August Week 4

31st August

Northwest winds over night had our hopes high for a few birds moving and we got lucky with a surprise find in one net. A sunny cool start as census produced 31 species. Banding was steady with a total of 43 new birds caught. A record was broken with a juvenile Black-billed Cuckoo taking us to 5 for the season as Veery was also added to the fall list. But the best bird was found in the Bobolink net alongside 8 Bobolinks and was a first for the observatories banding list!!! A Solitary Sandpiper, what the hell it was doing to end up there is any ones guess but a very nice bird. It was also a good morning for Sharp-shinned Hawks with 3 being caught.


Solitary Sandpiper

As the day heated up by mid afternoon thousands and thousands of Green Darners descended on the point as they two are preparing for a long journey south. Out on the lakeshore were 4 Spotted Sandpipers and a couple Least Sandpipers that proved too tempting so it wasn’t long before the two little chaps had their bit of jewellery.

30th August

A calm morning dominated by one sudden heavy downpour. The nets yielded one new bird for the fall today with a Northern Waterthrush, totals just reached 31 birds with warblers including 2 Canada, 1 Blackburnian, 3 Magnolia, 6 American Redstarts and 2 Black-throated Blues.

In the afternoon we decided to go on a little twitch to a sod farm near Oshawa where a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was seen yesterday. On arrival at the bare field we soon spotted two large flooded pools where shorebirds were congregated with the most obvious being 200 Killdeer, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs, 5 Least Sandpipers and 15 American Golden Plovers. Intensive scanning over the rear of the field found a Baird’s and Semipalmated Sandpiper along with a Semipalmated Plover but there was no sign of any buff-breast.


American Golden Plover

29th August

Awoke to a showery start and still strong winds that were now from the southeast. Most of the morning was spent waiting for a rain front to arrive from near Toronto so the nets weren’t opened. Meanwhile a walk around the harbour found 116 sheltering Mallards with 3 Black Ducks and a Green-winged Teal. A little further on a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk flushed from a tree before 2 Chimney Swifts flew over with 3 barn Swallows. Scanning out over the lake hoping for some windblown migrants but all we could manage were 4 Common Loons.

The front passed through and the hawk nets were opened in the afternoon as a long shot to catching a new bird for my Birthday! A couple hours passed before bang, there it was lying quietly in a net. The juvenile Broad-winged Hawk that was seen earlier in the day, this impressive bird put up little resistance once its feet were under control. Shortly after the nets were closed producing a small male Sharp-shinned Hawk. At dusk 7 Common Nighthawks were logged.


Broad-winged Hawk

28th August

An extremely quiet day thanks to the brisk easterly wind (can’t believe I said that!). We only caught 11 birds with the best being 3 Yellow Warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. Trying to fill the spare time a walk to the harbour produced a Great Blue Heron and 7 Canada Geese with the usual Belted Kingfisher and Merlin that seems to have set up residence. Also of note in the area there was a flock of c.100 Common Grackles, 3 Red-winged Blackbirds, 12 American Robins and 3 Baltimore Orioles. The wind increased to over 30km per hour by dusk so no attempt was made for nighthawks.

27th August

A much cooler start to the day at 16 digress Celsius with the wind blowing from the northeast. I don’t know where we would be with out Bobolinks that made up 75% of today catch! The truth is out of 26 standard nets we caught a grand total of 8 new birds with the best being a Wilson’s Warbler, couple Magnolia’s and 3 Least Flycatchers. The six ground traps continue to produce very little with a single American Goldfinch and the usual retrap Chipping Sparrows and Mourning Doves. In the harbour there were 2 Black Ducks with the 100+ Mallards but there were no sign of the Least Sandpiper as the build up of weed on the beach seems to disappear as quickly as it forms.

26th August

A very quiet day with few birds seen moving around. An overcast morning turned into drizzle before some heavy showers passed through. As a result we only managed a total of 21 birds but this did include 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Typically as the nets were closed the sun decided to shine. In the afternoon a look around the shore found 2 Spotted Sandpipers and a juvenile Least Sandpiper. Just one Nighthawk was seen at sunset on a breezy evening.


Least Sandpiper

25th August

Migrant numbers continue to increase with an above average catch of 82 for this time of year bringing us only 25 shy from doubling last years total at this stage! Again today the Bobolinks were the majority catch with a total of 50 taking us over 300 for the fall. Also out of the bobolink net came a female Brown-headed Cowbird that could prove to be very useful for the fall list. A scattering of warblers and flycatchers make up the rest of the numbers and our 4th Sharp-shinned Hawk in 5 days. Whilst overhead 3 more sharpie’s were seen along with a juv Red-tailed Hawk and the Merlin. At the onset of sunset a group of 10 Common Nighthawks patrolled the area before moving on somewhere else.

24th August

A light northerly breeze was blowing this morning but this didn’t mean that there was to be lots of birds. The nets were quiet with only just over 40 birds with the main species being Traill’s and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo and the only warbler being an American Redstart! However it was definitely a morning for watching raptors with a Merlin flying around the obs first thing followed by 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks and a adult female Northern Harrier quartering over the shrubland. Mid morning came as did a Red-tailed Hawk low over the lawn before perching on a telegraph pole for over an hour. Whilst watching the Red-tail the juvenile Bald Eagle circled high overhead with a couple Turkey Vultures not far behind. In the evening a beautiful sunset was enhanced with the presence of 25 Nighthawks hawking alongside hundreds of dragonflies in the orange light.


Red-tailed Hawk

23rd August

Yet again a good morning as banding totals continued to increase with 78 new birds. Bobolinks again made up 29 but warblers continued to arrive with a Wilson’s (1st for fall), Canada, 3 Chestnut-sided, 4 Magonlia, Blackburnian, 3 Black and White, Black-throated Blue, Nashville and a couple Common Yellowthroats. A fourth Black-billed Cuckoo equalled the fall record and 3 Baltimore Orioles bring them closer to theirs.


Black-billed Cuckoo

A look around to the lighthouse was as quiet as expected except for the Mallards in the harbour that have built up to 82 with a single Black Duck. Along the rocky shore were 2 Spotted Sandpipers and the usual Belted Kingfisher flew around calling loudly. As the sun set we positioned ourselves behind the obs scanning the horizon and it wasn’t long until 3 Common Nighthawks were spotted moving through but a total surprise sighting came when a Whimbrel glided over heading towards the lake shore.

22nd August

Hot once again as Bobolinks passed last years record with a total of 202 now banded! New birds seen for the fall were a very early Brown Creeper as well as a Black-throated Green, Nashville and Chestnut-sided Warbler. A second Sharp-shinned Hawk fell into a net with another seen soaring high overhead and 2 Northern Flickers also passed by. Over on the lake was a group of 38 Mallards.