Ken and I returned from an excellent weekend of birding on Pelee Island today. Obviously, the Burrowing Owl was the highlight. This bird was just such an incredible find that we still can't quite believe! We found it on April 25 at about 6:50 pm, and by about 7:15 pm had all of the birders(~5) on the island with us viewing it! We first found it at a newly dug irrigation ditch 800m south of Scudder on Centre Dyke road, it was sitting on a snag overlooking the ditch, then flew about 20 feet to the bare field when we stopped the car. When we got out of the car it flew about 50 feet down the ditch and then settled down into a low spot, where it sat with just its head sticking up, until we left it at about 8:15 pm. We checked back first thing (about 6:30 am) on the 26th and several times throughout the day and again this morning, but could not relocate it. Photos have been sent to OFO, and will be sent to OBRC with documentation. To view the pictures now click here: http://www.naturesbestcreations.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=8336#8336 Besides the Burrowing Owl we still had very good bird activity both of the full days we were there (the 25th and 26th) we finished with 128 species on the Island (plus another 22 on the mainland) for the weekend, not bad for April! Here are our (other) highlights: numbers are given for the 25th then 26th (unless otherwise noted) While the 25th was very good, numbers of some of the temperate migrants dropped while diversity of neotropical migrants increased on the 26th. We mostly birded the east side of the island, the best spots for us being Lighthouse point, Loraine Lane, and the municipal campground area (just south of Loraine Lane along the east shore road) Tundra Swan - 1 today in ditch on Mersea road E Red-necked Grebe - 4 on the 26th off lighthouse point Peregrine Falcon - 1 / 1 Sandhill Crane - 8 on the 24th at Tilden's wood Point Pelee Red-headed Woodpecker - 1 / 2 Least Flycatcher -0 / 1 Great Crested Flycatcher -0 / 1 Eastern Kingbird - 1 / 0 White-eyed Vireo - 0 / 4 Warbling Vireo - 0 / 4 Red-eyed Vireo - 0 / 2 Veery - 0 / 2 Gray-cheeked Thrush - 0 / 2 Swainson's Thrush - 0 / 6 Hermit Thrush - 44 / 28 Wood Thrush - 0 / 4 Gray Catbird - 0 / 12 Blue-winged Warbler - 0 / 1 Orange-crowned Warbler - 1 / 1 Nashville Warbler - 14 / 8 Yellow Warbler - 7 / 18 Cape May Warbler - 1 / 0 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 246 / 175 Black-throated Green Warbler - 15 / 8 Blackburnian Warbler - 2 / 0 Yellow-throated Warbler - 1 albilora subspecies on the 25th along East Shore road just north of municipal campground Pine Warbler - 9 / 3 "Western" Palm Warbler - 19 / 31 "Yellow" Palm Warbler - 1 on 25th at same spot as the Yellow-throated warbler Black-and-white Warbler - 3 / 4 Ovenbird - 1 / 1 Northern Waterthrush - 1 / 2 Common Yellowthroat - 0 / 5 Hooded Warbler - 1 on 26th at same spot as Yellow-throated warbler Scarlet Tanager - 0 / 4 Lincoln's Sparrow - 1 / 2 White-throated Sparrow - 320 / 273 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 0 / 2 Indigo Bunting - 0 / 3 Baltimore Oriole - 0 / 5 possible hybrid Chipping x Clay-colored Sparrow To reach Pelee Island you must take a ferry from Leamington (or Kingsville), then either take the taxi or rent a bike. If you book in advance you can take a car across. We camped at the Anchor and Wheel (northwest corner of Island), as the Municipal campground was closed. Everyone on the island (especially the staff at Anchor and Wheel) were great hosts. If you would like more detailed information please email us privately. Mike Burrell Heidelberg, Ont [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
