wolfbirder
Well-known member
General
This was my second trip to Canada to see close friends Mike & Elaine, and I was to stay with them at their London home for the bulk of my stay from 9th-18th May 2008. I had visited the Rockies with them ten years ago, but this was my first trip to see the birds of SW Ontario along Lake Erie. Ontario is far less scenic than the Rockies of course, in general being fairly flat, non-descript arable land. It does have a charm of its own however. We also rented a cottage for 3 nights on the outskirts of Leamington (tomatoe growing capital of Canada) so that we could access Point Pelee quickly, and stayed at an excellent birder- friendly B & B near Port Rowan (Long Point) for one night. At migration time accommodation can be ridiculously expensive, especially at Pelee where I gather the local Travelodge cost over £200 per night!
I have to apologise for the lack of photos (in fact there are none). I made the conscious decision not to purchase digi-scoping equipment some time ago, being a traditional birder who would rather spend his time obtaining clear views. May be one day! Infact, wonderful photos could have been obtained on this trip of many highly colourful and desired species.:C
The weather was variable, it could feel warm - upto 20C when the sun was out, but there were also strong bands of rain that were accompanied by winds. But we did ok, and of course you rely on weather fronts for influxes of newly grounded migrants.
The 3 key migrant destinations on Lake Erie of Point Pelee, Rondeau and Long Point were all accessable from London, and we took in inland reserves on route, although these places required less time to see the birds on offer. My target birds were really the array of spectacular warblers that can pass through, although there was obviously a lot more to see as well. Over the ten days we were to see 150 species, of which 74 were lifers for me. The migrants are attracted particularly to the flooded 'carolinian' forests - rare tracts of woodland that still exist within each of the key reserves along Lake Erie.
The roads are grid like - and are given names as opposed to numbers, so a good road map will make it easy. The main motorway in the area is Highway 401 which runs up from Toronto and all the way to Detroit across the border. You need to take roads off 401 to get to key destinations of course. I found the road system quite easy but the roads were surprisingly rivetted compared to the many smooth roads we have here in the U.K. (what! praising our road system! whatever next)
I flew from Manchester to Toronto where Mike & Elaine picked me up. I flew via Zoom Airlines, and for a budget airline they were excellent. Service was very good, although with just 50% load factors either way, can they survive? They were selling tickets at £70 each way at the last moment, though I had paid £300 approximately well in advance.
Before I kick off with a daily itinery, let me mention common species that were more or less everywhere, and I shall in general omit these from the daily itinery.
Common Grackle These are everywhere you look, blackbird size birds with smooth black-blue irridescent plummage and beady eyes, and when they fly they have wedge shaped tails that are used in the same way Red Kites utilise their projections. Can look quite evil in my opinion.
Red-Winged Blackbird A beautiful bird with a magical mechanical song, possessing gorgeous yellow-bordered crimson wing patches. They can be seen anywhere in number, in towns, by the highway, in the reserves, and spread out over reedbeds. So after a while, their appeal quickly diminshes!
Starling Common here as they are in the U.K.
House Sparrow Ditto, especially in villages and towns.
Barn Swallow Common in Ontario, feeding over the woods and arable land.
Mourning Dove These dainty little doves can be seen with some frequency in most places. The only Dove species seen in fact.
American Robin Not seen in huge numbers, but routinely.
American Crow Not seen in the number that corvids can be seen in the U.k. but non-descript and fairly uninspiring (sorry crow!)
Finally, my immense gratitude must go to my dear friends Mike & Elaine who had planned this trip purely for my benefit, they drove me around and fed me. Elaine crocked her knee, and I didn't realise just how badly she had injured it as she soldiered on "womanfully" without complaint for the ten days.
Day One 10th May 2008 -RONDEAU
Although we arrived at Mike & Eaine's house at 3a.m. on the morning of the 10th (after my flight), we agreed to utlise that day as the weather looked lovely. So after an hour or two's sleep I arose first and watched birds (as I did most mornings) from their kitchen window whilst I ate breakfast. They have several feeders which attracted Mourning Doves, Sparrow's, including a couple of regular White-Crowned, Grackles, Starlings, a single Black-Capped Chickadee, tiny American Goldfinches, House Finches (that I initially mistook for Redpolls!), and a pair of 'gaudy' Northern Cardinals. I had never seen cardinals before and the male in his raspberry outfit was stunning! My first adrenalin rush of many! A Downy Woodepcker was on the neighbour's feeder too, and black and grey squirrels were omni-present.
