Rare warblers and a shorebird near Halifax

Last night I arrived in Halifax to spend the next 9 days or so with Laura and her family. This week she was working at a veterinary clinic and had a long day scheduled for today (Friday), which provided me with an opportunity to drop her off in the morning, go birding all day, and pick her up in the evening!

My best bird of the day came as I was birding near the back cove at Harlen Point, located near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Hartlen Point is a fantastic rarity magnet, and was the location where I successfully twitched a provincial first Ross's Goose in January 2013, and the provincial second Eurasian Kestrel last December. Around late morning as I was exiting Back Cove, I was quite surprised to see an oystercatcher flying my way. It followed the shoreline to Back Cove, circled around, and exited the mouth of the channel, continuing north along the coast. I was hoping that it would have the diagnostic white rump of a Eurasian Oystercatcher, but unfortunately that was not the case! American Oystercatcher was actually a life bird for me as I had missed them previously in Florida, Colombia and Panama. I'm  not sure if there are any previous records of American Oystercatcher for the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). In Canada the only place to reliable see them is around the islands off the extreme south tip of Nova Scotia where a few nest each year. The odd vagrant has shown up elsewhere in the Maritimes, while Ontario and Quebec even have the odd record. The decision to leave my camera in the car was a poor one this time, however, as I could have smoked some decent shots.

I wanted to relocate the oystercatcher so I decided to focus the rest of my birding to points further east. Unfortunately the persistent fog lasted all day, rendering beach-checking and sea-watching practically useless!

The other two highlights of the day occurred as I slowly drove a back road near Lower Three Fathom Harbour. My strategy for finding rare landbirds was to slowly troll along roads near the coast, listening for the tell tale chips, zeets and chucks of flocks of chickadees or warblers. Often rarities will join up with these roving flocks.

This strategy worked to a tee today! I stopped to investigate a few chip notes, and with a bit of "encouragement" I was able to rile up a whole flock of chickadees and warblers. Black-capped Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers made up the bulk of the flock, while a few Boreal Chickadees, Common Yellowthroats and Red-breasted Nuthatches were also accounted for. Something bright and yellow down low in the alders immediately grabbed my attention. It was a Blue-winged Warbler! After a mad dash to the car, I was ready with the camera, but the bird proved very skulky and nearly impossible to focus on. As I was failing with my photography, another bright yellow bird popped up. This time it was a young female Prairie Warbler!

Eventually with a bit of patience I photographed both species, though my Blue-winged Warbler shots are less than ideal.

female Blue-winged Warbler - Lower Three Fathom Harbour, Nova Scotia (August 21, 2015)

Both Prairie and Blue-winged Warblers are species that breed further south and west of Nova Scotia, yet every autumn small numbers of mainly hatch year individuals of each species end up in the Maritimes after presumably getting blown off course. Prairie is more regular as a vagrant than Blue-winged, but both show up each autumn in Nova Scotia.

female Prairie Warbler - Lower Three Fathom Harbour, Nova Scotia (August 21, 2015)

I have to say I really enjoy birding on the east coast, where vagrant hunting seems much more productive than back home in Ontario! Rarities could be around any bend, and often they are. Now if only one of those funny looking Black Terns would end up our way...

female Prairie Warbler - Lower Three Fathom Harbour, Nova Scotia (August 21, 2015)

Summer phalaroping

Over the last few weeks I haven't ventured outside in search of wildlife as frequently as I had earlier in the spring and summer. After a rushed spring migration followed by a long and busy field season, this late summer "hangover" is an annual occurrence for me. The period from mid July to mid August is traditionally very slow for birding in this part of the continent. The breeding birds are finishing up nesting duty and preparing for migration, remaining mostly hidden and relatively silent in the deep foliage. Reptiles and amphibians, my other main interest besides birds, are still very much present this time of year but often much more difficult to encounter than during the late spring and early summer period. The heat and humidity can be oppressive, and August signals the beginning of ragweed season for me. All the more reason to catch up on projects indoors, sit on patios, go to Jays games, and generally take a bit of a break from all that naturalizing! After all, September and October will be very busy for me with the excitement of autumn migration.

