trip report This past weekend, Sept. 19, 20 and 21 was the Ontario Field Ornithologists Annual Convention and AGM. This time the southern Ontario version was in my home community of Lambton County. the northern version was in Timiskaming at Hilliardton Marsh I was so excited that it was coming here as we have so many wonderful birding opportunities and excellent birders here.
The Ontario Field Ornithologists are a group of amateur and professional ornithologists (birders) who gather together to provide field trips and webinars on the subject of, you guessed it, birds! Every year at the AGM they honour a Distinguished Ornithologist, this year it was Doug McCrae, very well deserved! The meeting also hosts a special guest speaker, and of course the meeting. I must admit I am more interested in the field trips, as I'm not a late night person, but once a year is doable! They fed us well Friday night at the Dante Club with yummy burgers and wraps. There was also a pretty difficult birding quiz, which I think could have been more like the ON birding quiz held at the Atlas launch, which was quite fun. Anyways, I digress, apparently its pretty important to the Birds and Beers night.
Saturday evening was the guest speaker Amar Ayyash, which I was really looking forward to, I even brought my 'The Gull Guide: North America' for him to sign, but he had a medical emergency so we watched a pretty dry powerpoint on Sparrow I.D. If not for the scintillating conversation of my table mates, I'd be snoozing on the floor! I was pretty weary as I had participated in 4 field trips by that time, and had 1 more to go! The convention is held in the Point Pelee area every other year, with other areas getting a turn on the alternate years. I think they put out the wonderful silent auction and more birding vendors when it is held there, as we didn't have much. The Vortex dealer was quite interesting, but no silent auction, and last year according to the financial report, their biggest fundraiser was the silent auction, so not sure why it was silent this year. Enough whining Eva!
On to the best part , the field trips! The OFO led 34 this weekend! Kettle Point, Walpole Island, Canatara Park, Wawanosh Wetlands, Pinery PP, Lambon Heritage Forest, Forest, Sombra and Thedford Sewage lagoons, Perch Creek, Point Edward Waterfront, and outside of Sarnia in Huron there was Exeter Lagoons and Hullett Marsh, Chatham was St. Clair NWA . West Perth and Middlesex also had field trips! As I am from this area, I wanted to experience places that I have never birded before. Walpole Island was first out of the gate Friday morning. It was a lovely day, going to this unique place. Our leaders were Dave and Brian and it was a pretty large group, about 24 I believe. The community was very welcoming and when we asked about using the washroom at the plaza, they unlocked it for us, as well a resident came out and we talked about the birds and habitat of Walpole Island, she had participated in the Purple Martin census and had Northern Bobwhite on her property, but not in recent years.
We carpooled it to the Heritage Centre and met up with Summer and Naomi, our indigenous tour guides. They gave us a bit of a history of the place and why it is so special. We were encouraged to stay on the trails and to not post locations if we post on inaturalist. There are endangered species on the island and they are making strides in bringing these species back, but there have been plants especially, victims of poaching.
The Walpole Island Group
The highlight for me was walking along the river and seeing a large flock of Sandhill Cranes overhead! They were awesome and even the most experienced of us got blown away by the spectacle! A gorgeous Harrier of the North made an appearance as it swooped down over our group! I left my camera in the car as I wanted to respect the privacy of the place, other people got amazing photos!
The botany was amazing as well. Walpole Island has the most tree cover of any place in sw Ontario!
Sassafras
Rough Blazing Star
The lovely leaders encouraged us to stay a while to see the King Rail that makes a regular appearance on an old back road. We waited and searched to no avail! A small group of us wanted to head back as the next trip was Sombra Sewage Lagoons and it had started already!
When we got the place, we were met by a closed gate. It looked daunting and I balked, but Eloise encouraged me and with careful instruction I made it over intact! Jeremy and a small group were intently looking into the mudflats when we appeared. I brought my camera this time but they were so far that they are not good photos. I got a lifer Stilt sandpiper though!
I was happy to get home to walk Ariana and freshen up for the evenings events.
Saturday I made my way to Pt. Franks with some very distinguished birders on a chilly morning. I have birded around this area before, but never actually in the forest. It was well worth it. Birding was slow but we could tell the warblers were there. When we got to the L Lake trail Jeremy (yes back to back with Jeremy Hatt!) thought he might try pishing. It worked and many warblers as well as lots of Red breasted nuthatches were brought down!
Angry Red breasted Nuthatch!
Chicken of the Woods
Polyphemus moth caterpillar
There was bit of mix up was we did a convoy to L Lake. I followed the car in front of me and others followed me...well we got a bit lost. Lesson learned, wait for the leader (Jeremy was still in the parking lot) and maybe we should have had a lead car and a caboose car. I found the group pretty fast. We continued to have a lovely walk in the woods.
Next onto the Thedford sewage lagoons. I met another couple there that were convinced that we start at Thedford, but my email said Grand Bend first. It' a good thing that I listened as there was no Grand Bend Sewage Lagoon tour! None of us knew, but apparently permission was taken away the Saturday, we only had permissions for any of the sewage lagoons for Friday anyways, so if I had of known that I would have chosen another tour. Its difficult to make everything go smoothly in an event this huge!
