Hello Ontbirders. The Rondeau Provincial Park spring birding program will wrap up tomorrow, on Monday May 24, Victoria Day. There will be 2 Bird Hikes and a Birders' Breakfast / Lunch.
Warbler sightings for this morning included some highly-sought species. The Connecticut found yesterday on South Point Trail was still singing immediately past post #5. A Prothonotary is at last visiting a nest box again on Tulip Tree Trail. Mourning was reported from Rondeau Road near the washroom building just south of Rondeau Avenue and on the Maintenance Loop. The largest movement today involved Blackpolls, with sightings of 25 on the Marsh Trail. Wilson's were also in good supply - 12 were seen on Marsh Trail. Besides warblers, interesting songbirds included a variety of flycatchers. Olive-sided were seen for the second day, on Harrison Trail near the Maintenance Loop. Also observed again was Acadian, on Tulip Tree Trail. Yellow-bellied were noted on South Point Trail near the "Anne McArthur bench". Willows were in good numbers, along with the ubiquitous Least and Great Crested. The flight of Cedar Waxwings continued today, with birds especially abundant on South Point Trail. On the Marsh Trail, a Green Heron was seen yesterday evening. Blenheim Sewage Lagoons, near the park, has 4 Red-necked Phalaropes, 3 females and one male. These birds were seen in Pond #5 (see sightings book with map at the lagoon entrance gate). I would like to thank all of the birders who made this year's program such a huge success. These Ontbirds reports would have been much less complete without all of the sightings information supplied by birders at the park Visitor Centre, as well information in emails with updates. A few individuals have gone above and beyond the call of duty in providing extensive lists of sightings, and making an extra effort to ensure that VC staff and I were kept current on the latest birds. The Friends of Rondeau and the park's interpretive staff have been extremely helpful, and have made the birding program a very good one indeed. As always, it's been great to enjoy my fourth season of birding with the Rondeau birding community. See you all next year! Steve ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our final guided hikes for the season will run Monday at 7:30 am and 1:00 pm, (fee $5). Hikes will meet at the Visitor Centre. The Friends of Rondeau will provide a Birders' Breakfast for a small donation (coffee, tea, bagels, soups and treats) daily from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Visitor Centre. More information on the park's nature programs and the Friends of Rondeau is available at the Friends' website: www.rondeauprovincialpark.ca. Directions for park: Take exit 101 from Highway 401 and drive South 16 km on Chatham Kent Road 15. Turn right and follow the signs to the park. The Bird Sightings Book, Bird Sightings Board and other relevant information are located at the Visitor Centre (open 7:00 am to 5:00 pm from May 1 - 24. To reach the Visitor Centre from the park Gate, travel 6 km South on Rondeau Road to Gardiner Ave., then follow it around the bend to the parking lot. Directions for Sewage Lagoons (courtesy of Irene Woods): Blenheim is on #3 H [Talbot Rd]. in Chatham-Kent. Take # 3 H West out of Blenheim, about 1 km. You will see a car wash at the corner of Lagoon Rd., turn right [ North]. Go about 1/2 km. and you will see a small locked gate [ see below]. Enter at this gate only. Please park on the lagoon side of the road--only. Permit required (available from Rondeau Visitor Centre, etc.) Good birding! Steve LaForest Friends of Rondeau Bird Guide c/o Rondeau Visitor Centre (519) 674-1768 [email protected] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