But even during the dog days of summer migration is well underway , particularly with shorebirds. Species like Short-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs are some of the first birds to begin moving south. Due to the length of the migration season for yellowlegs in particular, it is not unheard of for the first autumn migrants to be returning south in June (!) while some lingering spring migrants are still making their way up north.

While shorebirding in York Region is usually rather dismal, this year the 4th cell at the Holland Landing lagoons have been partially drawn down, revealing some suitable muddy habitat for shorebirds and gulls to feed or rest on. It has been a nice break after working in the office to swing by Holland Landing on my way home and spend an hour watching the birds do their thing. It is still about a 25 minute drive for me, but I try to stop by a few times a week. (For those considering a visit - note that the lagoons are posted no trespassing, but I have never had an issue being there).

Shorebirds have generally consisted of the usual species expected this time of year - good numbers of Killdeer and Spotted Sandpipers which nest at the lagoons, a few dozen Lesser Yellowlegs, a mixture of both Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, two or three Solitary Sandpipers and the odd Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs or Semipalmated Plover. Bonaparte's Gulls have numbered close to 200 in recent days, and the duck flock is steadily growing, incorporating close to 100 Blue-winged Teal, 30+ Green-winged Teal, American Black Ducks, and today the first Northern Shoveler. I've been keeping an eye out for a teal with a longer bill, but alas no luck with a Cinnamon Teal yet!

Last week I had finished up with the shorebirds in the 4th pond and had turned my attention to the group of Bonaparte's Gulls floating on the 3rd pond when a small white bird caught my attention way in the back. I cranked the scope up to 60x and was pleasantly surprised to see the dot morph into a very crisp, juvenile Red-necked Phalarope. Red-necked Phalaropes are generally pelagic species, breeding in the arctic and spending much of the rest of the year floating on the open ocean. But every year small numbers will pass through Ontario and it is not too uncommon for them to stop by sewage lagoons during the autumn. My checklist of York Region Birds lists Red-necked as less than annual, and there are no previous eBird records for the county. I do know of at least one relatively recent record from Holland Landing, from August, 2006. The phalarope was much too far for good photos (my phone-scoped shots are hardly worth mentioning!), so here is a photo of one that tolerated my close approach on James Bay during August, 2012.

Red-necked Phalarope - James Bay (August 9, 2012)

I called David Szmyr who lives in Barrie and is doing an Ontario "big year". He raced down and quickly added it to the list later that evening! The phalarope remained at the lagoons for at least four days, last being reported on August 13.

 I visited again yesterday after work to see what had dropped in. The fourth lagoon often has a group of gulls, ducks and shorebirds resting on a mud flat that is not visible unless one walks south down the berm for a few dozen meters, as the birds here are hidden by overgrown vegetation. I had cautiously began walking down the berm when the ducks noticed my presence, and instantly all 200+ took to the air. However, I had noticed a plump little shorebird moments before the flurry of wings and had managed to get on the bird as the ducks and Bonaparte's Gulls headed over to the 3rd pond. It appeared phalarope-like and the white rump combined with a lack of wing stripe clinched the ID as Wilson's Phalarope. After landing on the water for a few minutes, it flew back to the 4th pond and settled on the mudflat with the returning gulls.

Like the Red-necked earlier, this one was also a crisp juvenile, and it remained content to forage in the shallow water with the Lesser Yellowlegs. With the sun at my back I relished this rare opportunity (for me at least) to study a juvenile Wilson's at close range. Unfortunately my camera was at home, so phone-scoping was the order of the day. Wilson's Phalaropes are the least pelagic of the three phalarope species, breeding along ponds throughout the prairies of western North America. Ontario has a few breeding Wilson's Phalaropes including a small population in the prairie-like sedge marshes of the James Bay coast. Migrants can be generally rare to encounter, however.

