Point Pelee/Hillman Marsh/Rondeau

                         May 23/24 2012 Point Pelee/Hillman Marsh/Rondeau Provincial Park

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia)

Back at Point Pelee produced and yet another varied day of birding. To be honest I had become sleep deprived and needed to late breakfast and didn't arrive at Point Pelee until 8 a.m. The forest was quiet except for a numerous Wild Turkey that wouldn't move out of the road for anything, as it turned out, they presented a perfect photo op. Highlights for the day included 'Lifers' Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird and Cape May Warbler.
In the afternoon I checked out nearby Hillman Marsh, where my first sighting of a Great Egret was a real treat. I think I may have seen them on my World travels but not being interested in birding at the time I didn't take too much stock on the sightings.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herondias)

The marsh has a system of ponds and flooded fields that is similar to Reifel. There were numerous species of Sandpipers and Black-bellied Plovers and ducks.

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopvo) blocking traffic.

On a whim I decided to head for Rondea Provincial Park. It was quite a drive and the looming storm clouds did not bode well. At one point I almost turned back but I'm glad I didn't.  The Rondeau interpretive centre is one of the best I have ever visited with an excellent overview of the park's inhabitants and history. There was also a bird feeder that was visited by numerous species. It is also one of the best places to view the Prothanatory Warbler. Nest boxes and a boardwalk snake through a forested swamp, the ideal habitat for the rare (in Canada) warbler.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)