Today, Lyle Friesen and I birded the Lake Erie shoreline along Hwy 3
between Blenheim and Wheatley in Chatham-Kent County. We stopped at various
locations to watch for hawks and other migrants. At our first stop we
immediately noticed migrating chickadees so counted for short periods at
two locations. The result: Black-capped Chickadees are still migrating in
droves and are highly visible as they cross the vast treeless stretches
of Chatham-Kent.
From 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. we counted 245 individuals in 17 flocks
ranging in size from 5 to 60 birds for a rate of passage of 327
birds/hour. From 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., at a different location, we
counted 176 birds in 9 flocks ranging in size from 7 to 40 birds for a rate
of passage of 352 birds/hour. Interestingly, the rate of passage on
October 23 when we first noticed a large migration near Port Bruce was 352
birds/hour suggesting that the migration is still going strong.
Dave Martin and Lyle Friesen
Harrietsville and Kitchener
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
