Bruce migration update: March 8-13th

  Just going to post a quick update about some recent Bruce sightings.

 On March 8th I went birding with Michael Butler in South Bruce to see what new migrants were around. Our first 2 stops, Sauble River Mouth and Southampton Harbor produced some new arrivals. American Robins were singing at both locations, a Merlin was flying over Sauble River Mouth and Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles were everywhere. We also saw the continuing King Eider at Southampton. Next we went to check Baie Du Dore, where we turned up Tundra Swans, Northern Pintails and Wood Ducks.

- Wood Ducks

 On the way out we bumped into Erik Van Den Kieboom and David Turner, so we decided to follow them down to Point Clark to try for Tufted Titmouse that was found there earlier this winter. But the titmouse decided to play hard to get and didn't come out for us. We did see migrant American Robins, Canada Geese Red-winged Blackbirds and another Merlin however.
Next we headed up to the Kincardine Lagoons to check for early songbirds and waterfowl. The forest section of the lagoons were pretty dead.. but things quickly picked up when we checked the cells. Around 1200 Canada Geese were sitting on the ice, and a quick scan turned up a Greater White-fronted Goose and 35 Cackling Geese! That is definitely the most Cacklers I've seen at once, so it was pretty exciting.

- Greater White-fronted Goose

- Cackling Geese

Just as we were about to leave, a new flock of geese flew in, with a 2 Greater White-fronts a Cackler hidden amongst them.

- Greater White-fronted Geese

 My first Bruce Lesser Scaup was chilling in the water beside the geese.

- Lesser Scaup

 Some of the first Ring-billed Gulls of the year were sitting on the ice too.

- Ring-billed and Herring Gulls

 We then started heading back North, getting distracted on the way by a flock of around 800 Snow Bunting. They weren't being too cooperative, but we did manage to pick out a lone Lapland Longspur.

- Lapland Longspur record shot(?)

Not a bad day for early March!

Raptor migration won't be picking up for a few weeks, but I have had a lot of Bald Eagles (35) and a Merlin heading north over my house this week.

- Bald Eagle

I've had 2 Northern Goshawks over my yard in the last week, however it's hard to know if they were migrants or overwintering birds.

- Northern Goshawk 

 Ring-billed Gulls and Horned Larks are everywhere now and it's hard to go birding without seeing a few.

- Ring-billed Gull

My first American Woodcocks of the year showed up at my yard last night, which was pretty exciting. Woodcocks have always been a sign of spring for me and they usaully start showing up as soon as there are open patches of ground in my forest.

Green-winged Teal, Turkey Vultures, Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Meadowlarks and Sandhill Crane were seen in Bruce yesterday, so things are certainly picking up!