We departed for RONDEAU at 10a.m. (late departures were a feature of our holiday and possibly a reason for missing out on a number of skulkers). That was my choice by the way! Getting old you see - comfort first!
We arrived after midday, paying the small fee for a 'car load' by the entrance to the park. After a short drive towards the visitors centre, we pulled up as cars were parked and birders were suddenly out-of-nowhere everywhere -about fifty of them! I had not seen a single birder until this point in fact. We jumped out (after 'nabbing' a lucky car parking spot!), and took the path left known as Bennett Road. This was a broad straight footpath, and it was eveident that a large group were scanning a tree above them. We were told that a Cerulean Warbler was present - a lifer for Mike & Elaine. And it was stunning male. 8-P Infact we were lucky in that male warblers seemed to be passing through in number, with females passing behind them a few days later being the normal movement pattern. These little critters usually skulk around in the highest of branches, but this bird came down to at least mid-tree level. I noted the breast band on white underparts, then moved to the left to obtain better sun angle views. I was thrilled to note the gorgeous 'cerulean-blue' upperparts. This rarity made for a wonderful start! Nearby, a male Palm warbler seemed embarrassed to put in an appearance with its far less flambuoyant plummage, but I noted the brown cap. Behind us, a Louisiana Waterthrush bobbed up and down, but views were not great and this was to be the only example seen. We walked back towards the car park (only one hundred metres), and took the path/boardwalk on the opposite side of the road known as 'Spice Bush Trail'. We spent a couple of hours on this short circular path which was extremely productive. The first of many Yellow Warblers showed (in fact about 25 were seen today and this species was by far the most common warbler species seen overall). They are what they are - yellow! Though the males possess rusty red breast streaks. A male Black-Throated Green Warbler offered excellent views, followed by a brief White-Breasted Nuthatch! Again this was the only one to be seen on the trip, not that I realised at the time. Ruby-Crowned Kinglets 'zipped' around, though we did not note any birds with crown stripes over the ten days. A few Least Flycatcher's were present, offering close views. A 'superb' adult Bald Eagle flew just above the tree canopy, yet again we were not to realise that this was to be the only one seen. Turkey Vultures regularly flew overhead, and in fact I should really have added this bird to the 'routinely-seen' list at the start! Brown-Headed Cowbirds frolicked in the trees along with gorgeous Baltimore Orioles, the latter being seen with some frequency at all reserves, but boy are they gorgeous with their golden-yellow and black plummage! As we progressed a couple of Ovenbirds scampered around the foilage, really strange looking warblers! More akin to the thrush family in my opinion. I heard a Gray Catbird but failed to locate it (they were routinely seen later however!). 20 Double-Crested Cormorants flew overhead as we kept one eye on the skyline and one on terra-firmer! A single Swainson's Thrush was 'glimpsed' (identified by others), and a pair of Northern Cardinal's flashed by. At least 3 'handsome' male Common Yellowthroats with their 'Lone-Ranger' masks were seen, and a couple of Swamp Sparrows were seen in the swamp! A 3rd bird showed better a little later on. Then, we stood on the boardwalk overlooking reeds and a few dead trees, and instantly I knew from the striking wing pattern that my first ever Pileated Woodpecker had just alighted on a tree trunk. This 'huge' male drummed away for a few seconds, and re-appeared a few moments later for a second viewing. Fantastic stuff! B Nearby, a few inconspicuous Rusty Blackbirds were feeding on the gound quietly, with Chipmunks! We then passed a few trees where both White-Crowned Sparrows and White-Throated Sparrows were prominant. A magnificent pair Rose-Breasted Grosbeak's then put in an appearance, offering exceptionally close views as they flew down to a stream. A pair of House Wrens were building a nest nearby, and then we doubled back as we were told by another birder that a Worm Eating Warbler was on show. We spent half an hour in futile search before we soldiered on, a little disappointed at our first setback! A Hairy Woodpecker put in an appearance for us nearby however. As we progressed back towards the start point on the circular path, I noted a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher flying to and from the nest it was building. And then, I noted the movement of a small brown bird close to the ground - it was the Worm-Eating Warbler, with its cream supercilium and thickish bill for a warbler. This was a real bonus, one of those elusive warbler species I did not expect to get! A Yellow-Rumped 'Myrtle' Warbler was also seen and a pair of Northern Flickers (Yellow-shafted) briefly flew around tree-tops. But views were very poor.
