Long Point Bird Observatory Sightings Board - Oct 19 to 24, 2014. It was another exciting week in the Long Point area. Waterfowl numbers continue to build with greater than 30,000 waterfowl of most species on the Inner and Outer Bays. Numbers of Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes are also slowly starting to build. Raptor movements have been steady following north and northwest winds late this week with more Northern Harrier, adult Accipiter, Red-shouldered Hawk, and of course Northern Saw-whet Owls moving through the region. Long-eared Owls also made a good showing at the Tip. Passerine migration has been slow on the ground, but thousands of diurnal migrant robins, pipits, and siskins have filled the skies most mornings. The river of blackbirds is flowing steadily and approaching half a million birds as they make their way from the mainland to Long Point over Old Cut each evening.
Highlights: Snow Goose - Three were observed flying over Old Cut October 18 (LPBO). Cackling Goose - One was at the Lee Brown Waterfowl Management Area October 18 (MD, RM). Redhead - A high of 26,477 were observed at Old Cut October 24 (LPBO). Long-tailed Duck - A high of 94 and 80 were observed at the Tip October 20 & 22, respectively (LPBO). Horned Grebe - A high of 66, 43 and 70 were observed at the Tip October 20, 21, 22, respectively (LPBO). Red-throated Loon - One was observed flying over Old Cut October 18 (SAM, NMR). Least Bittern - One individual was observed at Old Cut October 18 (NMR). Great Blue Heron - LPBO's third ever was banded at Old Cut after clumsily working its way into a mist net October 23 (LPBO). Black-crowned Night Heron - One was observed at Old Cut October 18 (LPBO). Red Shouldered Hawk - Numerous individuals were observed throughout the week and one was banded at Old Cut October 20. American Golden Plover - One was at the Tip October 18 (SMS, JGK). Red Phalarope - One was at the Tip October 19-22 (LPBO). Parasitic Jaeger - Two birds, dark and light morph, were observed at the Tip October 20 (SMS, CMS, et al). Bonaparte's Gull - A conservative estimate of 10,000 birds were at the Tip October 18 (LPBO). Little Gull - Eight were observed at the Tip October 19 (LPBO), and one was observed at Old Cut October 23 (SAM, HBM). A high of 18 were at the Turkey Point beach October 19 (LHB). Northern Saw-whet Owl - Peak migration is upon us with 105 and 197 banded October 22 and 23, respectively. The Tip banded 127 October 23 (LPBO). Long-eared Owl - One was found roosting at the Tip October 19 (LPBO). Eight were banded at the Tip October 23 (LPBO). Red-bellied Woodpecker - One was at the Tip October 19 & 23, and as many as four have been observed at Old Cut throughout the week (LPBO). Northern Shrike - An adult was observed at the Tip October 22 (CJW, PRG). Horned Lark - Two were observed at the Tip October 22 (LPBO). Northern Rough-winged Swallow - One individual was observed at Old Cut October 19 (LHB). Tree Swallow - Two and 7 were observed at Old Cut October 21 & 22 (LHB, LPBO). Barn Swallow - One was observed at the BSC headquarters October 24 (MVB, JRA, DT). Eastern Bluebird - Two and 16 were observed at the Tip and Old Cut, respectively October 23(LPBO). Swainson's Thrush - A late individual was banded at Old Cut October 23 (LPBO). American Robin - Great migration this week with a high of 1,108 at Old Cut October 19 (LPBO). American Pipit - A high of 90 were observed at the Tip October 22 with smaller numbers flying over Old Cut daily (LPBO). Lapland Longspur - One female-type was observed at the Tip October 21 & 22(LPBO). Snow Bunting - First of the season was observed on the south beach October 19 (MYR, CJW, PRG). Orange-crowned Warbler - Two individuals were banded October 18 and one individual was banded October 22 at Old Cut (LPBO). American Redstart - A definitive basic female was banded at Old Cut October 22 (LPBO). Cape May Warbler - One male type bird was observed October 20 (SMS, CMS) and a first basic was banded October 21 (LPBO). Northern Parula - A definitive basic male was banded at the Tip October 18 and a first basic male was banded October 22 (LPBO). Other warblers for the period: Tennessee, Nashville, Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped, Pine. American Tree Sparrow - A definitive basic bird banded at the Tip October 24 (LPBO). LeConte's Sparrow - One individual was observed October 18 on Rogers Ave. (LHB). Oregon Junco - One first basic male was banded at Old Cut October 21 (LPBO). Clay-coloured Sparrow - One was observed flying in off the Tip the morning of October 18 (DLL et al.) Indigo Bunting - One was observed at Old Cut October 24 (SAM, APT). Rusty Blackbird - Many have been observed in the area this week with a high of 180 October 24 (SAM). Red-winged Blackbird - A high of 45,740 at Old Cut October 24 (SAM). Common Grackle - A high of 350,070 at Old Cut October 24 (SAM). Eastern Meadowlark - A high of nine and ten were observed flying in off of the lake at the Tip October 22 & 23, respectively (SMS, DLL). Pine Siskin - Many thousands have been moving through the area with a high of 830 at the Tip October 22, and many hundreds flying over Old Cut daily with a high of 356 October 24 (LPBO). American Goldfinch - Highs of 575 and 450 at the Tip October 21 & 22 (LPBO). Observers: Luke Berg (LHB), Mark Dorriesfield (MD), John Glazebrook (JGK), Pip Guillet (PRG), Myriam El Harouchey (MYR), Dayna LeClair (DLL), Stuart Mackenzie (SAM), Ruevan Martin (RM), Hugh McArthur (HBM), Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO), Nancy Raginski (NMR), Claudia Strijek (CMS), Shawn Sullivan (SMS), Adam Timpf (APT), Chris Wagner (CJW), Mick Wright (MTW). Season to date banding totals: Old Cut - 4,087 - 656 Tip - 4,190 Breakwater - 1,331 Countdown to 1,000,000 = 949,204 Explore the Long Point Birding Trail<http://www.birdscanada.org/longpoint/index.jsp?targetpg=lpbt&lang=EN>. Updates of the birds in the area can be viewed through eBird<http://www.ebird.ca> on LPBO's main web-page<http://www.birdscanada.org/lpbo>. You can help contribute to sightings in the Long Point area by submitting your sightings to eBbird<http://www.ebird.ca> or by sharing them with us at [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. The Old Cut Research Station is open to the public every day until November 15. For more information on the research, education, and training programs of LPBO select this link<http://www.birdscanada.org/lpbo> and check out the 2013 LPBO Program Report<http://www.bsc-eoc.org/library/LPBOreport.pdf> or LPBO E-news<http://www.birdscanada.org/download/LPBOenews.pdf>. Your best source for information about the birds and birding sites around Long Point can be found in A Birding Guide to the Long Point Area by Ron Ridout available here<http://www.bir dscanada.org/shopping/shop.jsp>. Good birding, Stu __________________________________________________________ Stuart A. Mackenzie Motus Wildlife Tracking System Manager LPBO Program Manager Long Point Bird Observatory - Bird Studies Canada/Etudes d'Oiseaux Canada PO Box 160, 115 Front Rd. Port Rowan, Ontario. N0E 1M0. (519)-586-3531 X 162(office), Fax:586-3532, Mobile:820-6040 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> www.birdscanada.org/lpbo<http://www.birdscanada.org/lpbo> www.motus-wts.org<http://www.motus-wts.org> _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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