Summer 2018: 1 Jun–31 Jul
Adam Capparelli
adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca
Recommended citation:
Capparelli, A. 2026. Summer 2018: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lSk> North American Birds.
Summer 2018 in Ontario was a fairly typical one with most of the province experiencing normal temperatures and precipitation. The Hudson’s Bay and James Bay areas saw some cooler-than-normal temperatures and Southern Ontario and James Bay saw above normal precipitation. Despite the mundane weather conditions, this summer was an excellent one from a rare bird perspective, with the first two weeks of June hosting a number of rarities. As is typical for Ontario, the rest of the summer, especially July, was fairly quiet. There were two more reports of Ruff this summer, bringing the total number of records in 2018 to an impressive eight. Additionally, the third record of Bell’s Vireo this year was reported, a species not always recorded annually; the record is four individuals reported in 2014).
Notable rarities included Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Chuck-will’s-widow, Ruff, Black Guillemot, Black-headed Gull, Cassin’s Kingbird, Bell’s Vireo, and Virginia’s Warbler.
Special thanks:
We would like to extend our gratitude to Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics.
Waterfowl through Rails
A Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was photographed on 14 Jun in Guelph, Wellington Co and only ever seen by the original observer (Genevieve C. E. White). A Mute Swan present from 6 Jun into the fall in Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Dist was a good record for Northwestern Ontario (Allan Gilbert). A female King Eider seen on 28 July in the City of Toronto was an unusual summer record of this species (Allison Zhang, Ella Foo). A Harlequin Duck first reported in the winter in the City of Toronto lingered until 2 Jun, long after most individuals have departed southern Ontario (Owen Strickland). The only Eurasian Collared-Dove of the summer was a bird seen on 30 Jun in Rainy River, Rainy River Dist (Michael Dawber).
The excellent year for White-winged Dove in the province continued into the summer. The returning bird at Rondeau Provincial Park, Chatham-Kent Co was present all summer (m. ob.). Amazingly, a second bird showed up at the same location on 13 Jul and remained into the fall (Melvin VanKoughnett). The continuing birds first seen in May in the City of Ottawa and Selim, Thunder Bay Dist were last reported on 1 Jun (m. ob.) and 5 Jun (Catherine A. Smith, Joe Kutcher) respectively. Lastly, a bird was present on 28 July near Clute, Cochrane Dist (Tricia Bird). A Black-billed Cuckoo was reported on 14 Jul and continued into the fall at Longridge Point, Cochrane Dist, an excellent record for the Hudson’s Bay lowlands (Doug McRae). The continuing Chuck-will’s-widow from May was last heard on 4 Jul in South Bay, Prince Edward Co (m. ob.). Notable reports of Yellow Rail were: 9 Jun–12 Jul in Echo Bay, Algoma Dist (Ken McIlwrick, Stan Phippen) and 18 Jun in Laird, Algoma Dist (Ron Dorscht).
Shorebirds through Grebes
It was a good summer for Piping Plovers in the province: the families in Darlington Provincial Park, Durham RM (m. ob.) and the City of Toronto (m. ob.) were present all summer, the last birds at Sauble Beach, Bruce Co and Wasaga Beach, Simcoe Co were seen on 18 Jul (m. ob.) and 30 Jul (m. ob.) respectively. Other records were: 6 Jun in Port Franks, Lambton Co (Jason Webb, Dustin Veenhoff), 8–13 Jul in Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Northumberland Co (m. ob.) and 14 Jul on Windy Point, Rainy River Dist (Dave Milsom). Several Willet were reported this summer: 27 Jun in Sandbanks Provincial Park, Prince Edward Co (fide eBird), 14 Jul in Sarnia and Bright’s Grove, Lambton Co (Deryl Nethercott), 17 Jul in London, Middlesex Co (William Van Hemessen), 21 Jul in the City of Toronto (Brian Stahls), 21 Jul in Bright’s Grove, Lambton Co (Deryl Nethercott, Sharon Nethercott), and 28 Jul in Mitchell, Perth Co (Todd Hagedorn, Kathryn Hoo). Another two Ruff were reported this summer, adding on to the six already reported in the spring, although the summer records may be of the same bird: 7 Jun in Whitby, Durham RM (Mike Ferguson, Charmaine Anderson) and 9–10 Jun in Port Perry, Durham RM (Geoff Carpentier).
A Black Guillemot was seen from 17–21 Jul at Little Piskwamish Point, Cochrane Dist (Karl Bardon). A Sabine’s Gull seen on 4 Jun in the City of Ottawa was a rare spring record of this species (Jon P. Ruddy). A Black-headed Gull was photographed on 17 Jun in Point Pelee National Park, Essex Co (Blake A. Mann). Interestingly, most of the records of this species in Ontario are of birds seen in the summer months. Laughing Gulls were reported on 1 Jun in Port Hope, Northumberland Co (Dave Milsom) and 21 Jul in Sarnia, Lambton Co (Deryl Nethercott). In the south, Franklin’s Gulls were seen on 5 Jun in Port Dover, Norfolk Co (Garth V. Riley) and 24 Jun near River Canard, Essex Co (Kory J. Renaud). Migrant Arctic Terns were present from 3–6 Jun in the City of Ottawa (Jon P. Ruddy, Brian Morin, Vincent Fyson, Alice Tremblay) and 5–7 Jun in Oakville, Halton RM (Dominik Halas). An Eared Grebe was present on 1 Jun in the City of Ottawa (Nicholas von Maltzahn). A Western Grebe was reported on 13 Jun in Orillia, Simcoe Co (Lawrence Grossman).