Back at the car, feeling very satisfied with the offerings, we noted a crowd still at the same point on Bennett Road. I presumed it was the Cerulean Warbler still on show, but I thought we better check it out and I am glad we did! As I walked up to the gathering of birders, I was stopped in my tracks by a 'stunning' male Blackburnian Warbler just a few metres away from me. This is one of those 'must-see' species. Wow! What a stunner with its 'explosion' of breast flame-colour! But I quickly moved on, drawn by the obvious anticipation of the crowd nearby. A Solitary Sandpiper was feeding in the flooded woods, but the observers told me that a male Prothonotary Warbler had just been showing - with the emphasis of course on the 'just been showing!' I was told they breed at Rondeau but rarely showed. I need not have worried, within a minute or two it re-appeared, and quickly moved towards us. Eventually, it showed down to two to three metres, at eye level, 'dwarfing' a smaller Yellow Warbler. The gleaming golden-yellow head shone like a torch in the black of night, it genuinely was quite incredible. This was a major highlight of the trip and yes you guessed it, time for another smiley !!B
We then drove on to the visitors centre, where we watched birds on and around the feeders, including more Orioles, woodpeckers, and my first of several attractive 'ginger-crowned' Chipping Sparrows. I noted many Common Mergansers on the lake itself. We enjoyed Elaine' sandwiches and 'goodies' before moving off onto 'Tulip Tree Trail', which commenced close to the Visitors Centre. At first it seemed pretty birdless, but it did not take long to hit a flooded section with a raised boardwalk where several birders were gathered, quietly watching warblers flitting all around! Another Black Throated-Green Warbler was on view, followed by up to 4 Red-Breated Nuthatches. Suddenly, 2 tiny birds whizzed around our feet and landed a metre away, clearly unconcerned by our presence. These were Northern Waterthrushes, gorgeous little warblers that looked like Common Sandpiper mixed with baby Song Thrush! The mind boggles! A heavily spotted Wood Thrush was nearby. A 'stunning' male Chestnut-sided Warbler then offered quite fantastic close views, accompanied by a black and orange male American Redstart. We did not know which way to look! Someone then mentioned that a Black-Throated Blue Warbler was present. This was probably top of my 'wish-list', and for the next few minutes my binoculars were transfixed on not one but two gorgeous males fliiting around branches close by. :t: I was a very happy man!
We progressed along this shortish trail, seeing an elusive Lincoln's Sparrow, Eastern Pheobe, and a large flycatcher called Eastern Wood Pawee. More birds just lined up for us - another Blackburnian Warbler, then a 'poorly' seen Tennesse Warbler, with its plain markings. Another adrenalin rush occurred as a strikingly streaky Black and White Warbler came into view, followed by a 'streaky' yellow and black Magnolia Warbler. Could things get any better? Another Rose-Breasted Grosbeak and another Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher offered views before we reached the car.
As we drove out towards the park entrance, we took a right turn to 'Children's Hut'. This was a very good move, as a pair of Eastern Kingbird's were by the beach, as were a pair of 'lovely' Blue Jays and a pair of Red-Headed Woodpeckers. American Herring Gulls were on the lake itself, and upto 15 Turkey Vultures were sat in gatherings on the beach.
I fell asleep as we drove back to London from Rondeau, dreaming of the great days birding that I had enjoyed. I felt I could relax now, and anything else would be a bonus! I had seen virtually all my target warblers on the first day - Black-Throated Blue, Blackburnian, Black & White, Magnolia, Chestnut-Sided, Black-Throated Green, Northern & Louisiana Waterthrushes, Ovenbird etc, as well as Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Solitary Sandpiper, Bald Eagle, several flycatchers. The list goes on! And of course I never expected those special bonuses of Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler and Worm-eating warbler - birds to make any Canadian trip complete.
The flip side of such a great day was that surely the luck and good birding could not continue? Could it?
