Last Weeks Sightings

Well I got a chance to go out a couple of times last week before I caught my husband's cold that knocked me out on the couch by Saturday....I love my husband...

I went to go check out the Great Gray Owl again. It is starting to become a real circus down there with at least 35 cars lined up and down the road. Though for the most part it seems like organized chaos, chaos is chaos and I fear someone, or the owl, may get hit by a car. I sincerely hope that never happens. During what may be my last visit, I quickly took a couple of photos and left the owl, and its admires, to their domain.

Great Gray Owl on the McCain Sideroad near Kingsville. Photo by Marianne Reid-Balkwill.

I also checked out the onion fields and saw the Snowy Owl that frequents the the corn stubble between Concession E and D. I haven't had a chance to see this owl close up, but just to see a Snowy is exciting enough for me.


Snowy Owl in the Onion Fields. Photo by Marianne Reid-Balkwill

On Thursday, January 5th, I did a loop in Point Pelee National Park from White Pine picnic area, across the road, up the Chinquipin Oak Trail to Delaurier Trail, and then down south to check out Tilden and over to the campground. Not too many songbirds around this time of year, but patience and a good ear pays off. Here are a few highlights:

3 Red-breasted Nuthatch (across the parking lot at White Pine)
1 White-winged Crossbill (fly over Delaurier Parking Lot)
2 Carolina Wren (north Tilden)
1 Winter Wren (Delaurier)
1 Carolina Wren (Delaurier)
5 White-throated Sparrow (Delaurier)
2 Hermit Thrush (Tilden)
22 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Tilden to Centennial Trail)
1 Robin (Ander's Footpath)
10+Cedar Waxwing (campground)
Other birds around included European Starling, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, along with a single Golden-crowned Kinglet.

South of the campgrounds, while coaxing Yellow-rumped Warblers for better views, I caught a glimpse of one particular bird with a plainer face...."Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler?? Unfortunately, the bird only gave one quick look before it flew back into the woods.

Friday morning I went out again to walk the same loop before work, though I started not to feel very well, so I cut it short. I checked out the Yellow-rumps around the campground again. I persuaded them to come out into the open, but didn't see the plainer faced bird again. The only other birds I managed to see were 2 Carolina Wrens and 2 Black-capped Chickadees on Tilden Trail, along with 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet on Tilden Trail, and 2 Carolina Wren on the Centennial Trail.

I'm still floored about our balmy January weather. If I didn't have to work either afternoon I would have been tempted to look for butterflies. I have in fact seen a butterfly before in January, but it was such a windy day I couldn't ID it to species. I wonder if anyone will see a butterfly this January? If it gets warmer, I wouldn't be surprised.