Thursday May 6th: Another day with Mom

Tree Swallow. Photo by Marianne Balkwill

Went birding with mom last week Thursday. Wasn't as birdy as yesterday, but still some great birds around. Walking down Tilden Trail, I got my first Black-throated Blue Warbler of the spring. A beautiful male singing. Down Shuster Trail we also picked up a male Northern Parula, 5 Common Yellowthroats, 2 Grey Catbirds, and a male Swamp Sparrow. It was a very windy day so we decided to walk down the beach a little where it was protected. Not much activity but we did see a Palm Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Least Flyctacher Black-throated Green Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, and of course Yellow Warblers. Watching over the lake we had flocks of Boniparte's Gull, and Double-crested Cormorants. A lone Spotted Sandpiper was right at the shoreline.

The rest of Tilden Trail was descent, highlights include, Blue-winged Warbler, American Redstart, Black-throated Green Warbler and Northern Waterthrush.
One neat bird we located was a female wild turkey on a nest. This bird was pointed out ot me earlier last week.




Female Wild Turkey on eggs. Photo by Marianne Balkwill

We then decided to take a quick trip to the tip to see the reported Prothonotary Warbler. Within 10 minutes we saw this bird, and then it was lunchtime.

After lunch we walked down Redbud Trail and onto the Woodland Trail. This trail was particularly DEAD!! A few neat birds included a Grey-cheeked Thrush down Redbud Trail, and, down Woodland Trail, a Yellow-beilled Sapsucker, American Redstart, Black-capped Chickadee, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a couple of Wild Turkeys up in a tree.

We decided to try for Hillman Marsh afterwards. The shorebird cell was pretty descent. That is where I got mom her second lifer for the spring, Wilson's Phalarope. There were three in total along with Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, a few Dunlin and easily 300 Black-bellied Plover with one American Golden Plover in with them. Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, Green-winged Teal and Canada Geese with goslings were in the cell as well.

Of note though, while we were looking at all the shorebirds, Jean Iron had her eyes on a third year California Gull at Wheatley Harbour. Today this bird remains my nemesis bird......