BIRDS IN PORT ROWAN/LONG POINT

As usual migration time is always busy at Long Point/Port Rowan.

The spring of 2023 was the 64^th consecutive year that bird migration was monitored at Long Point by the Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO).

The Sightings Board

LPBO publishes meticulous, easily accessible records on the LPBO Sightings Board.  There is always something notable or unusual to be found.

Case in point is a Black Billed Magpie found on the corner of the 1st Concession and Gore Rd. this past April 14th. In Western Canada the bird is abundant.  But not here This sighting was only the fourth ever in the area.

Well before spring another interesting sighting was documented by Stu Mackenzie, Director of Strategic Assets at Bird Studies Canada. Two Black-backed Woodpeckers - one in the St. Williams Conservation Reserve and another in Backus Woods were observed this past January.  Their sightings represented the first county records in 30 years, according to Mackenzie. These medium sized woodpeckers are typically found in boreal and coniferous forests.

More Recent Sightings

Over July and early August, we have had large numbers of great egrets roosting in the marsh area mere metres from the Port Rowan wetlands.   The species has not previously been seen in anything like these numbers in our location.

Egrets roosting at Port Rowan Wetlands
this summer

The great egret is an interesting bird.  White in colour it stands almost three feet tall with an S-curved neck, a dagger-like yellow bill, and long black legs.  Its breeding plumage is so attractive that the feathers became sought after for fashionable ladies’ hats in the 19^th century.                      

According to the American Bird Conservatory this craze for feathers led to the slaughter of huge numbers of Great Egrets and steep declines in their numbers. Conservationists were alarmed.  Starting in 1897 various states began to outlaw the wild bird feather trade.  This advocacy led to the creation of the National Audubon Society, which has the Great Egret as its symbol.

Checking on e-bird I notice that an experienced local birder counted 179 Great Egrets leaving the wetlands’ roosting location one morning in July headed to the more open location at Big Creek.  Karen Wood and other neighbourhood people check them out when they return in the evening. 

You can keep up with local birding news @LPBObs on Facebook, @LongPointBirdOb on Twitter, or @longpointbirds on Instagram. 

Come see the birds this fall and stay with us at Wood B & B.  https://www.bbcanada.com/13914.html

 

A Good Walk Perfected

Sometimes I wonder whether what I’ve written is relevant.  Perhaps at a point in time a piece was newsworthy or interesting.  However, time and current events often catch up and leave your piece as something to be filed under “P” for passed its best before date.

However, this story, basically a report on a presentation on birds and birding, seems more relevant today that when I put fingers to keyboard back in May of 2014. 

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It has been said that golf is a good walk spoiled.

But birding is “a good walk perfected.”  That was the message Jeff Gordon brought recently  to a large group of outdoor enthusiasts at Bird Studies Canada’s (BSC) National Office in Port Rowan just about 400 metres from my residence.

Yes, we have a National Office in Port Rowan. And Gordon, a celebrity in the birding world was a most able and appropriate speaker as spring migration is ramping up here on Ontario’s South Coast.

Gordon heads up the American Birding Association (ABA), a non-profit organization that provides leadership to North America birders and also contributes to bird and bird habitat conservation through its programs.

He was in town to participate as the Celebrity Birder in the annual Baillie Birdathon as well as to speak at this special event billed as a Celebration of Birding.

Gordon is passionate about birding and birds.  He worries, though, that birders need to open up to others who may be interested in nature and the outdoors but are intimidated by the vast knowledge many experienced birders present.  Rather birders need to be “evangelists” about their hobby and help “break down barriers” for newcomers.

Gordon’s presentation included plenty of action shots of birders from around North America including Alvaro Jaramillo. (Jaramillo coined the “good walk perfected” line.)  The ABA head takes these types of pictures because birders are good at taking photos of warblers and eagles and the like but not so good at taking pictures of people enjoying birds.  More images that capture the “grandeur of birding” are needed.

Earlier in the day, local ornithologist Tim Lucas found a rare Kirtland’s Warbler near the entrance to the new Long Point Provincial Park.  This is considered North America’s rarest warbler and is normally found only in a small area in the north central part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula during breeding season.

Gordon and a dozen or so others were there.  He captured the excitement on his smart phone and shared the footage in the evening presentation thereby reinforcing his key message.

I think Gordon made his point well that night.  The next day another relatively rare bird was located in the area.  Check out this picture from Jody Allair's twitter account and you should be able to share in the enthusiasm with those seeing a Bell’s Vireo for the first time.

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This story was originally published by Forever Young, a Metroland paper.

Update:

**In 2020 Bird Studies Canada changed in name to Birds Canada.  That change is recognition that their work extends beyond the study of birds and encompasses “public engagement, habitat stewardship, education and training, involvement in guiding conservation decisions, and more.”

**The 60th Long Point Christmas Bird Count took place on 19 December. The count covers a 24km circle centered on the lighthouse south of St. Williams, ON. 

