Cape May Warbler

May 15 2019.  Rondeau Provincial Park, ON. This is Day One of a planned trip to Ohio and Kentucky with a friend. Our goals include seeing Kentucky, Hooded, Yellow-throated and Worm-eating Warblers and, in an obscure corner of Kentucky, the elusive Swainson’s Warbler. But first we planned a couple of warm-up stops in Rondeau Provincial Park and Point Pelee National Park, the Canadian element.

As luck would have it, this, my second visit to Rondeau Provincial Park in ten days, was every bit as bird-active and rewarding as my last.

Dan and I started early and chose to walk Rondeau’s Tulip Tree Trail if for no other reason than it includes known breeding sites for Prothonotary Warblers, a relative rarity. The trail leads through moist forest and there was loads of migrant activity. It took perhaps an hour to reach the Prothonotary Warbler spot, and yes, we saw one quite easily. But along the way we were stopped time and again to absorb dazzling Scarlet Tanagers, flame-faced Blackburnian Warblers and, one of the subtlest beauties of the warbler tribe, Bay–breasted Warblers.

There were many Cape May Warblers, a bit of a nemesis bird for me. I’ve seen them from time to time but never well; things changed today.  Although most Cape Mays stayed fairly high and were a little tricky to follow as they moved restlessly picking insects, one decided it was time to take a bath in a woodland pool. We watched as it moved down until it was slightly lower than the trail and apparently oblivious to our presence. We watched as it dunked and fluttered in the dark leafy waters until, well wetted, it came back up to our eye-level to preen and dry off.

This Cape May Warbler remained as my Bird of the Day despite many strong would-be candidates. For me it was the best among 74 species, including Lincoln’s Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, and dusk encounters with American Woodcocks and Whip-poor-wills who were almost close enough to touch had we been quick enough.