OFO Conference Kingson Ontario September 23-25, 2016

Friday September 23

We drove down on Friday morning and joined a group at the Marshlands Conservation Area. This trail is the start of the Rideau Trail. There were lots of good birders on this hike. Colin and Hilda joined us part way through. There were quite a few skulking warblers, but photos were few. We got good loks at a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a Blackpoll Warbler.

After the hike we checked the bay across the road for ducks.

We then headed back to the hotel for "Birds and Beers"

Saturday September 24

This morning we headed out to Lemoine Point Conservation Area. This is an extensive area with many intersecting trails. There were many good birders and birds too! This is where we met Martin nd Kathy Parker and set in motion the Pelee Island trip in the spring. We were able to get photos of Eastern Phoebe, Northen Flicker, Cedar Waxwing, Black and White Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch.

We went back to Marshlands for a picnic lunch with Colin and Hilda, then proceeded to the Flying J on Hwy 401 to meet our afternoon group. We first went to the Napanee Plain Alvar Nature Reserve. We hoped to see the introduced Loggerhead Shrikes, but had no luck.

We also hiked a trail around a marsh at the northe end of Varty Lake. The habitat was good, but our group was too large. Our last stop was the Camden East Provincal Wildlife Area, where we did see some egrets, swans and Black-bellied Plovers.

Then it was back to Kingston for the banquet where Jean Iron received the Distinguished Onithologist Award.

Sunday September 25

This morning we headed to Presqu'ile Park for the whole day. We arrived at the Lighthouse to hurried calls from others - it was a fallout! It was amazing. There were so many species, that we did not know where to point our binoculars and cameras. We did manage to capture some, but there were many more. Common Yellowthroat, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, White-breasted Nuthatch, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon.

Later, we went to Job's Woods and the Calf Pasture where we saw Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Osprey and Pine Warbler.

We had our picnic lunch at the park store, then hiked out to the beach. We wanted to cross over to Gull Island, since we had our boots. But Colin and Hilda were only wearing shoes, and decided to call it a day. Barbara got soakers, but Bill miraculously managed to stay dry. Our reward was a Red Knot. Other birds of note were Semi-palmated Plovers and various shorebirds in a fly by with a pergrine Falcon in hot pursuit.