BDay Birding + the Day After

Yesterday was my 18th birthday, and I was out birding almost all day. The first place I went to was Kettle Point. There wasn't a ton there, but I did get one White-winged Scoter, one Glaucous Gull, and my first of year Common Loon (#110). After that, went to the tundra swan fields behind the Lambton Heritage Museum. There were only 2 Tundra Swans left there, a small assortment of ducks, and there was a Pectoral Sandpiper (#111) foraging with a few Killdeer.
We spent multiple hours birding in the Pinery PP, hiking Riverside, Hickory, Heritage, Carolinian, Cedar, and Pine trails. Riverside had a fair bit of activity, best there being a Pileated Woodpecker about 50ft from us.

Hickory was probably the best trail of the day, many Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, Song Sparrows, a Eastern Phoebe, and best of all, Pine Warbler (#112). One individual was heard singing, then seen flying over before disappearing into the pines. Next was Heritage, which for the most part was very slow, about 10 Eastern Bluebirds were among the only birds seen. We parked the car at Burley Bridge and walked to the Carolinian Trail. From the bridge, one Belted Kingfisher, one Bald Eagle, and tons of Turkey Vultures. On the trail, we saw an American Robin, a Canada Goose, anddddd, that's about it. Over on the Cedar Trail, from the lookout over the river, there were a few Wood Ducks, two Canada Geese, and 2 Pied-billed Grebes (#113). Last, and actually least for once, Pine Trail. We only saw a few American Crows, and heard a Pileated Woodpecker while on this trail. We then headed out the park, and on the road on our way home, we saw a Northern Goshawk (#114)! It flew out over the road, about 2/3s of the way across, the did a U-turn and went back into the forest of the Pinery. Pinery eBird Checklist





Last stop for the day was Forest Sewage Lagoons. Nothing new for the year, but a huge assortment of ducks! Almost all the ducks around at this time of year! 3 Cackling Geese among them. Still looking for a Eurasian Wigeon here, there always seems to be a lot of American. Forest Sewage Lagoon eBird Checklist

Ended the day with a total of 68 species.

Today, while volunteering at the Bluewater Center for Raptor Rehabilitation, I heard a Hermit Thrush (#115) singing. And after I was done there, my dad and I went to Canatara Park in Sarnia. Canatara was jumping with birds! 4 Blue-winged Teal, 5 Northern Shoveler, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 1 Horned Grebe in Huron, 1 Great Egret (#119), 3 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (#116), 40+ Northern Flickers, 7 Eastern Phoebes, 1 Tree Swallow (#120), 3 Brown Creepers, 1 Swamp Sparrow, 1 Field Sparrow (#117), and 5 Myrtle Warblers/Yellow-rumped Warbler (#118). Canatara eBird Checklist

 Great Egret flying

Eastern Phoebe

After I was home, I went for a quick walk ans was able to pick out a bunch of Rusty Blackbirds (#121) in a mixed blackbird flock.

Good Birding!