitary Sandpiper and a colorful Short-billed Dowitcher. Common Moorhens and a Marsh Wren sang in the cattails beside the ponds. Across the road in the sewage lagoons, we found good numbers of Wood Ducks, including a striking male, two female Common Goldeneyes and several Bonaparte's Gulls. A Sora popped up in front of us to make a short flight along shoreline vegetation. At wrap-up time, our group had seen a hard-earned eighty-six species. Thanks to all who helped make this challenging day a success. Don and Ian Shanahan Brighton. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdshow.htm ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm
