Hi Birders, There has been very little activity at Rondeau all day. The Prothonotary Warbler was seen again this morning at the very beginning of the marsh trail (where the cottages are on the left side) but again seems to have been hiding from most visitors.
The Willets were apparently not seen again after the first sighting despite several people checking the location. Black-bellied Plover and Least Sandpiper were consolation prizes on the beach. The Yellow-throated Warblers have been seen at both the Visitor Centre feeders and Cottage #17372 sporadically today. The low activity in the park has prompted a number of people to visit the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons today, where a variety of interesting birds have been seen. A Cackling Goose near the back is probably the most out of place bird. Be careful when heading to the back, as there is a Canada Goose nest with protective parents right beside the road. Other waterfowl included Lesser and Greater Scaup, Redhead, Bufflehead and Ruddy Duck as well as Pied-billed Grebe. The real draw to this location is the large number of shorebirds present in the sprinkler cells beside the small building. Approximate numbers of the 10 species present today: 2 Semipalmated Plover 10 Killdeer 5 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper 30 Least Sandpiper 1 White-rumped Sandpiper 2 Pectoral Sandpiper 150 Dunlin 3 Wilson's Phalarope, including a brightly coloured female. Many Bobolinks can also be seen at this location. Please do not enter the lagoons without a permit, which can be obtained free from the Rondeau Visitor Centre. Thank you to everyone who contributed sightings and please continue to do so at the Visitor Centre. More information on the park's nature programs and the Friends of Rondeau is available at the Friends' website: www.rondeauprovincialpark.ca. Directions: Take exit 101 from Highway 401 and drive South 16 km on Chatham Kent Road 15. Turn right and follow the signs to the park. The Bird Sightings Book, Bird Sightings Board, Bird Checklists and other relevant information are to be found at the Visitor Centre. To reach the Visitor Centre from the park Gate, travel 6 km South on Rondeau Road to Gardiner Ave., then follow it around the bend to the parking lot. Reuven Martin Friends of Rondeau Bird Guide _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
