A Great (kiska)-day at Rondeau

Get it, kiska-day.......kiskadee. 😁   Not a great title, but my fellow bloggers have used up the best titles in reference to this incredible rarity that showed up at Rondeau Provincial Park.

I was amazed when I first heard about this unique flycatcher that had been reported on iNaturalist.  I was eager to see, it but couldn't get away immediately.  Fortunately it appears in no rush to move on and on Wednesday got my chance to take a day off to head to Rondeau.

I didn't get to the park early, but headed straight for the marsh trail.  It seemed to be a good day for Stratford area birders to migrate this way as well and I met up with various familiar faces from back home.  Among them were birding friends Eric and Liz Jeffery.  They are no strangers to Rondeau rarities and actually found a Townsend's Solitaire in the park last spring.

Everyone present had already seen the bird, but it had apparently moved out of sight some time before I arrived.  The Jefferys pointed out where the bird is normally seen and I decided to watch and wait.  A few other birders arrived and we all watched partway down the trail where the bird supposedly liked to spend the afternoon. 

After nothing there for a while, I wandered back to the start of the trail to the spot where it had been seen that morning.  At first there was nothing.  Then within minutes a bright flash flew in.  It was unmistakable.  I made a mad dash back down the trail to alert the other birders and we all managed brief views of the bird until a Merlin showed up and it dissapeared.

At this point I left for a while to walk various other trails, but by late afternoon returned for another look.  This time the bird was more coopeartive for me and although somewhat distant allowed for some photos and a nice view through the scope.

In between watching the Kiskadee, this Green Heron was entertaining to watch as it munched a frog.

I saw these Beech Blight Aphids or Boogie Woogie Aphids along the Tulip Tree trail.

Northern Leopard Frog relaxing on the trailside.

Meadowhawk species.  I have a long way to go with dragonflies.

And a hummingbird just because it posed so nicely.

It's been a great year for birds so far.  What's going to be next?