April 2004 Sightings in the Windsor Area
Friday, April 30: Red-headed Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and many other migrants arrived over the past two days. House Wrens, Gray Catbirds, Great-crested Flycatchers, Warbling Vireo and several warblers are singing in the vicinity of the nature centre today.
Wildflowers such as hoary puccoon, blue-eyed grass, bastard toadflax and arrow-leaved violt are beginning to bloom along trails through the nature reserve. Juvenal's Dusky Wing, Spring Azure, Cabbage and Red Admiral butterflies were also seen today around the nature centre.
Monday, April 19: Ojibway's birding trip to Hillman Marsh C.A. on the 17th recorded 15 species of waterfowl and 6 species of shorebirds (Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Wilson's Snipe and Pectoral Sandpiper) in the new shorebird habitat. Eight Lapland Longspurs made a brief appearance along with other migrants such as Barn and Rough-winged Swallows, Chimney Swift, Forster's Tern, Rusty Blackbirds, Purple Finches and a variety of sparrows.
Spring Beauty, Bloodroot, Purple Cress, Yellow Trout-lily and other early spring wildflowers sprang into bloom after the warm weekend weather. American Toads have replaced Chorus Frogs as the dominant sound at local ponds (first heard April 16).
Other recent sightings at Ojibway include: Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, April 18 (Fred Urie), House Wren, April 17 (Fred Urie), Brown Thasher, April 17 (Paul Pratt), Spring Azure butterfly, April 16 and Green Darner dragonfly, April 9 (Fred Urie).
Monday, April 5: The first Mourning Cloak butterflies of the season were found in the nature reserve on April 3 by Mark Nenadov and at Spring Garden Natural Area today by K. Cedar.
Saturday, April 3: Ojibway's first birding trip of the spring visited Point Pelee today. Migrant birds seen on the outing included Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture (6), Surf Scoter (75), Broad-winged Hawk, Lesser Yellowlegs (5), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker (+20), Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow and Fox Sparrow. The highlight of the day was watching a Lousiana Waterthrush (through the scope!) along the tip loop road.
