Going Cuckoo at Point Pelee....

It was always going to be quieter at Point Pelee this morning and with overcast conditions and a glassy calm lake it sure looked like it. First bird of the day was a Western Osprey on the drive in. However, you can never foretell what will happen in migration time and an initial search around the point revealed very little except for a confiding Red-eyed Vireo motionless in a bush. 

Red-eyed Vireo

Then all of a sudden a Black-billed Cuckoo flew through and set the pulses racing and we had a reasonable view of it perched before it disappeared. Then we followed this with a male Cerulean Warbler hanging around some bushes along the beach and although the light was quite gloomy it showed quite well overhead. 

Cerulean Warbler

There were other previously seen warblers around but nothing new, then all of a sudden a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was called but flew away just before anyone could get on it. So we returned to the Visitor Centre for a coffee and cookie before hopping back on the tram and returning to the point as we had heard the Yellow-billed Cuckoo was apparently sitting motionless along a trail. 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

As we pulled in to the tram stop area we could see people taking photographs of something and walked over and sure enough there was the Cuckoo sat on the top of a tree. Wow. We spent a few minutes watching it before it flew away and then everyone split up for a quick check of the point. I managed to get a few shots of a Black-billed Cuckoo posing nicely during this period but there wasn’t much else around apart from Greater Scaup and Slavonian Grebe.

Black-billed Cuckoo

Afterwards we took the tram to the mid-point and checked out West Beach for another reported Kirtland’s Warbler without success before walking the Woodland Trail. Our target was Yellow-breasted Chat and sure enough we connected with a very obliging individual that began feeding along a creek before shooting up into the large tree overhead. Just a few metres away was a very large downy immature Great Horned Owl sat on a nest as well and further along the trail Lee scoped a Common Nighthawk perched in a bare tree quite some distance away. 

Common Nighthawk by Lee Collins

After that we staked out a singing Blackpoll Warbler that had taken residence in an area of pine trees by the Botham Loop near the Visitor Centre and was very hard to see well, although we did see it singing overhead. 

Blackpoll Warbler

Whilst in this area a cracking Philadelphia Vireo was seen well, and we also had Cape May, Chestnut-sided, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, Pine, Yellow and Myrtle Warblers…!

Lunch at the Visitor Centre was followed by a fruitless check of the point before we drove to some pools in a housing development that we had heard was good for shorebirds. Just a few small pools and stubble field held 100+ Dunlin, Grey Plovers, 3 Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers and a Semipalmated Sandpiper. 

Least Sandpiper

In the fields a Horned Lark and American Pipit were seen. Nearby Hillman Marsh was a little quiet with highlights being 8 species of duck including Canvasback, Redhead, Wood Duck and Green-winged Teal but they were all on the far side of the lagoon and too far for a photo.

Lesser Yellowlegs

A few Short-billed Dowitchers and a Lesser Yellowlegs were nice, and a Merlin did its best to mess up proceedings. And that was our day. 

The Big Fall at Point Pelee

Well, we can say that we were there on the day of The Big Fall. It really did happen and looking back I still can’t quite believe it. An epic day of 25 species of warbler on the tip of Point Pelee and it was literally raining birds that dropped into every conceivable sheltered spot to rest and feed, most of them within arm’s length. Even on the tram ride to the tip I could see that the treetops were alive with birds and one can only imagine how many thousands of individual birds were involved today. It was non-stop action from dawn to dusk and I can’t ever remember my arms aching so much from the constant raising of binocular and camera. It was absolutely awesome and we were truly lucky to witness one of nature’s most amazing spectacles - it was indeed the miracle of migration happening right in front of us. To be honest you can use every superlative imaginable and it still wouldn’t relate the excitement, fervour and sheer good fun to be here on a day like this. I must admit I was  bit stunned really as everywhere you looked there was another brightly coloured sprite to look at and you never knew what was coming next. We spent the whole day here and you always felt like there was something new just around the corner. I think the collection of photos I took today sum the event up better than any prose that my still fuzzy brain can cobble together… 

American Redstart (male)

American Redstart (male)

American Redstart (female)

Just two Bay-breasted Warblers were seen today

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warblers were everywhere today

Blackburnian Warbler - my personal favourite

Just the one Blue-winged Warbler was found today.

Canada Warbler was a good sighting today.

Cape May Warblers arrived en-masse today - never seen so many...

Chestnut-sided Warbler was very common

Magnolia Warbler was also common

Lots of Northern Parula today as well

Birds were landing on the beach - Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler was very common today

Pine Warbler is quite unusual here

Scarlet Tanagers were everywhere

The commonest of them all - Yellow Warbler

   

Point Pelee and Rondeau Provincial Park

We woke to light rain this morning and were soon driving the 15 minutes to Point Pelee. Upon arrival we took the electric bus down to the tip in company with many other birders but the wet and windy conditions were not conducive to seeing migrants and in fact there was very little around. 

Baltimore Oriole is very common here.

A Wood Thrush, Savannah Sparrow, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-eyed Vireo and a few Yellow Warblers were all that was on offer so we returned to the Visitor Centre for a much-needed cup of coffee and some cake. With news of a Prothonotary Warbler being seen at Pioneer we drove to this area situated further inland and on the leeward side of the promontory, seeing Wild Turkey and a Merlin along the way. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

A good walk around the trails continued in much the same vain with little on offer apart from our first Swainson’s Thrushes, Eastern Kingbird, Common Yellowthroat and 4 Spotted Sandpipers along the beach, although walking to the next parking area was better. Many more birds such as Red-bellied Woodpecker, Orchard & Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Grey Catbirds, White-crowned Sparrow and both Veery & Hermit Thrush were present, but alas no new migrants. So from here we checked out a few small pools near the entrance gate for a reported Stilt Sandpiper, although this bird seemed to have departed we had a flock of Dunlin, 3 Least Sandpipers, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Semipalmated Plovers, and a Short-billed Dowitcher. The pools were a bit distant so no photos.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

Then we decided to drive just over an hour to Rondeau Provincial Park, and upon arrival called in to the Visitor Centre for a welcoming bowl of soup and some coffee. The feeding station, as well as attracting birders, also provides nourishment for a variety of birds and we had incredible close-ups of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch amongst others. 

Downy Woodpecker

Then we drove to where a Prothonotary Warbler had been sighted and amazingly after a short walk and a little wait we actually connected with this key bird. It was feeding around some pools in the forest and keeping low, just above the water in some fallen trees and branches and we were fortunate to be able to stay with it for half an hour. 

Prothonotary Warbler

What an awesome bird and it has been maybe 10 years since I last saw one of these. Whilst watching this a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a Brown Creeper appeared as well, and a Least Flycatcher a little while later. Then we walked along some trails and eventually came across a small flock with Northern Parula, Blue-headed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Blackburnian Warbler and the ultra-common Yellow Warbler. 

Yellow-throated Vireo

Red-headed Woodpecker

A quick check of the Paddock area revealed nothing new apart from a fine Red-headed Woodpecker so we drove back to Leamington and an early dinner. But none of us could ever have expected the amazing events that would occur tomorrow...........