Last Sunday (sept 27) I headed down to Horton Point in Kincardine for a lakewatch. I almost abandoned the plan and chased a Northern Wheatear that was hanging out in Wellington County, but at the last minute I decided to go with my original idea for a lakewatch - which turned out to be a good decision.
I arrived at Horton Point shortly after 8am to find that Dustin Young (a resident Kincardine birder) was already there. It was an interesting day for weather.. Very windy (gusting to 45kph), yet the wind was out of the south which made standing there for a few hours more comfortable. At 19°C, it was rather warm for a late September day beside the lake - but I certainly wasn't complaining!
In the past I've lakewatched during north/northwest winds in Kincardine, but I had never tried due south so I was interested to see what would happen. The first hour was rather slow, but then some ducks started flying by to keep us company. Highlights were; Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Redhead and Ring-necked Duck. A few Common Loons were passing by, as well as lots of Bonaparte's Gulls and a juvenile Peregrine Falcon that cruised south over the waves.
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| - Redhead |
The highlight of the day came shortly after 10am, when I picked up a Forester's Tern flying towards us! The bird slowly made its way south along the shore, occasionally pausing to dive into the water. It wasn't close enough for great photos, but I managed a few record shots..
Alhough Huron and Lambton counties get Forester's with some regularity, it is a rare bird in Bruce County with only 8 records (one eBird anyway). Most of our records come from October and November, after the other tern species have departed Bruce for the year. This was a county lifer for me, so that alone made the day worth it.
The next good bird came in the form of American Golden-plovers, a flock of 7 quickly flew by before disappearing over the lake. They were too far away for photos unfortunately, but it was a yearbird for me so I'll take it.
Things started to slow down around noon, so I packed up and headed home.. not a bad day at all!
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