More birds of May

Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) - Brady Park, Garson, Ontario - 2015 May 04

As the warm weather continued I was out watching for the early warblers to arrive near home. A hike into the woods of Garson found a large flock of warblers searching for insects in a birch tree just starting to show some green in its leaf buds. This Nashville Warbler is easily identified by the grey head, white eyering and a completely yellow bottom from below its bill to the base of its tail.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) - Brady Park, Garson, Ontario - 2015 May 04

The rest of this large flock of warblers was almost exclusively Yellow- rumped Warblers. These were very active and I waited for quite some time before one sat still for long enough for a quick portrait.

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) - Tiny Marsh, Tiny Township, Ontario - 2015 May 08

Several days later I was once again hiking at Tiny Marsh. Along the boardwalk through a wet section of marsh a Common Grackle was scouting the shallows for food. This photograph shows the bronze coloured back against a bluish iridescent head.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) - Tiny Marsh, Tiny Township, Ontario - 2015 May 08

Not far away another birdwatcher pointed out an owls nest. We watched an adult Great Horned Owl fly away from the nest and this young bird was left staring at us.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) - Tiny Marsh, Tiny Township, Ontario - 2015 May 13

The next week brought much dark cloudy weather and the birds were in hiding. It was another stop at Tiny Marsh that brought me a close view of this male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. He was hiding in some shrubs but showing off his colourful plumage.

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) - Marden, Ontario - 2015 May 14

The sun came out the next day and birds were on the move again. I took the opportunity to hike another favorite trail along an abandonned rail line near Marden. Here a male Common Yellowthroat with his black face mask paused to get a close look at me.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) - Marden, Ontario - 2015 May 14

Not far away I heard a squeaky chirp, and investigating found this rather drab bird. Same shape and size but much less colour than her partner, this female Rose-breasted Grosbeak posed for me.

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) - Marden, Ontario - 2015 May 14

Nearing the end of my hike I heard some birds in a small shrub. This male House Finch peaked out before flying off with his partner. The House finch looks like a sparrow dipped in raspberry juice, the steaking along its flanks indicate that it is not the very similar Purple Finch.

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) - Pilkington Township, Ontario - 2015 May 14

Later that morning I was at my parents place, I wandered around their back fields and caught this pair of Eastern Bluebirds laying claim to a nest box. The male sits on top in his red white and blue coat. Keeping watch from the nest hole is the female with a similar plumage pattern that is not quite as bright.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) - Pilkington Township, Ontario - 2015 May 14

On a fence post nearby this male House Sparrow spent much time watching me as I took a few photographs.

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) - Hyde Tract, Kirkwall, Ontario - 2015 May 16

The nice weather continued and a few days later I was exploring a few more locations watching for birds. In a forest clearing I found several male Indigo Bunting chasing each other about, obviously competing for a prime territory. One stopped long enough for this shot before taking off in pursuit of his competition.

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) - Westover, Beverly Township, Ontario - 2015 May 16

Not far away I hiked a trail through sparse grass below a hydroline. Here a few Grasshopper Sparrows were singing from the top of short shrubbery. The buffy breast, white streak through the center of a dark head and a flattened head are the identifying marks.

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) - Westover, Beverly Township, Ontario - 2015 May 16

Further up the trail I heard the unmistakeable tune of an Eastern Towhee in the distance. It took some time to locate the bird which continued calling as I took a few pictures.

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) - Snyder's Flats, Bloomingdale, Ontario - 2015 May 17

The next afternoon I spent a few hours at Snyder's Flats hiking along the banks of the Grand River. I heard an oriole calling from the tops of a grove of Ash trees. At first seeing the yellow tones, I thought it was a female Baltimore Oriole however looking closer the black chin patch identified this bird as an male Orchard Oriole in first summer plumage. After its first year the male sports a rich chestnut body and black head.

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) - Snyder's Flats, Bloomingdale, Ontario - 2015 May 17

I also saw several Eastern Kingbirds in the nearby meadows. This bird is white below and dark above with a grey back and head of almost black. The tail feathers are tipped in white.

Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) - Snyder's Flats, Bloomingdale, Ontario - 2015 May 17

Flitting about in a grove of shrubs along the shore of a pond this small olive bird was identified as a Willow Flycatcher by its voice. It is one of the Empidonax group of Flycatchers that all look every much alike and can be best identified by their voice and habitat.

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) - Tiny Marsh, Tiny Township, Ontario - 2015 May 18

On my travels next day I stopped again at Tiny Marsh. Here an American Robin paused with a mouth full of worms. It sat still for some time probably waiting for me to pass by so as not to expose the location of its hungry brood.

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) - Tiny Marsh, Tiny Township, Ontario - 2015 May 18

I heard several Great Crested Flycatchers calling from the treetops. This one stopped nicely on a dead branch looking over its shoulder at me. In this view one can just make out a hint of red in the outer wing feathers, but not visible is the lemon coloured breast.