Recent news (or lack thereof)

Yeah, I haven't updated the blog with epic bird sightings over the past week. But there is a good reason for that! Mainly because I have not had any epic bird sightings lately.

Ever since being back at school, I have been quite busy and haven't really been out much. Some of this is schoolwork, but mostly it is socializing since that didn't happen a whole lot this summer. I had grand plans this weekend to do some birding, but yesterday and today left me nursing a hangover instead. Oh well.

I did actually get out for a bit yesterday afternoon and headed over to Guelph Lake in the north part of town. This man-made lake is a favorite local spot of mine and the site where Dan Riley and I had a Parasitic Jaeger (first Wellington Co. record I think?) on October 22, 2010. Unfortunately it was very quiet there today. Water levels were way down leaving quite a lot of mudflats, however only Killdeer and a single Spotted Sandpiper were present. A few ducks included an American Wigeon and some Green-winged Teal. Various songbirds were flitting around the edges, but nothing noteworthy.
I then checked out the ponds along York Road east of downtown, and was surprised to see several hundred geese hanging out. They seemed to be mostly the interior subspecies, and with them were 6 spanking Cackling Geese. The cacklers were hanging out in a type group off to the edge of the flock.

Here are a few photos I took at the OFO conference a few weekends back that I finally got around to editing.

White-rumped and Pectoral Sandpipers - Tilbury lagoons

Double-crested Cormorant - Point Pelee tip

Orange Sulfur - west beach footpath, Point Pelee

Fiery Skipper - west beach footpath, Point Pelee

In other news....
It is now October, which means it is prime rarity finding time! Once this weather system finally passes to the east and more birders get out with the fine weather forecasted, I wouldn't be surprised if a few good birds turn up.
The season is definitely heating up and there have been some decent sightings lately.

- Holiday Beach had its second Swainson's Hawk of the season yesterday, a dark-morph adult. Jealous...

- at least 2 Lark Sparrows have been found in the province, and there could definitely be more!

- an American Avocet made an appearance at Rondeau yesterday (J. Burk) and there was a flock reported from Port Burwell as well (J. Stephenson et. al)

- a female Common Eider was reported from Grafton (between Cobourg and Presquille) and is still being seen (M. Bain)

Also, check out these photos of a Franklin's and Black-headed Gull from across the pond in Ohio. Taken by Geoff Malosh. This location also had 4 American Avocets. Why is it that some of these places along the lake get avocets just about every day, and on our side they are relatively rare?

http://home.earthlink.net/~pomarine/index.html

That's all for now.