Last week we had days of unseasonably cold, overcast and rainy weather. On the one sunny day, our friends suggested a trip to Hawk Cliff where they had recently seen many birds. Hawk Cliff Woods is a 230-acre property stewarded by the Thames Talbot Land Trust. In addition to the extensive woodland, there is an open field, a native plant seed garden and a viewing platform used during the fall hawk migration.
Here is a view of the road lined with trees and bushes that include a massive Sugar Maple and Quaking Aspens.
Because the trees are now covered with leaves, we spent time on the more open trails near the garden and along the road. Since we could hear a lot of bird song, we decided to watch and wait for at least some of the birds to pop out from the cover of the leaves. We had success in photographing a few of the 22 species we identified. We missed the Pileated Woodpecker that flew off just as we arrived, although we heard it drumming throughout much of our visit. We heard a Wood Thrush repeatedly, a species that is known to nest in the woodland.
Yellow Warblers were nesting and busy feeding young.
Our friends spotted an American Robin sitting on a nest high above us.
We are always thrillled to see male Indigo Buntings in breeding plumage.
A male Baltimore Oriole sang and put on a show in this Eastern Black Walnut tree.
A few record shots of other species: Gray Catbird singing, Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Brown-headed Cowbird, juvenile Bald Eagle.
The Hawk Cliff property overlooks Lake Erie, just to the east of Port Stanley. Bank Swallows burrow into the sandy soil of the cliffs to create their nests. These photos were taken through the fencing that prevents access to the cliff edge.
When we weren’t watching for birds, we were taking in the wildflowers in bloom.
Wild Geranium
Field Horsetail had taken over the field…
Prairie Smoke was growing in the wildflower seed garden. We had not seen it in bloom before. It is native to western North America, but there are isolated populations in Ontario. The name derives from the seed heads that have long, feathery plumes that aid wind dispersal of the seeds.
Star-flowered/False Solomon’s Seal
Mayapple was in bloom. Mayapples grow in colonies from a single root that sends up several stems. Blossoms develop only on stems with more than a single leaf. The green, yellow or red fruit develops over the summer.
More blooms: Virginia Strawberry, Scarlet Hawthorne, Dandelion, American Black Currant, Bitter Wintercress
Blenheim Lagoons – May 9, 2025
The Blenheim Sewage Lagoons are noted as a birding hotspot. On the windy afternoon of May 9, we explored the ponds, the settlement areas and the grassy fields for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Purple Martins, Tree Swallows and a few Rough-winged and Cliff Swallows soared over the ponds, scooping up insects.
Most waterfowl had moved north to their breeding grounds, but there were a few lingering Ruddy Ducks, Lesser Scaup and Buffleheads.
There were only a few shorebirds foraging in the shallow water at the edges of the ponds. Among them, much to our delight, were a pair of Wilson’s Phalaropes. These are the first of this species we have seen! We’ve learned that the breeding plumage of female phalaropes is more colourful than that of the males. Wilson’s Phalaropes breed largely in western Canada and the northwestern United States. There is also a breeding population around the southern Great Lakes.
The phalaropes were in the company of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.
There were a few songbirds among the 20 species we saw that afternoon: female Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-rumped/Myrtle Warblers, Savannah Sparrow.
Osprey Update
We are watching closely, but there is still no sign of young on the nest. The male is frequently perched on the low platform and visits the nest with fish or to replace the female on the nest.
We were happy to catch this video of the male delivering a fish and then taking the female’s place on the eggs. She took the partialy eaten fish to the low platform.
More Poppies!
It was another glorious week of poppies, ranunculus, tulips and Solomon’s Seal to brighten our days.
Music Overload From 1968
There was too much for me to choose from. I did not want to cut any of it from this playlist.