Wilson's Phalarope - Holland Landing (August 18, 2015)

In the next photo, the Wilson's Phalarope is in the foreground and a Lesser Yellowlegs is feeding behind it. They can look surprisingly similar, especially when wading in moderately deep water, obscuring their legs. The very thin bill, plump white body, and facial pattern easily give it away as a Wilson's if you are looking close enough. The Wilson's also fed much more erratically and even spun around in the water a few times.

Wilson's Phalarope and two Lesser Yellowlegs - Holland Landing (August 18, 2015)

Needless to say I was on the phone with Dave again, and he had to cancel evening plans with his lady once more to race back down to the lagoons. Luckily for him, this will only happen once more this year, as Red Phalarope is the only remaining phalarope to find!

February 19 and 20, 2015 - Hanabanilla Reservoir, Cayo Santa Maria

February 10-11, 2015 - Viñales Valley
February 10-11, 2015 - hotel birding in the Viñales Valley
February 12, 2015 - Parque Nacional La Guira and Soroa
February 13, 2015 - Reserva Sierra del Rosaria, town of Las Terrazas
February 14, 2015 - Soroa to Zapata
February 15, 2015 - Zapata Swamp
February 16 and 17, 2015 - Trinidad and Ancon Peninsula
February 18, 2015 - the Escambray Mountains
February 19 and 20, 2015 - Hanabanilla Reservoir, Cayo Santa Maria
February 21, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria
February 22, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria

The Hanabanilla Dam is an embankment dam along the Hanabanilla River, trapping a quarter billion cubic meters of water in a makeshift lake within a valley. The water is used for hydro generation, and it is in fact the largest generating station in the country. On February 19 we made the short drive over the mountains and down into the valley to take a boat ride across the "lake".

view of the Hanabanilla River

our trustry tour bus

The clouds were threatening and the temperature was a cool 16 degrees or so with a brisk wind. We climbed aboard, spotting a Little Blue Heron and Pied-billed Grebe close to the shoreline.

embarking our vessel

The boat ride was interesting with several nice bird sightings along the way. Scattered small groups of Lesser Scaup and American Coot, both new "trip birds", hugged the shoreline, while we encountered a large group of several hundred birds in a sheltered bay. Most of the ducks were scaup, there were small numbers of Ruddy Ducks and Blue-winged Teals, as well as a single Ringnecked Duck. Later on a Northern Pintail flew over the boat and a pair of tiny Least Grebes kept a cautious eye on us as they swam away from the boat.

After a delicious lunch outside under thatched roofs, several of the group had an opportunity make the 20 minute hike to a lookout point overlooking the reservoir. By this point the sun had came out, making for a pleasant afternoon.

We embarked on our boat once again, making the short trip to the far end of the reservoir where our bus was waiting. From here we left the south part of the country, making good time on the roads to the north coast of Cuba while our guide, Acosta explained the history of the area we were passing through and discussed the Cuban Revolution, including the role that Che Guevara played in it.

By late afternoon we crossed the 40 km or length causeway connecting the mainland to Cayo Santa Maria and surrounding keys. As this was our first taste of the north coast we became acquainted with our first Magnificent Frigatebirds, along with occasional shorebirds on the edge of the causeway. The winds had picked up by the time we arrived at our accomodations, threatening to put an end to our planned catamaran and snorkeling tour the following day.

shoreline of Cayo Santa Maria

Unfortunately the winds hadn't subsided overnight, and the wind and waves had stirred the water to such a degree as to make the visibility during snorkeling futile. Our alternate plan was to bird some of the scrub and wetlands throughout the eastern end of the island.

Wading birds were abundant, with the diversity changing by the hour. Great Egrets always had a strong presence.

Great Egrets - Cayo Santa Maria

Several terns were fishing over the wetlands, providing an opportunity for flight shots.

Royal Tern - Cayo Santa Maria

Royal Tern - Cayo Santa Maria

One of the more popular species of the day was Reddish Egret, a wading bird that is relatively localized in its worldwide distribution, with the Caribbean at the heart of its range.