Stu Mackenzie of Birds Canada reports that forty-seven local birders counted a remarkable 73,759 birds of 114 species.

This total ties the second highest species total (114 in 2016). It is also the third highest total number of birds tallied in the 60-year history of the Long Point count.

Ice free conditions on the Inner Bay meant that many waterfowl were still present including 20,000 Redhead.  Thousands of Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes remain in the area. 

Highlight bird was the first ever White Pelican seen on Count Day at Turkey Point.  It is still here.

Seven Great Horned Owls were counted including this one photographed close to our B & B on Birds Canada property.  

A Harbinger

This morning we are hearing red-winged blackbirds, clearly a harbinger of spring, right?  I realized I’ve had this thought and probably said it aloud many, many times during the late winter over the years.

But what is a harbinger?  I don’t really know where the word comes from.   You’ll know, but I don’t.  So I looked it up.

Well, there is an archaic use of harbinger.  That is “a person sent ahead to provide lodgings.”  I guess that is pretty much what Mister RWBG is doing out there today.  And the more modern usage “something that foreshadows a future event: something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come” seems to fit too.  But it must be noted there is another meaning  i.e., “one that initiates a major change : a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology.” 

Anyway,  I can report that there are many harbingers of spring around Port Rowan/Long Point these days.

Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) reports  that great numbers of birds are already arriving in Long Point Bay. Tundra Swans, 1000’s of Canvasback and Redhead, & a good mix of other species are here. There are still a lot of Sandhill Cranes around too.  Karen saw big numbers landing in the fields to the west of

us on Saturday evening.

Here is a recent listing from e-Birds that will give you an idea of what has been seen in the area in recent days.
https://ebird.org/canada/subnational2/CA-ON-NF?yr=all

LPBO Notes

Some other interesting local stories picked up from LPBO’s twitter feed @LongPointBirdOb include:

·       **The Northern Saw-whet Owls banded at LPBO were found elsewhere and recently reported to LPBO.   Both were caught at Watters Smith Memorial State Park, West Virginia, which is 380 km to the south of us. One of those #owls was recaptured only 6 days after being banded at LPBO.

·    **Stu Mackenzie, LPBO’s Director of Migration Ecology, reports on the Swainson’s Thrush that was wearing a band from another observatory when caught here last May.  It was banded near Bath, MI, 330 km west of Long Point, in Aug 2018.

Details on upcoming LPBO activities can be found at https://birdscanada.org/longpoint/images/LPBTbrochure.pdf

Cheers,

Karen, Graham and Bob

Wood Bed and Breakfast

It is hard to believe that we welcomed our first guests more than six years ago.

We haven’t changed much in those six years with the exception of a small increase in rates that we believe better reflected the cost of us doing business. 

The year 2019 was our busiest year to date.  This ran counter to other attractions in the area who had difficulty due to necessary closures because of high Lake Erie water levels.

Birds and Birders

Many or our guest are birders.  And birder know that Long Point/Port Rowan area is one of the best areas in Ontario to see migrating and nesting birds.  We continue to see warblers, sand hill cranes, tundra swans and more.  There is something interesting every day, it seems.  Just checking today and notice that the Port Rowan Wetlands on Hunter Street North just up the street from us has now reached a total of 219 species seen at the site over the years.

Here is a picture of a Rose Breasted Grosbeak that Graham got earlier this year. 

Much to See

For example, we have always thought that we should get to all the tourist attractions, restaurants etc.  in Norfolk county so that we could offer informed opinion to you our guests.

In fact, this has proved to be an impossible task.  There is just too much to see/do here.

However recently we joined in on the South Coast Wine Spirit of the Season Passport tour.  This program has been going a few years and has kind of flown under the radar as far as we are concerned.

Karen drove the getaway car and I sampled the various wines, ciders and beers of Norfolk County.  There was food pairing at each location that Karen took advantage of.  Here is what the passport program looks like. https://ontariosouthcoastwine.com/spirit-season-passport/


A similar program runs in the spring.

We wonder if our guests would be interested in participating in the Passport program next year.  The idea is that we could offer some sort of package and provide the transportation.  Let us know if this might be of interest to you. 

If you haven’t already found this resource, check out https://www.norfolktourism.ca/ to find out about upcoming events.

Changes in Town

There are, at least three new places to eat in Port Rowan.  Chef Stan, who operated a food truck at the Legion last summer is transforming the Chinese restaurant into something called “Saloon.”

The Gallery Art Bistro https://shaunap.ca/ has been open for a while now and has live music.

And now there is local competition for Godfather’s Pizza.  Pizza Buoys https://pizza-buoys.business.site/, on Front near Highway #59, opened at the end of summer.

Let us know if you have any comments or feedback for us.

And best wishes for the holiday season to you and your loved ones

Karen, Graham and Bob Wood

Saw Whet Weekends at Wood B & B

Not a week goes by without some interesting bird activity in the Long Point/Port Rowan area.

The period from mid-October until early November is notable as Northern Saw Whet Owls are moving from boreal forests into and through our area.

