Birding May 2024

Backyard

Saw a pilleated woodpecker this morning! 

As I was doing Qi Gong on the deck, it swooped right by me, cackling. 

Rob and I watched it as it danced through the treetops looking for its breakfast.

This is the first year we've managed to attract Orioles. Such pretty birds! It was the grape jelly that finally lured them.

Also this season: downy, hairy, red-bellied woodpeckers; cardinals; bluejays; robins; house sparrows nesting in the birdhouse; mourning doves; grackles; American goldfinch; red breasted nuthatch

Tommy Thomson Park (May 23)
Merlyn helped us in identifying the different songs, which made it a bit easier to tell the difference between the warbling vireo and yellow warbler. And a wood duck!

Baltimore Oriole

Yellow warbler

Warbling vireo

Red winged blackbird

Baltimore oriole

Eastern towee

Catbird

Trumpeter swan

Mute swan

Cormorants

Ring-tailed gull

Wood duck

Carden Alvar (May 15)

Wood duck

We took Andy up on his offer to go birdwatching again at Carden Alvar. Certainly helps to have someone who is experienced enough to know the different types of warblers. Wow! What a day of sightings! Andy explained if we went back to the same place in the following week there would be lots of different species as the birds migrated.

Alvar:

Bluebird
Eastern King Bird

Eastern Towee

Meadowlark (yellow!)
Robin
Bobolink (orange yellow head) 
Common tree swallow (so blue)

Baltimore oriole

Warbling vireo (heard)
Red winged blackbird
Catbird

Common Tree Swallow

Brown Thrasher
Eastern towee
Chickadee
American goldfinch
Common yellow throat
Red breasted grosbeak
Chestnut sided warbler
Magnolia warbler

Meadowlark

Nashville warbler

Turkey vulture
Trumpeter swan
Blue heron

Prospect Road:
Heron
Osprey
Snipe, marsh wren (heard)
Red winged blackbird
Raven

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Kingbird
Northern Harrier
Marsh wren heard
Sandhill cranes! 

Hawk (?)
Mallard
Baltimore Oriole

Dawn Chorus (May 7)

International Dawn Chorus Day is held on the first Sunday in May each year, and this year we celebrated with a birdwalk at Toronto Botanical Gardens at 5:30 am. Leading the group was Sasan Benny, who helped identify the various bird songs. It was such a rainy morning we heard more calls than saw birds, although we did have an extended conversation with a catbird who also gave us a good meow.

Grey Catbird