Reddish Egret - Cayo Santa Maria

Reddish Egret - Cayo Santa Maria

Reddish Egret - Cayo Santa Maria

Some new shorebird species made their way onto the trip list, including Willet, Stilt Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper and a rare in winter Pectoral Sandpiper. Many of the birds were quite approachable, allowing great comparison view in the scope of Stilt Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs. The 90+ flock of Black-necked Stilts was also nice to scope from close range!

 The duck list also grew, and additions of Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Red-breasted Merganser and American Wigeon left very few "easy" ones to get later.

Perhaps the biggest highlight for many of the clients was the small group of Roseate Spoonbills frequenting the wetlands. The first was nearly hidden, tucked away at the back of the wetland with some egrets, but after a while several more came in, flying low over the group.

Roseate Spoonbill - Cayo Santa Maria

The final new bird was a Sora which called once from the cover of dense vegetation, capping off an enjoyable morning of birding.

February 18, 2015 - the Escambray Mountains, Cuba

February 10-11, 2015 - Viñales Valley
February 10-11, 2015 - hotel birding in the Viñales Valley
February 12, 2015 - Parque Nacional La Guira and Soroa
February 13, 2015 - Reserva Sierra del Rosaria, town of Las Terrazas
February 14, 2015 - Soroa to Zapata
February 15, 2015 - Zapata Swamp
February 16 and 17, 2015 - Trinidad and Ancon Peninsula
February 18, 2015 - the Escambray Mountains
February 19 and 20, 2015 - Hanabanilla Reservoir, Cayo Santa Maria
February 21, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria
February 22, 2015 - Cayo Santa Maria

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we left the mangroves and beaches behind, drove through the streets of the colorful city of Trinidad, and climbed a windy road through the forested foothills of the Escambray Mountains. Our destination was Topes de Collantes, a nature reserve park that protects the forests, waterfalls, caves, and of course the flora and fauna that reside in these mountains.

We stopped for a quick break partway through our descent of the foothills. A short walk to an observation tower provided a panoramic view of the countryside to the south. Peering through the distant haze, one could see the Ancon Peninsula jutting into the Caribbean, our home base for the past two nights.

I thought this was kind of a neat photo, showing two of the clients looking at a Red-legged Thrush (top left).

Several Great Lizard-Cuckoos vocalized from the nearby scrub, but staying mostly out of site. These birds can be very difficult to photograph well, reminding me of our Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos from back home.

foothills of the Escambray Mountains

We arrived at our destination of Topes de Collantes shortly after. Despite a bit of a mix up we arranged a "Russian Limousine" - a converted Russian army truck - to escort us on the narrow roads into the mountains. It encountered some mechanical issues, which, combined with the slick roads due to the recent rain caused us to be dropped off a short walk from our destination to begin a nice hike through the forest.

Russian limousine - Escambray Mountains

During our hike we were able to observe several of the Cuban specialties reasonably well, including Cuban Peewee, Cuban Bullfinch, Cuban Tody and an abundance of Cuban Trogons. We learned about some of the native, endemic plants found in these mountains as well as stopping to appreciate the various butterflies and flowers we encountered. We explored a cave where Bare-legged Owls roost in on occasion, though none were accommodating this time around. Several Cuban Pygmy-Owls were calling, however, as we hiked through the landscape, and one flew directly across the trail, right over our heads!

Loggerhead Kingbirds are abundant in open habitats, and the grassy areas at the edge of woodlands here were no different. This individual was quite tolerant of our group's approach, and even held still for some photos.

Loggerhead Kingbird - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Our lunch was being prepared over an open fire nearby - it was a large pig on a spit, smelling absolutely delicious....

Dinner  - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Once our hike concluded we retired back at a restaurant - Hacienda Codina -  tucked away in the hills for lunch. Several of the clients were more interested in the gardens encircling the restaurant, as good numbers of Cuban Emeralds, Western Spindalis, Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds and wintering wood-warblers were feeding on the plants or on the insects attracted to them, and some Scaly-naped Pigeons roosted at the tops of distant trees..

male Western Spindalis - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

male Western Spindalis - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Cuban Emerald - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Tawny-shouldered Blackbird - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Cape May Warblers are always a crowd pleaser. A bright male fed on the Bottlebrush flowers, while several females with their subdued plumage sat in a nearby shrub. The gray/yellow pattern on the head, the thick breast streaking, and yellowish green rump were subtle clues to the birds' identities, compared to the bright red cheek and striking plumage of the male.

male Cape May Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

female Cape May Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

female Cape May Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

This West Indian Woodpecker kept a very close eye on us as we dined.

