May 19 2016, Morgans Point Rd. Ostryhon Corners, ON A map, mental, electronic or paper will help in understanding how I met up with today’s Bird of the Day. Because, from where we met a Wilson’s Warbler and a Philadelphia Vireo, a Swainson’s Thrush and uncountable numbers of swifts and swallows there is a view across Lake Erie to its southern shoreline in western New York State and the mountainous Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania beyond; a context that is key to this account.
My companion and I had made our way, a longish drive by the way; to Morgan’s Point, a small conservation area on the north shore of Lake Erie. It is a roughly triangular, pleasantly wooded promontory, which juts out into the lake pointing its nose towards the New York shore. In spring Morgan’s Point can be a very good place to watch for northbound migrants; it’s a landing spot for birds that have dared to fly across the lake rather than take the longer way around.
When we arrived early this morning the woods, parkland and lake-side dunes were distractingly busy with singing Baltimore Orioles and fluttering Yellow Warblers. We didn’t try to keep count, you couldn’t possibly. Everywhere we looked we saw them; if it was small and moved it was a Yellow Warbler, if it was large and moved a Baltimore Oriole. I exaggerate for effect of course, but there were hundreds of both as well as many Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds and Common Grackles. We heard and/or saw singles of Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Peewee, Scarlet Tanager, Wilson’s Warbler and Least Flycatcher. Close to the water’s edge were Spotted Sandpipers and, Bird of the Day for Barry, a single Red–headed Woodpecker.
After a couple of hours of oriole-exhaustion and Yellow Warbler wobbles we took a break and headed inland for a change of pace and scenery. A drive along quiet country roads turned up Eastern Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Great–crested and Willow Flycatchers, Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Towhees and Wood Thrushes among others.
We returned to Morgans Point later hoping that that a new mix of migrants had made the arduous hop across the lake. We were right and wrong. The place was still seething with Baltimore Orioles and Yellow Warblers (a few pairs had decided this was home and had started nest building). We found a Magnolia Warbler, a Winter Wren, an indeterminate Flycatcher (either a Willow or an Alder Flycatcher – they are impossible to tell apart) and re-found the Wilson’s Warbler, an engaging little warbler who I pronounced to be my Bird of the Day on account of its colourful cuteness and personal rarity, since I hadn’t seen one for a number of years; good enough reasons.
Perhaps most wondrous though was the hundreds, if not thousands, of Chimney Swifts, and Barn, Tree and Northern Rough–winged Swallows apparently making landfall at the tip of Morgans Point. At Lake Erie’s surface uncountable numbers cruised, swooped and picked for insects, but above them and far beyond, out over the lake, the air was equally crowded, like a big fishing line tangle.
It’s my belief that we were seeing birds that had crossed the lake very recently and that, as we watched, more were arriving. Equally, others perhaps having fuelled up on insects were departing, heading inland, driven to reach suitable nesting habitat. Many may have a very long way to go yet.
