Point Pelee Part 4: Baltimore Oriole - Blackburnian Warbler
May 21st, 2010
I'm leaving out a lot here, obviously. I'll list any birds of particular interest, and any that I have photos of.
Baltimore Oriole: Ubiquitous--more so than in Ottawa, where they're already a pretty common sight. People put up orange nectar feeders to attract them, and halves of oranges stuck on posts. (Apparently Baltimore Orioles are attracted to the color orange when feeding. Perhaps it helps them attain the pigments they need for their brilliant plumage.)
At Point Pelee itself, Baltimore Orioles are (or were, at least, on Friday) unbelievably common, the trees teemed with them, their songs filled the air. Between them and the Orchard Orioles, it was oriole central, and finally on Friday afternoon Ken snapped and reacted to a sighting with "another wretched oriole." ("Aren't we becoming jaded!" one man laughed.)
Barn Swallow: A very abundant species anywhere that was close to Lake Erie. At Point Pelee, they nested right under the roof of an open-sided building by the park entrance. The building was small and had people constantly streaming in and out of it, but the swallows didn't seem to mind in the slightest. I guess they're used to it.
At Rondeau, I found a group of them at a mud puddle. Barn Swallows frequent mud puddles in spring to gather material for their mud nests, which they build, usually, on ledges and ceilings in man-made structures.
Black-And-White Warbler: An atypical warbler who creeps along trunks and branches like a nuthatch. I photographed this one at Rondeau.
Black-Throated Blue Warbler: A striking deep-woods warbler. Depending on lighting, the male's back can look anywhere from grey to a fairly vivid blue. I've seen them on breeding grounds on the forested mountains of Gaspé, only infrequently in migration, but enjoyed several sightings at Point Pelee. I'm cheating with the photo, though--I actually took it at Mud Lake on Wednesday :-)
Blackburnian Warbler: The "flamethroat." IMHO, the most beautiful songbird in North America (click the link to see why.) A male graced us with his presence at Point Pelee.
To be continued...
May 21st, 2010
I'm leaving out a lot here, obviously. I'll list any birds of particular interest, and any that I have photos of.
Baltimore Oriole: Ubiquitous--more so than in Ottawa, where they're already a pretty common sight. People put up orange nectar feeders to attract them, and halves of oranges stuck on posts. (Apparently Baltimore Orioles are attracted to the color orange when feeding. Perhaps it helps them attain the pigments they need for their brilliant plumage.)
At Point Pelee itself, Baltimore Orioles are (or were, at least, on Friday) unbelievably common, the trees teemed with them, their songs filled the air. Between them and the Orchard Orioles, it was oriole central, and finally on Friday afternoon Ken snapped and reacted to a sighting with "another wretched oriole." ("Aren't we becoming jaded!" one man laughed.)
Barn Swallow: A very abundant species anywhere that was close to Lake Erie. At Point Pelee, they nested right under the roof of an open-sided building by the park entrance. The building was small and had people constantly streaming in and out of it, but the swallows didn't seem to mind in the slightest. I guess they're used to it.
At Rondeau, I found a group of them at a mud puddle. Barn Swallows frequent mud puddles in spring to gather material for their mud nests, which they build, usually, on ledges and ceilings in man-made structures.
Black-And-White Warbler: An atypical warbler who creeps along trunks and branches like a nuthatch. I photographed this one at Rondeau.
Black-Throated Blue Warbler: A striking deep-woods warbler. Depending on lighting, the male's back can look anywhere from grey to a fairly vivid blue. I've seen them on breeding grounds on the forested mountains of Gaspé, only infrequently in migration, but enjoyed several sightings at Point Pelee. I'm cheating with the photo, though--I actually took it at Mud Lake on Wednesday :-)
Blackburnian Warbler: The "flamethroat." IMHO, the most beautiful songbird in North America (click the link to see why.) A male graced us with his presence at Point Pelee.
To be continued...
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