We have been graced with a period of stable weather – sunny days in the low 20s Centigrade and cool nights. Just as spring should be.
The canopy has deepened to emerald green, losing most of its spring green.
Our Rondeau reports continue…
On the days we went to Blenheim Sewage Lagoons, we also spent a short time at Rondeau, checking to see if some warblers had shown up yet.
Warbler Way – May 8th
Despite it’s name, this trail did not yield any warblers, and very few other birds, in the short time we were there.
Still, it was rewarding to see this handsome Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Also sighted: a Warbling Vireo and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet
A lovely surprize was a Swamp Sparrow foraging in the water of the wet woods along the path. These birds can be present in our area year-round, nesting in marshes and bogs. This one was likely migrating farther north.
Spring flowers were not as abundant as expected because of the cool spring.
Early Buttercup, Wood Anemone, Mayapple, Violets
An American Lady butterfly found blossoms for nectar. This butterfly cannot survive our cold winters. It migrates to Canada in May.
Other creatures along the way…
…Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Eastern Chipmunk
Birds sometimes use the park buildings to perch or shelter their nests.
Benett Trail – May 11th
By May 11th, warblers had started to arrive. We found a flurry of them along Benett Trail.
Most of the warblers were moving rapidly high in the canopy. A few came low enough for photos.
Black-throated Green
Black-throated Blue
Northern Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackburnian and Northern Parula
A Red-breasted Nuthatches tend to reside year round in Ontario, but some are short-distance migrants that move farther south in the winter.
Veerys are a type of forest thrush that forage in the forest understory for insects and friut. They winter in central and southern Brazil.
Osprey Update
The Osprey family is thriving! The male Osprey makes regular deliveries of fish to the nest where the female feeds herself and the two growing chicks. The male remains perched on the nest during feeding, keeping watch while the female is preoccupied with tending to the young.
Here are three short videos from June 1, spliced together.
Ranunculus from Wandering Bee
Such rich colours…
Linda Ronstadt’s Self-titled Album
Recorded and released in her early 20’s, these songs take me back to the early 1970’s.
