Is That A Peacock???

Well May came and is now Long Gone.

As I said last time the birds were on their way in and the trees filled with life. I ended up taking a large number of photos, and it has taken months to go through and find the ones that we have here.

We started the month with a rarity visiting us at Holiday Beach. A Harris’s Sparrow was hanging out with a flock of White Throated Sparrows. It took us a good number of tries before we finally got to see it. We were with a few of our birding friends and we were all looking into the bushes, when suddenly I saw something hop up onto a log a short distance into the brush. A quick look through the binoculars confirmed it was the Harris’s and I called for everyone to get a look at it. It stayed in the area but made it difficult for us to get good photos, but at least I got a couple.

Another special rarity, a Marsh Sandpiper, didn’t get into our area but was a couple hour’s drive north in the town of Thedford Ontario, hanging out in a sewage lagoon. Not only was the bird that far away, but when we arrived we found that it was staying way out on the other side of the lagoon, and we were restricted from getting too close for fear of spooking it and having it fly off.

Very Rare Marsh Sandpiper on the left of the photo

So, why would we drive a couple hours north to see a bird? Normally we wouldn’t, but strangely this Marsh Sandpiper somehow made it from its normal range of Northern Africa through Europe and Asia, all the way to the middle of Southwestern Ontario… without being recorded by anyone else, until James Holdsworth noticed something different about the bird in the sewage lagoon. We learned about how special this was and took the time to go see it. When we finally arrived, we met a gentleman who flew in from BC that morning and was just leaving to fly back home that afternoon. That’s how important this bird was to birders in North America.

Surprisingly, My Lady and I didn’t get to Point Pelee for the Festival of Birds this year. We were concerned that with the borders open, and people itching to visit after not coming for the past couple of years, the place would be a bit crazy. So we spent most of our time at our local Holiday Beach Conservation Area, and still enjoyed seeing a good number of birds.

Among them various warblers such as the Yellow Rump, Black and White, Nashville, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded, Black Throated Green, a beautiful Blackburnian, Cape May, Bay Breasted, brief glimpses of a Blue Wing and a solitary Canada Warbler. Of course we even have our beloved Prothonotary Warbler.

Beyond the warblers, we found a Blue Headed Vireo and an uncommon White Eyed Vireo. We were entertained by bathing male and female Redstarts and a male Baltimore Oriole. We found a couple of Blue Grey Gnatcatcher nests. Indigo Buntings were appearing in rich blues, Kingbirds, Kinglets and Flycatchers were feasting on the bugs, Hummingbirds were showing off their Ruby Throats, Snakes were gathering in the warming sunlight, and Osprey were hunting over the marsh. Robins had set up their nesting areas and were already gathering food for the young. We finally got to see a Blackpoll Warbler, something we have been trying to photograph since learning about it.

The baby Horned Owls were growing quickly and finally fledged into the trees.

I would like to make note here that the photos of the Wood Thrush and Blue Grey Gnatcatcher on the nest, as well as the Horned Owl babies were taken from a respectful distance using a long lens and doing aggressive cropping on these photos. If you are out in nature and happen upon a nesting bird, please give them distance so as not to get them overly stressed.

Herons and Egrets have returned to the marshes and wetlands, and Raccoons have claimed their space for sleeping in the trees.

At home we were feeding the Orioles, Hummingbirds and House Finches. We soon learned that oranges and Grape Jelly were enjoyed not only by the Baltimore Orioles, but the House Finches as well.

Very expensive Baltimore Oriole demanding fresh oranges and Grape Jelly

Early in March My Lady and I were driving down the road and she suddenly tells me to stop the car, there was a Big Green Bird in the field. I slowed down and when it was safe I turned around and went back. We found the bird and asked each other – “Is That A Peacock?” Sure enough it was, and since it was just outside a barn we figured it belonged there. Just hadn’t seen it there before.

Then a couple days later, we were on our way down a different road and saw a couple large birds in the middle of the road. I came to a stop and grabbed the camera as they moved into the bushes and we had to laugh at the sight of a few Guinea Fowl wandering around. They too are likely residents in the area, but we haven’t seen them since.

One rainy evening we were contacted by our friends who informed us of about 50 Whimbrel in a field very close to home. We hopped into the car and met them and enjoyed the ability to see this many of a bird that we had been trying for a while to see one of at Hillman Marsh. Not the best photos due to rain and how far they stayed away, but cool looking birds none the less.