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