Wild Flowers and Birds - End of April 2024

With the warmer weather and some rain the plants are appearing.  It's nice to see these plants cover the ground in wooded areas.    

Mayapple

White Trillium

Yellow Trout Lily

White Trout Lily

Yellow Trout Lily

Here are some birds that I saw last week.  

Greater Yellowlegs

Eastern Bluebird (female)

Eastern Bluebird (male)

Tree Swallows

Barn Swallows

Spotted Sandpiper

The birds are starting to arrive migrating through Southern Ontario.  Lots of birding!

Wild Flowers

 Some wild flowers I've seen recently in May.

Mega Rarity - Thedford Ontario

I was able to get to the Thedford Sewage Lagoon in Lambton County, May 4, 2022 to view the Mega Rarity Marsh Sandpiper.  It was found by birder James Holdsworth. It was at the far north end of the lagoon feeding with the Lesser Yellowlegs.  The Marsh Sandpiper is paler than the Yellowlegs with a long thin bill.  I didn't see it in flight.  It was feeding like crazy.  I had a good view through my scope but too far away for a photo.  The Marsh Sandpiper has never been seen in Ontario or even Canada.  It's common in Europe and Asia and migrates to Africa, India and Australia. 

Later during the time I was there, a fog developed over the lagoon and it was impossible to see it plus all the other birds.  There were some Green-winged Teals, Lesser Yellowlegs and Greater Yellowlegs, and Trumpeter Swans which is all I can identify as the fog got worse.   

Trumpeter Swans

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

The fog (Green-winged Teals)

May 5, 2022 - Kains Woods

Skunk Cabbage

Yellow Trout Lily

This is my first butterfly of the season (May 5)

Cabbage White