Whimbrels at Col Sam Smith Park/ May 23, 2019

This year I have scheduled all of the 6 walks for this week at Col Sam Smith Park. Each spring for a few days before and after May 24, flocks of Whimbrels wing their way past here en route from the south eastern North Atlantic coast to their breeding grounds on the western shores of Hudson’s Bay and further west.

No luck yesterday, but this morning (10 degrees and raining at the start) we were rewarded with a flock of about 40 birds which flew fairly near us in tight formation on a couple of occasions.

Robins were much in evidence including this recently abandoned egg shell:

Here is a new born awaiting tail feathers to grow:

American Robin (juvenile)

This bird stopped to rest on a Tree Swallow box:

American Robin

This one struggled to pull a worm out of the ground:

American Robin
American Robin
American Robin

This bird appears to be undergoing a moult:

Other birds:

Indigo Bunting
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
American Goldfinch (female)
Yellow Warbler (male)
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-necked Grebe
Ring-billed Gull (showing brownish colour of first summer birds)
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorants
Warbling Vireo
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow (juvenile)

Species list: double-crested cormorant, red-necked grebe, Canada goose, mute swan, mallard, American black duck, whimbrel, spotted sandpiper, ring-billed gull, common tern, mourning dove, chimney swift, northern flicker, eastern kingbird, tree swallow, rough-winged swallow, bank swallow, barn swallow, northern mockingbird, gray catbird, American robin, European starling, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo,Tennessee warbler, northern parula warbler, yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, chestnut-sided warbler,  house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, Baltimore oriole, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, indigo bunting, song sparrow.  (38 species)

Park scenes:

Serviceberry (Amelanchier)

This morning’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Dark hills at evening in the west, 
Where sunset hovers like a sound 
Of golden horns that sang to rest 
Old bones of warriors under ground, 
Far now from all the bannered ways 
Where flash the legions of the sun, 
You fade–as if the last of days 
Were fading, and all wars were done.  -Edwin Robinson

Miles Hearn

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