Hi there! Sarah Lamond and I found a Marbled Godwit on a grassy/muddy island in the Point Pelee marsh (kayak/canoe needed) this afternoon. It was on the small spongey mud islands along the north edge of Lake Pond. It was present for the hour or so that we were in Lake Pond and there is a decent chance it's there tomorrow too.
Aside from this Marbled Godwit we also noted a number of Pectoral, Spotted, Semipalmated, and Least Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitchers, and of course many Killdeer. There have been quite a few shorebirds out there for the last couple of weeks already with many apparently sticking around for days like they do, so this email is in part a reminder of this option for some productive and unconventional birding. Point Pelee National Park is at the end of Point Pelee Dr. southeast of Leamington in Essex County. To access Lake Pond, launch a kayak or canoe at the Marsh Boardwalk and follow the channel out and around the huge ring of lotus plants until you reach the large open water that is Lake Pond. The muddy islands I described above are along the north edge of this pond. Also if interested in looking for more shorebirds in this marsh, there is a channel at the NW corner of Lake Pond that leads to West Cranberry Pond, where there are a bunch of small patches of shorebird habitat. We did not make it to this pond today. I hope this Marbled Godwit is a sign of Hudsonian Godwits to come! Good birding, Jere Jeremy Bensette - Leamington, ON I'm doing an Ontario Big Year in 2017! Up to 317 bird species and counting! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
