Lambton County's SCRCA

 I have been exploring Lambton County lately, trying to really get to know the abundance that we have around us.  I had just done a 'Big Day' in Lambton and some of the areas are conservation area run by conservation authorities.  I thought, what are the other Conservation Areas like in Lambton?   

 The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is located in southwestern Ontario and includes the Sydenham River watershed and smaller watersheds(Perch and Bear Creek) draining directly into southern Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, and northeastern Lake St. Clair.  

I thought I would go south along Hwy 21 towards Shetland CA.  It is a smaller CA that is primarily a campground.  It is on the Sydenham River.  It is known for the last natural stand of Kentucky Coffee Tree in the area, which is a species at risk.  I walked around the perimeter of the campground and spoke to friendly campers getting their trailers ready to leave for the season.  I have since found out that walking along the Dobbyn Rd on the north side of the Sydenham river is better for birding.  Also the old boat launch area.  Thanks to DN and the Birding Hotspots website for that info.

I continued on my Sydenham River journey to A.W. Campbell CA in Alvinston.  Fun fact, one of the main reasons that I relocated to this area was the Sydenham River.  My Dad would often speak of it as a great fishing spot. When I researched moving to this area, my ex and I chose a house in Alvinston.  I now live in Wyoming but recall fondly my time in Alvinston.  I don't know why I had never been to this CA, but here I am now!  I drove into the first parking area and walked along the road.  It is a beautiful quite large 300 acre park, including a 8 acre reservoir.  There is good signage and I walked the first trail (Burroughs Creek) and was pleased to see and hear Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers as well as Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers.  I also startled a beautiful adult deer.  I will definitely bird this area more in the future.

I went north towards Rock Glen CA.  This park I have been to many times when I worked at the Arkona library.  I went there mostly for the scenery and a good workout, not usually for birds.  Birds were a bit slow but I did go down into the bottom of the falls and then back up.  There were many people there enjoying the area.  This park does have the Arkona Lions Museum and has a wealth of information about the unique rocks and fossils that are here that are some of the best Devonian era  fossil deposits found in North America.  

Continuing north I was looking forward to going to a CA that I had never been to before.  The Ausable River Cut!  It is a 32 acre roadside park that has a 2 km trail over a high sand dune.  It is a very unique ecosystem and I found many of the birds that I would see at Pinery PP there such as Tufted Titmouse and Purple Finch.  It has a canoe launch as well.  I will definitely go back again!

The CA that is closest to my home is Highland Glen CA.  I usually park at the top parking area and walk down.   It is always a lovely hike down onto a cliff overlooking the beach at Lake Huron.  There is a trail to to the top of a forested ridge that I have walked a few times, I'm sure it would be good for spring and fall migrants.  It is a bit of a challenge!  The overlook is good for waterfowl in fall and winter.  Beautiful scenery!

Another CA that I had never been to before was C.J. McEwan CA.  It is a large park overlooking Lake Huron.  It was mid day so not many birds, but the butterflies were awesome!

I went home to recharge and have some lunch.  After lunch I thought I'd go to a place that I hadn't been to since Spring, Lorne C. Henderson CA just  W  of Petrolia.  I drove in this time (I usually park at the front and walk in.)  This is also a campground and the campers were busy getting ready to take down their trailers for the season.  It is a 330 acre park and has a few ponds.  I have experienced good songbird activity in the spring in the evergreens near the road into the park.  There has been talk of shorebird activity at one of the ponds that had dried up, but I could not find them.  

Marthaville is one of my favourite CA's.  The botany and insects there are remarkable! It was a gravel pit in the past and has been restored.  Recently it has been treated for Phragmites which had taken over the place.  This year visibility is definitely better.  It has been planted with tall grass prairies plantings , and has a mature forest.  It is a 3 km loop.  I find the trail at the very back of the site, usually pretty thick with vegetation, excellent for spring warblers, once I had a Hooded Warbler back there!  Today it was pretty quite but the weather was hot and dry, good for butterflies!

Perch Creek is another favourite place that I tend to visit at least once a week before work.  It is a 200 acre property that includes floodplain and upland forest, hedge rows and open meadows and wetlands.  It is a 5 km hike and I just recently found out that you can access the Former Sarnia Landfill on Blackwell from the trails.  The area was very quiet today, but the Ruddy duck was still owning the pond!

Next up was my all time favourite CA, which I also visit at least once a week during my before work jaunts.  Wawanosh Wetlands CA! It is a provincially significant marsh and the 3.5 km trail winds along 2 cells.  The trail connects to Suncor Energy Foundation and Nature Trail via a pedestrian bridge.  This trail is excellent for birding as well with a 1.5 km loop around the creek.  It is some of the best birding in Sarnia.  Today was decent for birding, but it is usually better in early morning.  I was hoping to see the blackbirds returning for the evening, but I think I didn't stay late enough!

 It was an unseasonally warm day with temps going up to 28C and sunny skies, winds out of the W.

I did miss one Lambton CA, Warwick, but I will include that in my day when I do the Chatham Kent and Middlesex SCRA's.  

Ebird trip report