GoodDay Whimbrel Watchers Every day at Sam Smith park is special for some reason or another. Today was special for the reason for which we all came to the Park. Whimbrels. They flew around over our heads. They sat on the rocks at our feet and posed for pictures. They defied the dogwalkers who wouldn't leash their dogs (very small minority I'm glad to say) and if there'd been a KFC out there on the Point I'm sure they would have been serving Whimbrels and fries! When we started the Watch this morning, Tom Lane, Wayne Renaud and I had high hopes that, based on the Whimbrels' performance of the last 3 days, we would have some excitement for the TOC outing folks, due to pass through in a couple of hours. Sadly, by the time Jim and Petra Grass arrived with their flock of enthusiasts we were all looking up at Whimbrel-flock- free skies. Wayne and Tom and I reached down deep and put on a little talk about Whimbrels which seemed to lift our guests spirits for a while.
Some attentive souls even asked some good questions but I know they were just being kind. Then, after another sweep around an empty sky, Jim and I tried to cheer everyone up with a sampling of terrible birding jokes that a few days ago at Peelee would have had everyone rolling in the mud (well, Jim and me anyway). It was clear, though, watching the line of slumped shoulders, dangling binoculars and slowly shaking heads as our Whimbrel fanciers moved off down the path to look at silly things like warblers and savanna sparrows that we had blown it. We might as well move to Panama or someplace and start over. (Oh, hey, what a good idea!) Then, long after all our guests had gone, the Whimbrels hit us like a Homer offa Jose Bautista. The flocks came in from somewhere out over the lake. Ever see an opener by the Canadian Snowbirds flying team you get the picture. Flew back and forth like they were in a shooting gallery. Seven of them must have gotten tired of the show and guess what? They came in and dropped onto the rocks right under our feet. Even the biggest, ugliest man with a dog to match defied our polite admonitions (and my not- so polite ones) and took his unleashed dog along the path right over the resting Whimbrels' heads and they didn't even ruffle a feather. (This is something new; this is good.) Only thing missing was an audience for the show. A few persistent folks who were still left and reluctantly said they needed to get away said they would look for the TOC group as they went. And eventually some hero actually found them all at the last minute getting into their cars in the parking lot ready to move on. Needless to say they all filed back out to Whimbrel Point and were treated to the dog-gondest show I ever saw. We couldn't have scripted it more beautifully. Thankyou once again, oh Princes of Serendip. And thanks to all who made this unforgettable day happen (just by being there, isn't that cool?) And the actual sightings are coming right up so stay with me. But wait. Before we go any further, I believe a word about the Flies is necessary. Out on the Point when the wind dies down there are clouds and clouds of little black flies. Some people seem more bothered by them than others, perhaps experienced outdoors folk are more used to nasty things. But have no fear. These Eyeflies, NoseNats, or MouthMidges do not carry any diseases and most definitely do not bite. They provide easy to get good food for lots of birds and fish and you too if you walk around with your mouth open all the time. To learn more, look up Chironomid Midges. If you are almost satisfied with my brief explanation let me just add the fact that they feed on fly poop and are sometimes called Chizzywinks. Minimize their intrusion into your eyes by wearing big sunglasses and if you accidentaly wipe one into your eye, flush your eye with clean water as soon as you get home. Right. So many thanks to Wayne Renaud, Tom Lane and Jean Iron, Petra and Jim Grass among the dozens of watchers present today who were unfailing in their explanation of all that went on and in the handing out of the superb little bookmarks put up by the TOC. If you never got one please come back on Tuesday, May 24th for bookmarks plus a whacking great lot of Whimbrels, or Saturday, May 28th for the Sam Smith Birding Festival which is the only one I know of that has content directed at new-comers to birding and nature appreciation in general and then whisks you out to see, like we all saw today --- Whimbrels!- the worlds' most spectacular migrating shorebird! And then you get bookmarks. Nothing else anywhere ever does that except for us - CCFEW, FOSS , and TOC,for you on May 18th. Numbers today: 458 Whimbrels 1 King Eider 1 Red-Throated Loon 20 Common Loons 6 Red-Breasted Mergansers 1 Bonaparte's Gull Mallard ducks doing the mating flight dance 4 Spotted Sandpipers (at least, most people spotted them) and George Parker, the Red-Winged Blackbird See you tomorrow Tim Mccarthy _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
