It was a busy and exciting time for birds during the summary period and lots of Spring migrants stopped over on Pelee from May 11th - 20th en route to their summering grounds. Diversity at the station peaked on May 12th when 78 species were recorded in PIBO's standard 'count' area during six hours of morning coverage, including nineteen warbler species. Warblers were also abundant on May 16th, with twenty-two species noted on the day.
Although rain affected the mist-netting operation, a total of 308 birds were captured from the 11th - 20th including good numbers of Ovenbirds (29 banded), Magnolia Warblers (24), Common Yellowthroats (18), and Northern Waterthrushes (18), along with a nice variety of flycatchers, vireos and thrushes, among others. Diversity at the nets peaked on May 16th when 45 birds of twenty-six species were banded, including fourteen warbler spp.
While there were no dramatic fall-outs, a steady pulse of migrant songbirds moved through the area on a daily basis along with increased numbers of shorebirds and other non-passerines, and staff and volunteers kept busy both on the census and in the mist-netting area. Waterfowl were few and far between, but good numbers of terns were tallied on May 14th when 350+ Common Terns were recorded at the Tip, along with a station-high 44 Caspian Terns on the 18th.
A number of unusual species were observed during the summary period by PIBO staff and volunteers including a singing Western Wood-Pewee on May 18th and a Lark Sparrow noted the following day. Both birds were discovered at Fish Point by Ken Burrell from the University of Waterloo. The pewee is possibly just the third record for the province and likely a first for Southern Ontario. Other noteworthy species included a Louisiana Waterthrush on the 12th, a Golden-winged Warbler banded on the 13th, Yellow-throated Vireo (15th), Summer Tanager (17th), and a Cerulean Warbler and banded Acadian Flycatcher (20th).
PIBO's 2010 Birdathon fundraiser took place on May 14th and thanks to Ken Burrell - our honorary Birdathon leader - a total of 123 species was recorded on the island during a 24-hour period. Highlights from the day included Wilson's Phalarope, White-rumped Sandpiper, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Kentucky and Hooded Warbler, along with a nice variety of other May migrants. The results were particularly impressive given the relatively low number of waterfowl and shorebirds that frequent the island in mid-May. PIBO wishes to thank everyone for all their support and encouragement, along with a special thanks to Ken.
PIBO's next summary will be posted on June 1st
Photo: Claire Sanders
Below is a complete list of the birds recorded on May 14th
PIBO Birdathon Species Summary
Horned GrebeDouble-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Red-breasted Merganser
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Wild Turkey
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
White-rumped Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Wilson's Phalarope
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Wood Thrush
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Orange-crowned Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Bobolink
Brown-headed Cowbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
123 species