Birders had an excellent weekend on the Bruce Peninsula in spite of Mother Nature's best efforts to drown us and drive us out with thunder and lightning. We kept a careful eye on the weather throughout the day. One particularly awesome arced wall cloud passed overhead with non-rotating dark spirals and late in the afternoon, a tornado warning was announced for the counties to our east.
The small group of seven was perfect for one leader to organize with a short car caravan making stopping along the way very easy. The first target species jumped the queue when an Upland Sandpiper was spotted on a telephone wire just west of Hepworth. This was fortunate because the species is becoming very difficult to find as grasslands are converted to monoculture pine plantations and cash crops at an alarming rate. Thousands of acres of grassland and pasture have been lost in Bruce in the past 10 years. There was a lot of excitement with the Piping Plovers (the planned first target). The last egg had just hatched and we were able to see the still wet chick trying to stand as the mother worked to shelter all four under her. The other three chicks were still at the wobbly-legged stage and it was comical to watch their attempts to move around. One briefly toddled out of the exclosure before being piped back. The weather kept many species tucked deep in the trees and out of the air so raptors and warblers were few. Access to several trip locations was blocked by flooding. But the low light from overcast skies also provided many great views of displaying snipe and low flying bitterns, night-herons, and terns. 94 species were found on the trip including highlights: - Black-crowned Night-heron - adults and immature - Black Tern - Caspian Tern - Common Loon - with a chick - Sandhill Crane - Grasshopper Sparrow - Golden-winged Warbler - Brewer's Blackbird - Dickcissel - Chimney Swift - Clay-coloured Sparrow - American Bittern - Bobolink - Eastern Meadowlark This was the 10th year that I've lead this trip since John Miles passed away so plant walks at the Oliphant Fen and Petrel Point were included. Participants were shown Linear-leaved Sundew, Pitcher Plant, Butterwort, Yellow and Showy Ladyslippers, Tall White Bog Orchid, Grass Pinks, Bog Cotton (also called Cotton Grass), and Tufted Loosestrife. Long-time participant Mary Ramotar also identified several other Bruce plants throughout the weekend. The species total was very good considering the weather conditions and I'm already looking forward to next year. Good birding, Cindy Cartwright Excellence can not be attained by aiming for 'good enough'. In fact, when expectations are lowered, standards usually fall to meet them. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