My next installment will follow asap (I might enjoy the read even if no one else does!):-C
This was my second trip to Canada to see close friends Mike & Elaine, and I was to stay with them at their London home for the bulk of my stay from 9th-18th May 2008. I had visited the Rockies with them ten years ago, but this was my first trip to see the birds of SW Ontario along Lake Erie. Ontario is far less scenic than the Rockies of course, in general being fairly flat, non-descript arable land. It does have a charm of its own however. We also rented a cottage for 3 nights on the outskirts of Leamington (tomatoe growing capital of Canada) so that we could access Point Pelee quickly, and stayed at an excellent birder- friendly B & B near Port Rowan (Long Point) for one night. At migration time accommodation can be ridiculously expensive, especially at Pelee where I gather the local Travelodge cost over £200 per night!
I have to apologise for the lack of photos (in fact there are none). I made the conscious decision not to purchase digi-scoping equipment some time ago, being a traditional birder who would rather spend his time obtaining clear views. May be one day! Infact, wonderful photos could have been obtained on this trip of many highly colourful and desired species.:C
The weather was variable, it could feel warm - upto 20C when the sun was out, but there were also strong bands of rain that were accompanied by winds. But we did ok, and of course you rely on weather fronts for influxes of newly grounded migrants.
The 3 key migrant destinations on Lake Erie of Point Pelee, Rondeau and Long Point were all accessable from London, and we took in inland reserves on route, although these places required less time to see the birds on offer. My target birds were really the array of spectacular warblers that can pass through, although there was obviously a lot more to see as well. Over the ten days we were to see 150 species, of which 74 were lifers for me. The migrants are attracted particularly to the flooded 'carolinian' forests - rare tracts of woodland that still exist within each of the key reserves along Lake Erie.
The roads are grid like - and are given names as opposed to numbers, so a good road map will make it easy. The main motorway in the area is Highway 401 which runs up from Toronto and all the way to Detroit across the border. You need to take roads off 401 to get to key destinations of course. I found the road system quite easy but the roads were surprisingly rivetted compared to the many smooth roads we have here in the U.K. (what! praising our road system! whatever next)
I flew from Manchester to Toronto where Mike & Elaine picked me up. I flew via Zoom Airlines, and for a budget airline they were excellent. Service was very good, although with just 50% load factors either way, can they survive? They were selling tickets at £70 each way at the last moment, though I had paid £300 approximately well in advance.
Before I kick off with a daily itinery, let me mention common species that were more or less everywhere, and I shall in general omit these from the daily itinery.
Common Grackle These are everywhere you look, blackbird size birds with smooth black-blue irridescent plummage and beady eyes, and when they fly they have wedge shaped tails that are used in the same way Red Kites utilise their projections. Can look quite evil in my opinion.
Red-Winged Blackbird A beautiful bird with a magical mechanical song, possessing gorgeous yellow-bordered crimson wing patches. They can be seen anywhere in number, in towns, by the highway, in the reserves, and spread out over reedbeds. So after a while, their appeal quickly diminshes!
Starling Common here as they are in the U.K.
House Sparrow Ditto, especially in villages and towns.
Barn Swallow Common in Ontario, feeding over the woods and arable land.
Mourning Dove These dainty little doves can be seen with some frequency in most places. The only Dove species seen in fact.
American Robin Not seen in huge numbers, but routinely.
American Crow Not seen in the number that corvids can be seen in the U.k. but non-descript and fairly uninspiring (sorry crow!)
Finally, my immense gratitude must go to my dear friends Mike & Elaine who had planned this trip purely for my benefit, they drove me around and fed me. Elaine crocked her knee, and I didn't realise just how badly she had injured it as she soldiered on "womanfully" without complaint for the ten days.
Day One 10th May 2008 -RONDEAU
Although we arrived at Mike & Eaine's house at 3a.m. on the morning of the 10th (after my flight), we agreed to utlise that day as the weather looked lovely. So after an hour or two's sleep I arose first and watched birds (as I did most mornings) from their kitchen window whilst I ate breakfast. They have several feeders which attracted Mourning Doves, Sparrow's, including a couple of regular White-Crowned, Grackles, Starlings, a single Black-Capped Chickadee, tiny American Goldfinches, House Finches (that I initially mistook for Redpolls!), and a pair of 'gaudy' Northern Cardinals. I had never seen cardinals before and the male in his raspberry outfit was stunning! My first adrenalin rush of many! A Downy Woodepcker was on the neighbour's feeder too, and black and grey squirrels were omni-present.
