Pelee update

I have been at Point Pelee for a few days now, and the migrants have slowly been trickling in. The birding has been relatively slow, but it is spring and new year birds are being seen daily!

In the last few days, some of the highlights include:

-13 species of shorebirds (including 2 Long-billed Dowitchers, a Willet that flew into the shorebird cell this evening as we were watching, and an early Semipalmated Plover)

roof vulture

-8 species of warblers including great comparisons between Louisiana and Northern Waterthrushes

-12 species of sparrows (13 if you include the Lark Sparrow from April 24)

-Eastern Whip-poor-will: 1 bird sitting on the main park road at 9:00 PM on April 24

-year birds in Blue-headed Vireo, House Wren, Eastern Kingbird and Wood Thrush

Today was pretty slow for songbirds, however while walking the west beach footpath with Steve Pike, Jeremy Bensette, and Jeremy's friend Chris, we flushed a streaky sparrow. It ended up being a nice Grasshopper Sparrow, perching out in the open for several minutes. My earliest I've had in Ontario! Jeremy took some half decent pics.

Later on in the day, I was at De Laurier parking lot with Jeremy and Blake Mann, when a small sparrow flew by calling. The call sounded off for it to be a Chipping Sparrow - it was a Clay-colored Sparrow! One had been found there that morning by Ross and Sandy Mackintosh.

Clay-colored Sparrow - Point Pelee National Park

Clay-colored Sparrow - Point Pelee National Park

I'm excited for what the next few days will bring. Ken Burrell had 10 species of warblers (including a nice Prothonotary) and 100 total species on Pelee Island today,  so I think it is only a matter of time until new migrants flood in. We're hoping for some overnight rain to ground migrants at Point Pelee.