Day 7. (14 May)

The rain continued over night but was clearing as we drove over to PP and made our way to the tip, finding a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, the first of three we found that morning. 

We headed over to the east beach to twitch a Buff-bellied Pipit. Rather incongruously the pipit, followed by an ever changing gaggle of around 40-50 birders and photographers, wandered up the beach closer and closer to a couple making out on the beach. We never did find out if they noticed the array of optics and camera’s pointing in their direction!

We then joined the crowd trying to relocate a Connecticut Warbler that had showed itself briefly. Despite the presence of some 60+ birders staring intently into the undergrowth, this skulker refused to show. We heard later that it did show really well, albeit for a short period, in the afternoon. Phil did however score with brief views of a Blue-winged Warbler, but none of the others got anywhere where near.

While there had not been a major fall overnight, there had been a significant arrival of Blackpoll Warblers with several seen that morning as we birder our way back towards the centre. The highlights of the walk back, however, were a fly over Raven – apparently quite a rarity at PP –, Broad-winged Hawk and a female Purple Finch, whilst Rob found a second Nighthawk. 

Not long afterwards, the heavens opened and we got soaked walking back to the centre. We headed back to the cottage to dry out and change clothes. Returning home, we discovered that the field behind the cottage had turned into a bit of a lake, covered in gulls. It was a bit incongruous to see Forster’s and Caspian Terns hunting over what the day before was a ploughed field! Whilst there, Phil checked out the new “lagoon”. It didn’t take him to locate the Laughing Gull amongst the 100’s of Bonaparte’s, Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls. Further scanning revealed several Grey Plovers and Short billed Dowitchers, as well as two Great Black Backed Gulls.

We decided to drive up to Mitchell’s Bay, on the shore of Lake St Claire’s to pick up the Yellow-headed Blackbirds that had taken up residence.  The rain was easing by the time we arrived, and the Blackbirds were showing well in the small reed bed area next to the road. 

The rain has stopped by this time so we explored the trail further along that took us out towards Mitchell’s Bay where there was a jetty into Lake St Claire. 2 adult Night Herons, in flight, and a pair of Peregrines over where the only new birds for the trip. Several Green Herons showed well in both the ditch and the lakeside marsh. The ditch also provided, eventually, good views of our first Muskrat, and typically once the first is seen we were to get good views of several more over the next few days.

We stopped at Paula’s on the way home for our evening meal, although a bit posh for us, it was full of birders so we didn’t look to out of place in our birding garb.

Back at the cottage, MJB picked up 2 Willets coming in to land next to a Franklin’s Gull out in the flooded field.