Greetings, birders, A very early, fresh juvenile Purple Sandpiper is on Sebastopol Island off Gull Island, Presqu'ile. It can be seen with a spotting scope, though it does blend in with the surrounding rocks when it sleeps. It has mainly been roosting and preening, interspersed with bouts of feeding.
The bird has consistently been on the south side of Sebastopol, making it visible from Gull Island's northwest corner. Also present on Sebastopol Island are Black-belled and American Golden Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlin, White-rumped Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Pectoral Sandpipers, and the continuing Red Knot. As expected, all birds, save the White rumpeds, are juveniles. Both Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers are occasionally on Sebastopol, but more commonly on Gull Island. A Greater Yellowlegs flew over Owen Point earlier in the day. Ron Tozer and I observed the Purple Sandpiper in detail, while getting sketches as well as digi-scoped photos and videos. The maximum depth of the water between Owen Point and Gull Island is about one foot. Presqu'ile Provincial Park is well-signed south of Highway 401 Exit 509 (Brighton/Campbellford). NOTE: The annual waterfowl hunt begins tomorrow and will continue every Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next three months. On these hunting days, access to Gull Island is not permitted for non-hunters. Good birding! Ian -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Ontbirds is reserved for sightings of provincially rare birds. To post a message on Ontbirds, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Ontbirds Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To edit your membership settings visit the Ontbirds setup page at: http://ontbirds.ca/mailman/listinfo/birdalert_ontbirds.ca. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