West Indian Woodpecker - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

West Indian Woodpecker - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

After finishing our delicious roast pig meal, several bouts of rain pushed through the area. We were delegated to watching the birds from the comfort of the restaurant and its overhanging roof. Between storms I ventured out to photograph some of the birds as they attempted to dry out. 

Cuban Emerald - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Cuban Emerald - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Red-legged Thrush - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Red-legged Thrush - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Red-legged Thrush - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Red-legged Thrush - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Red-legged Thrush - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Our Russian Limousine was delayed in picking us up - we were later told that there was a shortage of them as some were going through various mechanical problems. It was frustrating to say the least as it meant changing our itinerary for the day, but fortunately the Clients were quite easy going and accommodating with the change. Besides, the birding at the restaurant was so good!

While not a wild, native species, I couldn't help but snap a few photos of these too cute baby chickens.

The highlight of the day, and perhaps the trip (for me) was the Townsend's Warbler that we discovered and identified on the restaurant grounds. As I was photographing the above Red-legged Thrush on the road a short distance from the restaurant, I heard someone call my name. I returned to the restaurant and was informed about an interesting warbler that was in the garden that went unidentified. Some thought it was a weird Black-throated Green, while another possibility was a Blackburnian. Not 5 minutes later a small yellowish warbler popped up on top of a nearby shrub. I looked at it with my binoculars and had to suppress a slew of profanities - it was a Townsend's Warbler!! 

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

I quickly called over whoever was in earshot - fortunately the bird was relatively to easy to get on as it fed in one area for several minutes. I fired off a series of photos as well, as "proof" of the identification.

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Townsend's Warblers breed throughout mature coniferous forests in western North America, from Alaska to Oregon. Their winter range extends along the Pacific Coast and down through Mexico into Central America. The reason I was so excited about this find is because their range does not include Cuba, a fact confirmed when flipping through our Cuban field guides and seeing no mention of the species. 

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

We only had a few minutes to view this bird before our truck arrived to take us back to the entrance, but all of the birders in my group had reasonable views of the bird before we pulled ourselves away. Pretty good timing :) 

Townsend's Warbler - Escambray Mountains (Feb 18, 2015)

Once returning from our trip I did some looking around and fired off some emails to Cuban bird experts, confirming that this was indeed the first record for Cuba. There is a recent record from Grand Cayman, the only other record I am aware of for the Greater Antilles. Florida, however, has quite a few records, including over a dozen on ebird. I am sure that if Cuba had the birding coverage of Florida there would be a few more records of this species.

Our afternoon finished by visiting a nearby shade-grown coffee plantation while the rains came down outside, before making the short drive to our nearby hotel. Despite the rain, it was an excellent day, and perhaps one of the most memorable of the trip for many.

Rarity chase to Point Pelee - May 20

The weekend had been quite successful from a birding point of view as I had managed to see Mississippi Kite, King Rail, Blue Grosbeak, Snowy Egret, Glossy Ibis, Henslow's Sparrow, and Nelson's Sparrow. A solid collection of rarities, though none were red-letter mega rarities that we always hope for, especially during the middle of May.

I arrived at my parents' place in Cambridge that evening, staying for dinner than going for a nice walk at a local area where we were able to enjoy watching Common Yellowthroats and Veeries - both first time views for mom and dad. As we were finishing up the hike while the sun set I received an email notification - an Ontbirds message. A group of birders, including Alan Wormington, Jeremy Hatt, Jeremy Bensette and Rick Mayos had found a Mottled Duck at Hillman Marsh!