Ibis through Woodpeckers
A White-faced Ibis was a one-day wonder on 1 Jun in Rowan Mills, Norfolk Co (Adam Timpf, Mary E. Gartshore, Peter Carson). Five unidentified Glossy/White-faced Ibis were spotted on 18 Jun in Port Burwell, Elgin Co (Myles Falconer). The continuing Least Bittern from May in Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Dist was last reported on 6 Jun (m. ob.). Yellow-crowned Night Herons were present from 27 Jul–Aug+ in the City of Hamilton (Barry Cherriere) and 27–29 Jul in South Baymouth, Manitoulin Dist (Dominik Halas). Both records of Snowy Egret this summer were from Niagara RM: 17 Jun in Niagara-on-the-Lake (Dave Van da laar) and 30 Jun–26 Jul in Fort Erie (Walter Parker). A Western Cattle-Egret present from 3 Jun–8 Jul in Brighton, Northumberland Co may have been the same bird that was present earlier in spring (m. ob.). Away from Ontario’s northwest and extreme southwest, American White Pelicans were reported on 1 Jun in Red Bay, Bruce Co (Mark Peck), 7–8 Jun in the City of Hamilton (Cheryl Edgecombe), 8 Jun in the City of Greater Sudbury (Chris Blomme), 12 Jun at the St. Clair National Wildlife Area, Chatham-Kent Co (Pat Schiller, Kate Beaumont), and 8 Jul in the City of Toronto (Amanda C. Guercio) and Whitby, Durham RM (Jean Iron). Away from the Niagara River, Black Vultures were reported on 2 Jun in Sandbanks Provincial Park, Prince Edward Co (Felix Eckley, Rick Eckley), 13 Jun in Bowmanville, Durham RM (Margaret Bain), 28 Jun in the City of Hamilton (William Olenek) and 6 Jul in Stoney Creek, City of Hamilton (James Lees). An American Three-toed Woodpecker seen on 19 Jun in Killarney Provincial Park, Sudbury Dist was a good find so far south, especially in summer (Hugh Kent).
Flycatchers through Buntings
A Cassin’s Kingbird, Ontario’s fifth, was an excellent find during a visible migration watch on 1 Jun in Renwick, Chatham-Kent Co (Kenneth G. D. Burrell, Brandon R. Holden). Western Kingbirds were seen on 8 Jun near Harris Hill, Rainy River Dist (Tyler Hoar) and 23 Jun in Hornepayne, Algoma Dist (Reuven Martin). Both reports of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher came from Thunder Bay Dist: 27 Jun in Terrace Bay (Kenneth G. D. Burrell, Mike V. A. Burrell, Nathan G. Miller) and 16–19 Jul in Rossport (Gordon Smith, Joan Smith). The continuing White-eyed Vireo from May in Pike Bay, Bruce Co was last reported on 20 Jul (m. ob.); other birds were present 2 Jun in Rondeau Provincial Park, Chatham-Kent Co (Mark Field, Jeremy L. Hatt) and 4 Jun on Pelee Island, Essex Co (Connor Hawey). The third Bell’s Vireo of the year was recorded on 11 Jun in Kenora, Kenora Dist, only the second record for Northern Ontario (Christopher Martin). The long-staying Black-billed Magpie in Echo Lake, Algoma Dist was still present this summer (m. ob.). Away from western Lake Ontario, a Fish Crow present on 20 Jul in Port Rowan, Norfolk Co was notable (Steven Price, Ron Ridout).
Notable House Finch reports were of birds seen on 14 Jun in Morson, Rainy River Dist (Malcolm Gold) and 24 Jun in Rainy River, Rainy River Dist (Howard Shapiro). A Grasshopper Sparrow heard on 10 Jun in Kenora, Kenora Dist was a good record for Northwestern Ontario (Kyle Myschowoda). A Nelson’s Sparrow, likely a late migrant, was found dead on 9 Jun in Tweed, Hastings Co (Joe Bartok). The only Yellow-breasted Chat of the summer was recorded on 13 Jun on Pelee Island, Essex Co (Conner Hawey). The only notable Yellow-headed Blackbird report was of a bird seen on 9 Jun in Echo Bay, Algoma Dist (Ken McIlwrick, Stan Phippen). A Western Meadowlark was present on 2 Jun in Point Pelee National Park, Essex Co (Blake A. Mann). A Virginia’s Warbler, the sixth for Ontario, was banded on 1 Jun on Long Point, Norfolk Co (m. ob.). A Black-headed Grosbeak was seen on 19 Jun in Alisa Craig, Middlesex Co (Ed Preszcator, Judy Preszcator). A Painted Bunting was a good find on 2 Jun in Erieau, Chatham-Kent Co (Eva G. Visscher). Dickcissels were widespread with reports from Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bruce, Haldimand, and Wellington Cos, Niagara RM, and Kenora and Rainy River Dists.
Report edited by Andrew Keaveney, 27 Aug 2026.
Photos–Ontario: Summer 2018
