This afternoon, while walking a trail at Hillman Marsh, I saw a large size peep type shorebird fly over, calling in a way that sounded very much like the call of a Red Knot. This would be absurdly early for a Red Knot and I can only assume at this point that it was a Pectoral Sandpiper with a slightly odd voice. A Pectoral Sandpiper was seen elsewhere in the Leamington area today, adding to the likeliness that the individual I saw today was also Pectoral, but the odd vocalization and possibility of it being something else might be worth keeping in mind if birding in the area.
Later, around 4pm, I noticed a huge group of gulls (probably 1-2 thousand) following a fishing boat toward Wheatley Harbour. This group landed on the rock wall near the harbour by about 5 pm and included at least 83 Great Black-backed Gulls of varying age, a number of Bonaparte's Gulls, one adult Glaucous Gull, and THREE adult 'Great Lakes Gulls' (hybrid Herring x Great Black-backed Gulls). Charadriformes are on the move!! Hillman Marsh is located on Mersea Rd 2, about 6 km east of Leamington in Essex County. Wheatley Harbour is located at the end of Erie St S, or on Milo Rd, depending on which side of the harbour you choose to visit, about 3km south of Wheatley, on the border between Essex and Kent Counties. Good birding! Jeremy Bensette Leamington _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