Jean, Dave, Brian and I pivoted and I took them to the Brights Grove Sewage Lagoon. I had been there before with a couple doing butterfly work, but I am glad that I was able to find it! We had to do a bit of bushwacking, but not too strenuous. No shorebirds but some good waterfowl.
Jean, Dave, Brian and I at BG
On to another evening event!
Sunday I was up bright and early to get to the St. Clair National Wildlife Area. I got there early, as usual and birded a bit around the parking lot. About a dozen people and awesome tour guide Jeremy B. led us birding this very interesting place. National Wildlife areas are areas that initially were developed for hunters. They create habitat and encourage waterfowl to come. No hunting for ducks yet!
Great Egret
Sandhill Cranes
Northern Harrier
Wood ducks
Jeremy pishing. It brought down so many warblers!
I was the only one that saw the 500 lb limit on the bridge, we went a few at a time!
It was a very enjoyable easy paced walk. I got to meet many people from Waterloo, Fort Erie, Toronto and Pelee! Our group was a mix of skill levels and it was nice to learn and to teach. There was also a great number of dragonflies and butterflies present. The dragonflies were huge and so beautiful...they kept following us but none land so I could get a photo. We had Monarch, Viceroy, Bronzed Copper, Clouded Sulphurs, Black Swallowtails and Mourning Cloaks. We met some locals in the parking lot and one gentleman who goes there on a regular basis to walk says the Harriers get very close if they are used to him. We watched a gorgeous female juvenile circle around the marsh and I was able to get some photos.
Question Mark
Monarch on aster
Black swallowtail on knapweed.
Silver spotted skipper on aster.
Jeremy is such a good guide, he stopped and talked about whatever we came across,, not just birds. We saw a Viceroy butterfly being harassed by a Bronzed Copper on a goldenrod and I took a cell phone video. He also pointed out the botany and insects as well as snakes that we came across. It was a lovely well rounded experience.
The St. Clair National Wildlife area group
I have made a bit of a list of birds that I saw on my 5 field trips and 1 personal trip to Highland Glen . The entire convention got a very respectable 187 species! 1 off from the record. The only species that we didn't get was Brown headed Cowbird if you can believe it! I got a decent 104!
Canada Goose 220
Mallard 50
Mute Swan 3
Wood Duck 38
Northern Shoveler 1
Gadwall 1
Green winged Teal 3
Blue Winged teal 1
Widgeon 1
American Black Duck 8
Northern Pintail 14
American golden plover 2
Killdeer 13
Semipalmated Plover 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Stilt Sandpiper 2
Least sandpiper 1
Pectoral sandpiper 2
Pied billed grebe 4
Sora 2
Wilsons Snipe 2
Sandhill Crane 102
American Coot 5
Hooded Merganser 1
Ring Necked Duck 2
Ring billed gull 4
Herring gull 1
Common Loon 1
Double Crested Cormorant 15
Great Egret 6
Great Blue Heron 3
Green Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 8
Belted Kingfisher 1
Osprey 2
Coopers Hawk 2
Sharp Shinned Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 5
Red Tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Red Headed woodpecker 1
Red Bellied Woodpecker 7
Downy Woodpecker 6
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 6
Wild turkey 11
Yellow bellied sapsucker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Ruby throated hummingbird 4
Mourning Dove 20
Blue Headed Vireo 2
Philadelphia vireo 5
Red eyed vireo 3
Black capped Chickadee 8
Tufted titmouse 2
Ruby crowned kinglet 1
Carolina Wren 2
Gray cheeked thrush 1
Wood thrush 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Eastern wood peewee 1
Yellow bellied flycatcher 1
Tree Swallow 20
Barn Swallow 5
Horned lark 8
Blue Jay 1281
Cardinal 5
White breasted nuthatch 3
Red breasted nuthatch 9
Brown creeper 1
Gray catbird 4
Eastern bluebird 3
American robin 50
Swainsons thrush 3
House sparrow 13
American goldfinch 26
White throated sparrow 60
White crowned sparrow 2
Red winged blackbird 1342
Common grackle 1400
European starling 75
American crow 7
Common raven 1
Cedar waxwing 18
Purple finch 4
Swamp sparrow 12
house sparrow 13
Rusty blackbird 1
Black and white warbler 4
Common yellowthroat 7
American redstart 2
Magnolia warbler 7
Blackburnian warbler 1
Bay breasted warbler 9
Yellow rumped warbler 20
Black throated green warbler 5
Black throated blue warbler 1
Northern parula 1
Ovenbird 1
Pine warbler 1
Nashville warbler 2
Tennessee warbler 2
Rose breasted grosbeak 4
Surfbird 0
and 42 people!
it is interesting that common species like Song Sparrow, House Finch, Willow flycatcher and Indigo Bunting are not on the list, they have flown already! God speed.
Here is the full ebird list of the 2025 convention
Looking forward to next year, so nice to meet new people and see familiar faces of like minded people, where it will be, you guessed it, Point Pelee and area!
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