Monday, May 18, 2009

STOP THE PRESS: Black Swift new edition to the Point Pelee Checklist and second record for Ontario!

Well, I do believe the bird of the spring, if not the whole year, showed up at Point Pelee yesterday, May 17th, 2009. The species is the Black Swift, a second record for Ontario (the first being May 21st, 2006 at Long Point) and the first record for Point Pelee Birding Area, bringing that grand total to #386 species.

The original observer was Eric Holden, and Brandon Holden did take photos of the bird. I will post a link to OFO if photos are submitted. According to an ontbirds post, the bird was seen a total of 4 times flying of the visitor centre parking lot, associating with Chimney Swifts and swallows. That morning there was a heavy influx of midges in the park, which, with these cold temperatures, would make an insectivore salivate!

Perhaps the bird got caught in the huge front that stretched down to Texas, that came through on the 16th? I guess we will never know. Needless to say, after those 4 trips around the visitor centre, the bird was never seen again. I wonder if it will ever be located, or will it continue its journey foraging for insects elsewhere?

4 comments:

  1. I see that Long Point had a Black Swift at the Tip on May 12! So that is their second. Apparently it was photographed.

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  2. Yep! They post on their sightings board. (but most of these are on the point--not accessible to the public). Link:

    http://www.bsc-eoc.org/longpoint/index.jsp?targetpg=lpbosight&lang=EN

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  3. Wow! What are the chances of this?!

    Great new bird for Pelee!

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