We departed for RONDEAU at 10a.m. (late departures were a feature of our holiday and possibly a reason for missing out on a number of skulkers). That was my choice by the way! Getting old you see - comfort first!
We arrived after midday, paying the small fee for a 'car load' by the entrance to the park. After a short drive towards the visitors centre, we pulled up as cars were parked and birders were suddenly out-of-nowhere everywhere -about fifty of them! I had not seen a single birder until this point in fact. We jumped out (after 'nabbing' a lucky car parking spot!), and took the path left known as Bennett Road. This was a broad straight footpath, and it was eveident that a large group were scanning a tree above them. We were told that a Cerulean Warbler was present - a lifer for Mike & Elaine. And it was stunning male. 8-P Infact we were lucky in that male warblers seemed to be passing through in number, with females passing behind them a few days later being the normal movement pattern. These little critters usually skulk around in the highest of branches, but this bird came down to at least mid-tree level. I noted the breast band on white underparts, then moved to the left to obtain better sun angle views. I was thrilled to note the gorgeous 'cerulean-blue' upperparts. This rarity made for a wonderful start! Nearby, a male Palm warbler seemed embarrassed to put in an appearance with its far less flambuoyant plummage, but I noted the brown cap. Behind us, a Louisiana Waterthrush bobbed up and down, but views were not great and this was to be the only example seen. We walked back towards the car park (only one hundred metres), and took the path/boardwalk on the opposite side of the road known as 'Spice Bush Trail'. We spent a couple of hours on this short circular path which was extremely productive. The first of many Yellow Warblers showed (in fact about 25 were seen today and this species was by far the most common warbler species seen overall). They are what they are - yellow! Though the males possess rusty red breast streaks. A male Black-Throated Green Warbler offered excellent views, followed by a brief White-Breasted Nuthatch! Again this was the only one to be seen on the trip, not that I realised at the time. Ruby-Crowned Kinglets 'zipped' around, though we did not note any birds with crown stripes over the ten days. A few Least Flycatcher's were present, offering close views. A 'superb' adult Bald Eagle flew just above the tree canopy, yet again we were not to realise that this was to be the only one seen. Turkey Vultures regularly flew overhead, and in fact I should really have added this bird to the 'routinely-seen' list at the start! Brown-Headed Cowbirds frolicked in the trees along with gorgeous Baltimore Orioles, the latter being seen with some frequency at all reserves, but boy are they gorgeous with their golden-yellow and black plummage! As we progressed a couple of Ovenbirds scampered around the foilage, really strange looking warblers! More akin to the thrush family in my opinion. I heard a Gray Catbird but failed to locate it (they were routinely seen later however!). 20 Double-Crested Cormorants flew overhead as we kept one eye on the skyline and one on terra-firmer! A single Swainson's Thrush was 'glimpsed' (identified by others), and a pair of Northern Cardinal's flashed by. At least 3 'handsome' male Common Yellowthroats with their 'Lone-Ranger' masks were seen, and a couple of Swamp Sparrows were seen in the swamp! A 3rd bird showed better a little later on. Then, we stood on the boardwalk overlooking reeds and a few dead trees, and instantly I knew from the striking wing pattern that my first ever Pileated Woodpecker had just alighted on a tree trunk. This 'huge' male drummed away for a few seconds, and re-appeared a few moments later for a second viewing. Fantastic stuff! B Nearby, a few inconspicuous Rusty Blackbirds were feeding on the gound quietly, with Chipmunks! We then passed a few trees where both White-Crowned Sparrows and White-Throated Sparrows were prominant. A magnificent pair Rose-Breasted Grosbeak's then put in an appearance, offering exceptionally close views as they flew down to a stream. A pair of House Wrens were building a nest nearby, and then we doubled back as we were told by another birder that a Worm Eating Warbler was on show. We spent half an hour in futile search before we soldiered on, a little disappointed at our first setback! A Hairy Woodpecker put in an appearance for us nearby however. As we progressed back towards the start point on the circular path, I noted a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher flying to and from the nest it was building. And then, I noted the movement of a small brown bird close to the ground - it was the Worm-Eating Warbler, with its cream supercilium and thickish bill for a warbler. This was a real bonus, one of those elusive warbler species I did not expect to get! A Yellow-Rumped 'Myrtle' Warbler was also seen and a pair of Northern Flickers (Yellow-shafted) briefly flew around tree-tops. But views were very poor.
