End of May Sightings

Saturday I went down to Rondeau Park to see what migrant or resident birds were kicking around. Indeed, the number of warblers has dropped sharply, but some are still passing through.  Flycatchers were plentiful, and breeding birds are now setting up territories or already nesting.

Black-billed Cuckoo

The first interesting bird was a resident rarity, the White-winged Dove.  Things have become desperate as it finally found its reflection in the sun-roof of a car!  As well, it has resorted to placing assorted sticks on the roof.

photo taken in poor early morning light

If only one of the opposite sex has arrived, we would likely have a nesting record!




During the course of the morning, I found only a single Mourning Warbler, which was surprising.  A few Blackpolls were scattered around, and out marsh trail a Magnolia Warbler and a couple of Wilson's were found.


Marsh trail seemed the busiest with countless Yellow Warblers, and many Willow and Alder Flycatchers.



For some reason, I walked all the way to Long Pond before lunch.  That coupled with lack of sleep the previous night left me rather tired!
This Mink was not too worried of my presence.

Acadian Flycatcher arrived on territory this week at Rondeau Park.

Today, Sunday, I decided on a change of pace and headed up to Skunk's Misery (Mosa Forest).  There was an OFO outing led by Gavin Platt scheduled, so it was an opportunity to join in.  It turned out to be quite a pleasant day as the weather was good, mosquitoes were not as thick as usual, and target birds were found rather quickly.
Before arriving at the meeting site, I took a quick tour through the Misery on a couple of roads.  I found a singing Cerulean Warbler on Dogwood Road, so this ended up being our starting point.

In fact, there were two singing Cerulean Warblers, but trying to take photos in the thick forest was a challenge.

Also at this location was a co-operative Hooded Warbler.  They are quite common in the Mosa Forest and it is no problem finding them.

Blue-winged Warblers are scattered throughout.

However, one has to look at them closely.  We found one that sang a Blue-winged song and looked much like it, but it was obviously a hybrid with the thicker black through eye and thick yellowish wingbars.

Nearby we found an Acadian Flycatcher on territory.

Watching the Acadian

Chestnut-sided Warblers are common in certain locations.

At one point a hidden Common Yellowthroat was singing......oops.....make that a Mourning Warbler! This Mourning Warbler was constantly singing a perfect Common Yellowthroat song.  Goes to show you sometimes need to see a bird to ID it!  No explanation for this, but these things do happen.

I once remember hearing what I thought was a Kentucky Warbler at Point Pelee Tip.  Turned out to be a Mourning Warbler.
There are apparently records of hybridization of Mourning Warbler with Common Yellowthroat, so whether this has a bearing, I do not know.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos were encountered occasionally during the outing.

Missing a tail feather!

With the recent very warm weather, we are now seeing a good variety of butterflies.  In the last few days I have seen several first-of-year butterflies.
The first Common Ringlets were seen on Friday.

Common Ringlet

Skippers are finally coming out.  Today I saw the first Peck's and Hobomok Skippers.

Juvenal's Duskywing

Silver-spotted Skipper