Shorebirding in Southern Ontario

As I've mentioned in previous posts, there is basically no habitat for shorebirds on the coast of Bruce this year due to high water levels. There are a few ponds in South Bruce, but nothing that collects numbers of birds. I really enjoy shorebirding, so I decided to make a trip down to Huron/Perth counties for their lagoons..
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On Sunday I left the house with my mother around 6:00am and headed south to the first stop of the Exeter Lagoons. Dana Latour joined us, as this area is basically in her backyard. Even though it was only 8:30 when we got to Exeter, it was already quiet hot (27°C). The first cell of the lagoon contained lots of Least Sandpipers & Killdeer, plus some Semipalmated Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs. Not that productive, considering that this cell is usually the best one at the goon. Anyway we moved on to the back cells and found the usual mass of ducks/geese.. and luckily some more shorebirds. The highlights were Stilt and Pectoral Sandpipers and Short-billed Dowitcher. 
I seem to get a Peregrine Falcon almost every time I go to Exeter, and last Sunday was no exception. As we were walking back from the back cells a nice adult zipped overhead, flushing everything. A Peregrine is always a highlight, so that was a nice start to the day.
We ended up with 8 shorebird species from Exeter, not bad for July. Numbers listed below;
- 60 Killdeer
- 2 Stilt Sandpipers
- 65 Least Sandpipers 
- 5 Pectoral Sandpipers
- 1 Short-billed Dowitcher
- 40 Spotted Sandpiper
- 60 Lesser Yellowlegs

Some photos from there...
- Pectoral Sandpiper 
 
- Least Sandpiper
                                       
- Short-billed Dowitcher (top bird)
                                
- Semipalmated Sandpipers 
                        

- Peregrine Falcon 
                                    


Next we went to Michell Sewage Lagoons (aka West Perth Wetlands). We spent an hour walking around the goons.. and honestly not seeing many shorebirds at all.
Totals below;
- 20 Killdeer
- 13 Least Sandpipers
- 2 Pectoral Sandpipers 
- 3 Least Sandpipers 
- 3 Spotted Sandpipers
- 90 Lesser Yellowlegs

A few pics from there...
- Least Sandpiper 

- Solitary Sandpiper 

- Lesser legs of yellowness


On our way home we stopped at Hullett Marsh, where Dana showed me a nice singing Sedge Wren (Huron Lifeerrr). 
- Sedge Wren


Some other random Hullett photos...
- Cliff Swallow
- Blue-winged Teal

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