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Nature Link

With Blake Mann

November Gales

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Nothing too spectacular occurred this week, unless you consider Saturday’s wind. It was straight out of the west around 60 km/h at times. Once again I checked out Point Pelee’s Tip for birds. The wind was too much west to bring in lots of birds. All week a SW wind had been predicted, but by Friday it decided to go west. It was also supposed to rain most of Saturday, but we did not get a drop (at least where I was). Sunday’s weather was supposed to be clear and sunny, but it was cloudy most of the day with a few sprinkles. Case in point, the weather forecasts were wrong yet again!

Blenheim Lagoons had lots of birds to look at on Saturday, if you could stay on your feet in that wind. There were hundreds of Bonaparte’s Gulls—more that I saw at the Tip of Point Pelee. Among them was an adult Little Gull (one was also at Pelee).

Quite a few shorebirds were around the edges, including three Long-billed Dowitchers, a Pectoral Sandpiper, about eight Greater Yellowlegs and a few Lesser Yellowlegs among many Dunlin. There could have been White-rumped Sandpipers, but they blend in quite well with Dunlin at a distance. The White-rumps tend to hang around later than other sandpipers.

A large assortment of ducks was in the cells as well.

Sunday I took in a change of scenery and went up to Grand Bend to join the OFO group. That trip always finds a good variety of birds, as we visit a variety of places.

Off Grand Bend, we noted a good three dozen Common Loons migrating and many White-winged Scoters.

At the lagoons there, the highlights were three White-rumped Sandpipers and a Vesper Sparrow. One photo shows a Dunlin with a White-rumped.

It is already November, but we have not had too many really good NW winds. Nothing of note has been reported at Point Edward on Lake Huron as a result. Strangely, we have had a lot of NE winds this fall, especially earlier. Some strong west winds have occurred as well. These gusty west winds quite often bring in some Franklin’s Gulls this time of year. Maybe some will be reported this week.

It certainly has been a windy fall. The wacky weather continues….