Findings End of May 2021

I got a Northern Mockingbird last year for the first time.  It was nice to see it again.  It's so lovely listening to the vocals.  They are excellent mimics.

Northern Mockingbird

Chipping Sparrow

The Eastern Meadowlark is another bird I love to hear.

Eastern Meadowlark

This bird...the Grasshopper Sparrow is a new lifer for me.

Grasshopper Sparrow

Here are some of the other birds I saw through the week.

Red-tailed Hawk

Song Sparrow

Right now, there are lots of ducklings around.  For this Mallard, I counted 10 babies.

Mallard

For the Wood Duck, I counted 9 babies.  The female tends to the young.

Wood Duck

Wonderful Week Plus a Lifer

 May 17-22, 2021

I saw some nice variety of birds and wildlife this week. We had some very hot weather in the 30c range.  I do my birding in the mornings in this weather.

American Goldfinch

Wild Turkey

I saw my first Black Swallowtail of the year.  Beautiful.

Black Swallowtail

I found this tiny Painted Turtle (2") long on a main pathway.  I was afraid it might get hurt and it was far from water.  So I carried the turtle to the edge of the pond so it will be safe.  I put it on a reed stem at the water edge, so it can go into the water when it is ready.

This sandpiper is a lifer.  It was quite far away on the mudflats.

Black-bellied Plover

Green Heron

Sightings Last Week

 May 16, 2021

The week of May 9 has brought more birds through the area.  I've seen more warblers...Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, and my favorite warbler the Black-throated Blue Warbler.

I seen more Baltimore Orioles and the more uncommon oriole, Orchard Oriole.  I have not seen the Scarlett Tanager or Indigo Bunting yet...hopefully next week.  The following photos are some of the birds I saw.

Wood Duck

Tree Swallow

Mute Swan

Trumpeter Swans

Tree Swallow

Great Blue Heron

Orchard Oriole

Canada Geese Family

Belted Kingfisher

Palm Warbler

Great Blue Heron

Baltimore Oriole

Cedar Waxwing

Wild Turkey

One of my favorite birds, the Eastern Bluebird.

Killdeer

Local May Birding

 May 10, 2021

I'm finding more migrating birds this past week especially more warblers which is nice....Yellow-rumped Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Palm Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler and American Redstart.

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Redstart

More Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks this week.

Baltimore Oriole

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

A lot of Mallards and Canada Geese are around with their babies.  The pictures of the goslings are at different areas in the city.

This bird below is a Whip-poor-Will.  I've seen them at Rondeau Park but this is my first one for Middlesex County.  They are nocturnal and by day, they rest in trees or the ground.  They camouflage nicely by the brown, grey and white colour and pattern.  The head is large with large eyes and a tiny beak.  They eat insects.

Whip-poor-Will