This small nocturnal owl with a catlike face, oversized head, and bright yellow eyes, while common, is not often seen.  However, on some evenings, staff at the nearby Long Point Bird Observatory’s (LPBO) Old Cut banding station capture and band dozens of these owls.

For the second year we are offering a special package at Wood B & B so visitors can have a chance to see these owls up close.


Our package at $300 (CDN) per room* for two includes:

• Two nights stay
• Check in Friday (October 20, October 27 or November 3) from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Breakfast Saturday and Sunday
• Lunch Saturday and a bagged lunch to go on Sunday
• Dinner Saturday
• Check out Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
• Throughout the weekend you can birdwatch or enjoy the rural charm, diverse landscapes and small town atmosphere of Norfolk County.

*

*A portion of this package fee will be donated to the Long Point Bird Observatory Research Programs.

Call us at 519-586-9700 for information about family and single rates.

. or to make a reservation.

Find out more about Wood B & B at https://www.bbcanada.com/13914.html

Old Cut Banding Station

Winter News

We haven’t done a post in quite some time.  But today we gathered several random but newsworthy or at least interesting items from the last month.

Lots of Birds Around

Experienced birders Mike and Ken Burrell turned up 64 species of birds on a visit to the area this past Sunday (January 15th.)  This is a pretty impressive total in the often dreary month.

At Old Cut they saw a Tufted Titmouse among others, the Turkey Point Marina offered a rare “female-type” Surf Scoter and Port Rowan Inner Bay Overlook featured a Greater White Fronted Goose.  You can find the Port Rowan results at e-bird

http://ebird.org/ebird/canada/view/checklist/S33686747

Smith’s Longspur Lingers Near Port Rowan

The December 17th Christmas count for the area included a Smith’s Longspur, an Arctic breeding ground bird that has strayed far north and east of its usual Great Plains winter habitat.  The bird continued in the area at least until January 8th usually visible feeding at the side of a Concession Road.

Smith's Longspur- Near Port Rowan December 17, 2016

Short on TVO

Amateur birders are going to be the first to see the impacts of climate change.  That is the perspective of a five minute video being shown on TVO along with other Climate Watch shorts.
This particular video caused some amusement at our house.  We first saw it accidentally after watching a PVR of a British murder mystery we had taped.  Reaching for the remote we were about to erase the recording but the short looked interesting and to our amusement was showing the interior of a house that had articles a lot like ours.

A Lloyd’s alarm clock with a small decorative loon beside it, an outside thermometer with a bird motif, backyard bird feeders…. – hey hold on aren’t those our backyard birdfeeders?

We scratch our heads and then a bookshelf with the same bird and nature books as ours appears on screen.

Now we are catching on.  A Bed and Breakfast guest from this past year had been involved with Bird Studies Canada’s (BSC) Jody Allair at putting together this video.  You can watch it here.    
http://tvo.org/video/programs/climate-watch-shorts/climate-watch-shorts-the-birders-view


Stories in Norfolk News

There have been some birding stories in the local media of late.  Here is one from the Norfolk News which talks about the Motus Tracking system that will be revolutionizing bordering and is already providing incredible new information on bird migration.

http://www.norfolknews.ca/news-story/7060939-tracking-birds-bats-and-bugs-in-real-time/

Saw Whet Weekends at Wood B & B

Not a week goes by without some interesting bird activity in the Long Point/Port Rowan area.

The period from mid-October until early November is notable as Northern Saw Whet Owls are moving from boreal forests into and through our area.

This small nocturnal owl with a catlike face, oversized head, and bright yellow eyes, while common, is not often seen.  However, on some evenings, staff at the nearby Long Point Bird Observatory’s (LPBO) Old Cut banding station capture and band dozens of these owls.

Old Cut Banding Station

This year we have decided to offer a special package at Wood B & B so visitors can have a chance to see these owls up close.










Our package at $300 (CDN) per room for two includes:

• Two nights stay
• Check in Friday (October 21 or October 28) from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Breakfast Saturday and Sunday
• Lunch Saturday and a bagged lunch to go on Sunday
• Dinner Saturday
• Check out Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
• Throughout the weekend you can birdwatch or enjoy the rural charm, diverse landscapes and small town atmosphere of Norfolk County.

*Give us a call about family and single rates.

Contact Us

Call us at 519-586-9700 for information or to make a reservation.  Find out more about Wood B & B at https://www.bbcanada.com/13914.html


Northern Saw-Whet Owl at Old Cut October 2015

More Info

Here is an interesting story from the Tillsonburg News that tells a bit about the 2011 season.

http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/2011/11/03/tourist-trap-for-saw-whet-owls

And check out a youtube video documenting Rick Mercer’s visit to Old Cut from last season at

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rick+mercer+%2b+long+point+bird&view=detail&mid=CFBE9D5791EF0112CFFECFBE9D5791EF0112CFFE&FORM=VIRE

PS: While there is a good chance you’ll see owls there are no guarantees.  Their movement is impacted by winds and temperature.