Mottled Duck, superficially resembles something like a cross between an American Black Duck and Mallard, can be found in marshes and other wetlands in the southeastern United States. One population is found throughout Florida up the Atlantic coast to North Carolina, while a separate subspecies is confined to the Gulf Coast from northern Mexico to Alabama. Mottled Ducks likely have a relatively recent common ancestor with Mallard and American Black Duck as they are able to produce fertile hybrids where their ranges overlap.

It was a little annoying that the bird was found at Hillman Marsh about six hours after I had combed through the area, but the bird was not present earlier. I recall scanning all the ducks thoroughly, there were only a few Mallards when I was present, and the birders who found it watched it fly in with a group of Mallards. At least I was in Cambridge when it was found, as opposed to my place back in Aurora!

I certainly wasn't looking forward to turning around and driving back down the 401 to Point Pelee, but this was a bird I couldn't pass up. It may not be the most "exciting" of vagrant birds as it resembles a Mallard, but it was only the second time one had been reported in Ontario (and Canada!). Interestingly enough, the only prior record of a Mottled Duck was also of a bird at Hillman Marsh, from May 1 to June 6, 2008. I remember at the time I was a brand new birder. I had one day to bird the north shore of Lake Erie that spring which I spent at Rondeau Provincial Park. I recall that instead of chasing the Mottled Duck I decided to stay at Rondeau, where I could see potentially 10 lifers instead of just one at Hillman! I wasn't about to let this Mottled Duck slip by as well.

The alarm went off at 2:30 that next morning and by quarter to three I was on my way, heading west into the night. The lack of traffic made the drive quite tolerable, and as the sky behind me began to show the first signs of dawn I exited the highway at Tilbury and drove down to Hillman Marsh, pulling into the parking lot at 5:30 AM. The local Point Pelee birders had watched the Mottled Duck until well after sunset the evening before, leaving little doubt that it would be roosting there. Despite arriving before sunrise, a number of ducks were flying around the cell in the pre-dawn light. It was with a touch of anxiety and serious concentration that I scanned through all the ducks in the shorebird cell. No luck. I told myself to relax and scan again, and this time I caught a glimpse of a suspicious looking duck near the back of the cell, obscured behind other ducks. It was the Mottled! I switched from spotting scope to camera, and in the excitement bumped my scope, causing it to fall hard on the ground, causing a loud bang. Well wouldn't you know it, most of the ducks took off and flew away, including the Mottled Duck. I looked around and luckily no other birders were present to witness my colossal error! The scope was OK, and I waited while the ducks slowly filtered back in. Finally, after about 5 minutes, a small group of Mallard containing the suspicious looking duck settled back into the wetland. This time, I enjoyed prolonged, though distant views and was able to go over all the field marks. This was the bird all right.

My photos leave a lot to be desired - heck the bird probably isn't even ID-able with these poor record shots!

Mottled Duck (second from left) - Hillman Marsh 

Mottled Duck (second from left) - Hillman Marsh 

Mottled Duck (second from right) - Hillman Marsh 

Brandon McWalters soon arrived and got on the bird, thenI  ran into Chris Gaffan as I was leaving. I had to race back to Hamilton to complete my surveys that morning but made a quick stop at Wheatley harbour to scan the gulls. A couple hundred gulls were on the beach, and in an attempt to not flush them all I walked through the dune grasses along the shore, further east. A small streaky sparrow flushed from my feet, and after a few seconds of observation it stepped out into the open to reveal itself as a Henslow's Sparrow! This was my fourth self-found Henslow's, and my first outside of Point Pelee National Park. I went back for my camera, but upon returning the Henslow's was very difficult to observe well, let alone photograph. I decided to stop pursuing it to prevent it undue stress and also to allow other birders to see the bird (it ended up being seen by several others throughout the rest of the day). Here is a photo of a typical Henslow's seen in migration, from last spring at Point Pelee.

Henslow's Sparrow (May 4, 2014)

It was a pretty productive hour and a half in the Point Pelee birding area! And I even made it back to Hamilton in time for my surveys....