Rondeau Provincial Park Provides Excellent Birding And Relief From The Humidity

The summer of 2018 has certainly been a hot and humid one. With more of the same in the forecast, I was wanting to do some birding while escaping the humidity. Knowing that the humidity would not be quite as high closer to the Great Lakes and with a predicted southwest wind off Lake Erie, I decided to make the drive to Rondeau Provincial Park. 

Arriving at the park just after 8 a.m. it was already quite warm; however, significantly less humid than when I left London. The breeze was not as cool as expected, but conditions were certainly more comfortable than if I stayed closer to home and birded within the city. 

With fall migration in full swing, I was optimistic there would be a nice mix of birds throughout the park. Beginning at the maintenance loop, a variety of warblers were seen flitting high in the canopy. Magnolia and Yellow-rumped were the most prevalent. A single Ovenbird was observed near the start of the trail and a Carolina Wren could be heard deeper in the forest. By far the most abundant songbird on this day was the Red-eyed Vireo.  

One of the biggest challenges of trying to photograph songbirds in a forest at this time of year are the light conditions. Even when the birds are in clear view, leaves and branches regularly cast large shadows resulting in less appealing images. I never let this bother me as I am a birder first and a photographer second, so observing birds through my binoculars is rewarding enough and any images captured are a bonus. 

After wrapping up at the maintenance loop, I jumped back in my car and drove to the South Point Trail. With several access points to the large beach, it was my hope that I may locate my favourite shorebird the Sanderling. Sure enough, at the end of the trail where the forest gave way to the beach, a large group of Sanderling was seen.

Following the group of Sanderling down the beach was a lone Ruddy Turnstone. As I stood motionless in the sand these birds passed by within about ten yards. As I was shooting into the sun I increased my exposure to avoid silhouettes. Happy with my observations and images, I decided to make my way back down the trail towards my car. 

As I made my way north along the trail, several species were seen feeding on the berries of a large tree overhanging the path.  Enjoying the bounty of fruit were Red-eyed Vireos, Eastern Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, and American Robins. As I photographed the vireos a Red-headed Woodpecker landed in the same tree. After clinging to the trunk for a few seconds it too began feeding on the red berries. Just behind the tree, two juvenile Red-headed Woodpeckers came into view.

With Monarch migration also underway, several of these beautiful butterflies were seen heading south across the dunes. Other non-bird observations from the day were the hundreds of Northern Leopard Frogs crossing the various paths. 

All in all, it was a pretty productive day birding with a total of 38 species observed. I likely could have added a few more birds to the day’s count had I walked a portion of the Marsh Trail. This habitat often yields several species not found in other sections of the park.  

September is a great month to get out birding as fall migration continues. While some species will see their numbers decrease over the course of the month, others will increase. For example, raptor migration peaks in our area mid-month. Look for tens of thousands of these birds to make their way across Southwestern Ontario in the coming weeks. If you are searching for a great place to partake in some late summer/early fall birding, consider giving Rondeau Provincial Park a try.  

Good birding,
Paul