Being unable to go on the BPQ field trip to Ile Bizard tomorrow morning we decided to check out the possibilities ourselves a day early … and, of course, met Felix scouting the land. A magical morning with great birds and some splendid photography opportunities in extremely pleasant weather conditions This is what birding should be like, at last things are starting to pick up.
A selection of photographs follows – but first, the birds seen between 07:45 and about noon were as follows:
SPECIES SEEN
Pied-billed Grebe, American Bittern, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Turkey Vulture, Virginia Rail (heard), Common Moorhen, Common Tern, Black Tern, Northern Flicker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, House Wren (heard), Marsh Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Crow, European Starling, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush (heard), Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Baltimore Oriole
And now for the photographs ….
Marsh Wren proclaiming his territory
Gray Catbird
Male Red-winged Blackbird being defensive
… and a female
Baltimore Oriole
Wood Duck
Common Tern
Black Tern
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Chipping Sparrow
Warbling Vireo
American Redstart
… and finally, the picture every photographer knows … the one taken just as the bird senses you have “optical lock” on him
A temporary “gallery” of these can also be enjoyed at http://picasaweb.google.ca/sparroworks/IleBizard_20080518