Back at the car, feeling very satisfied with the offerings, we noted a crowd still at the same point on Bennett Road. I presumed it was the Cerulean Warbler still on show, but I thought we better check it out and I am glad we did! As I walked up to the gathering of birders, I was stopped in my tracks by a 'stunning' male Blackburnian Warbler just a few metres away from me. This is one of those 'must-see' species. Wow! What a stunner with its 'explosion' of breast flame-colour! But I quickly moved on, drawn by the obvious anticipation of the crowd nearby. A Solitary Sandpiper was feeding in the flooded woods, but the observers told me that a male Prothonotary Warbler had just been showing - with the emphasis of course on the 'just been showing!' I was told they breed at Rondeau but rarely showed. I need not have worried, within a minute or two it re-appeared, and quickly moved towards us. Eventually, it showed down to two to three metres, at eye level, 'dwarfing' a smaller Yellow Warbler. The gleaming golden-yellow head shone like a torch in the black of night, it genuinely was quite incredible. This was a major highlight of the trip and yes you guessed it, time for another smiley !!B
We then drove on to the visitors centre, where we watched birds on and around the feeders, including more Orioles, woodpeckers, and my first of several attractive 'ginger-crowned' Chipping Sparrows. I noted many Common Mergansers on the lake itself. We enjoyed Elaine' sandwiches and 'goodies' before moving off onto 'Tulip Tree Trail', which commenced close to the Visitors Centre. At first it seemed pretty birdless, but it did not take long to hit a flooded section with a raised boardwalk where several birders were gathered, quietly watching warblers flitting all around! Another Black Throated-Green Warbler was on view, followed by up to 4 Red-Breated Nuthatches. Suddenly, 2 tiny birds whizzed around our feet and landed a metre away, clearly unconcerned by our presence. These were Northern Waterthrushes, gorgeous little warblers that looked like Common Sandpiper mixed with baby Song Thrush! The mind boggles! A heavily spotted Wood Thrush was nearby. A 'stunning' male Chestnut-sided Warbler then offered quite fantastic close views, accompanied by a black and orange male American Redstart. We did not know which way to look! Someone then mentioned that a Black-Throated Blue Warbler was present. This was probably top of my 'wish-list', and for the next few minutes my binoculars were transfixed on not one but two gorgeous males fliiting around branches close by. :t: I was a very happy man!
We progressed along this shortish trail, seeing an elusive Lincoln's Sparrow, Eastern Pheobe, and a large flycatcher called Eastern Wood Pawee. More birds just lined up for us - another Blackburnian Warbler, then a 'poorly' seen Tennesse Warbler, with its plain markings. Another adrenalin rush occurred as a strikingly streaky Black and White Warbler came into view, followed by a 'streaky' yellow and black Magnolia Warbler. Could things get any better? Another Rose-Breasted Grosbeak and another Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher offered views before we reached the car.
As we drove out towards the park entrance, we took a right turn to 'Children's Hut'. This was a very good move, as a pair of Eastern Kingbird's were by the beach, as were a pair of 'lovely' Blue Jays and a pair of Red-Headed Woodpeckers. American Herring Gulls were on the lake itself, and upto 15 Turkey Vultures were sat in gatherings on the beach.
I fell asleep as we drove back to London from Rondeau, dreaming of the great days birding that I had enjoyed. I felt I could relax now, and anything else would be a bonus! I had seen virtually all my target warblers on the first day - Black-Throated Blue, Blackburnian, Black & White, Magnolia, Chestnut-Sided, Black-Throated Green, Northern & Louisiana Waterthrushes, Ovenbird etc, as well as Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Solitary Sandpiper, Bald Eagle, several flycatchers. The list goes on! And of course I never expected those special bonuses of Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler and Worm-eating warbler - birds to make any Canadian trip complete.
The flip side of such a great day was that surely the luck and good birding could not continue? Could it?
My next installment will follow asap (I might enjoy the read even if no one else does!):-C
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