George Pond’s Birdathon Report for 2024

(photo, above: Chipping Sparrow. Photo taken by NFN member George Pond)

By NFN Member George Pond

May 21 turned out to be a beautiful, but very hot day, a wonderful day to be in the “Great-out-of-doors.” I met my son David and daughter-in-law Heather at their rural home, south of Simcoe at 6 a.m. We ticked off the Great Horned Owl fledglings that had been begging for food throughout the night and headed for the St. Williams forest. It was already quite hot but there was enough song to keep us interested and we had soon ticked off Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded, Mourning, Chestnut-sided, Blue-winged, Pine, Ovenbird and Magnolia warblers. Red-eyed Vireos were common as were Eastern Towhees, Song and Chipping sparrows, Indigo Buntings and House Wrens. A Red-breasted Nuthatch was the only one of the day.

From here we checked for sparrows at the East Quarter line but only picked up a Field Sparrow and an American Goldfinch. We were disappointed that either a Vesper or Grasshopper Sparrow didn’t show up. From here we drove to the Long Point causeway, basically for a washroom break but did find Mute Swans, a Pied-billed Grebe, Mallards, a Black Tern, Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Barn Swallows and Red-winged Blackbirds. At the Port Rowan harbour we found the nesting Osprey, Northern Rough-winged and Tree swallows, Starlings, and House Sparrows. By now it was evident that we were going to be shy with ducks, but still hoped that we could reach close to 100 species. The lookout at the Port Rowan cemetery did not add anything more but we did add the Purple Martins at Birds Canada headquarters.

At some point I decided that we would walk into Backus Woods and check out the Prothonotary Warbler pond, my favourite place. I wasn’t in physical condition for the walk but couldn’t resist. It turned out to be great for my spirits but lousy for birds. No Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Wood Duck or Pileated Woodpecker but we did manage to pick up Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Wood Thrush and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. I think it was back on the sand road that a Golden-winged Warbler sang, which was a big surprise to me, but Heather’s Merlin app confirmed the call. Blue-winged Warblers are common in our area, but Golden-winged Warblers are rare.

The wood lot at the Old Cut banding lab was very quiet. Good for Carolina Wren, American Redstart Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Cardinal and Willow Flycatcher. I wasn’t into walking in either the new or old provincial parks, so we drove out Hastings Drive on Long Point picking up Eastern Kingbird, Double-crested Cormorant, Red-breasted Merganser, and Herring and Ring-billed gulls. We failed to find Sandhill Cranes or a Kingfisher or any shorebirds.

The bridge at Port Royal was good for Cliff Swallows and Rock Pigeons, which have been nesting here for years. Heather’s Merlin picked up a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher which I failed to hear and couldn’t find. Along the road we couldn’t find any Horned Larks but at the feeders on a farm near Clear Creek we found Orchard Orioles, House and Purple Finches as well as a Brown Thrasher singing in a tree just over our heads. Brown-headed Cowbirds, Mourning Doves, Common Grackles, and Baltimore Orioles were also here but we had been seeing them throughout the day. At another feeder we found a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

A field near Clear Creek had the usual Bobolinks which put on a great show with their bubbly singing and helicopter-like flying antics. They were quite close, and it was fun watching them in the grass. The black, white and yellow stood out like neon lights. Bobolinks are not rare birds but they are very uncommon in the Long Point area.

Lunch time was on a sand road that runs between the Wilson block and Coppens tract of woods owned by the Long Point Region Conservation Authority. We sat in the car, beside a vernal pond, windows down listening to the never-ending song of a Red-eyed Vireo. These birds are everywhere. We also spent much of our lunch time swatting the abundant mosquitos that had no trouble finding us. No other birds sang.

After lunch we drove along the dead-end sand road past “Rowan wood”, a nature sanctuary managed by the Norfolk Field Naturalists. We have had Alder Flycatchers here in the past and it used to be a sure spot for Golden-winged Warblers as well as Black-throated Green Warblers. We did hear a Blue-winged Warbler but that’s all. Back on the main gravel road we found a Vesper Sparrow on the wires and heard a Savanna Sparrow. The usual bluebirds did not put in an appearance.

By this time, I was getting tired. I guess my days of doing a “Big Day” are over. Anyway, we decided to head east towards Port Dover. On the way we stopped at the Long Point Eco Adventures property which overlooks the Turkey Point marsh. This property is owned jointly by my son David and a partner. It is quickly becoming a “Go-To” place as it has a lovely restaurant with a beautiful patio that overlooks the marsh as well as many “Safari-type” air-conditioned tents and other pods suitable for couples. It is popular with birders and other naturalists as well as mountain bikers as there are biking trails throughout the area. Anyway, we sat on the patio with a cold soda waiting for a Bald Eagle to fly along the ravine. A juvenile bird finally did. We also added a Northern Flicker here.

Dunlin (Photo by NFN member George Pond)

A quick search of the Turkey Point beach rewarded us with Dunlin and a Greater Yellowlegs, our only shorebirds except for Killdeer. There was nothing on the Port Dover pier other than hundreds of Ring-billed and Herring gulls but the ice-cream cones that we bought made the trip here worthwhile. From Dover we drove to the Nanticoke harbor, a spot that David and Heather had never seen. On the way we spotted a Wild Turkey that stopped and stared at us for a minute or two. At the harbor we found a Caspian Tern and a Blue-winged Teal — our last two birds for the day. It hadn’t been a great Birdathon, but it had been a great day. We had identified something like 84 species. The Merlin app had identified at least 10 others which we didn’t count.

I was exhausted but happy with “My day in the Woods” and decided to call quits.

Another Birdathon was over. How many was that? Probably my 45^th. I’m not sure. My records only go back to 1983 but I did a few before that time. I want to say thanks to my son David for driving and daughter-in-law Heather for keeping track of the birds identified. And, yes, for looking after me during our “Big Day”. I couldn’t have done it alone.