Lots of Singing at the Pickering Waterfront Trail: March 2021

This morning, for the first time since last June, there was almost constant birdsong during my walk.

Cardinals were leading the songsters:

Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (female)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (female)

Red-winged Blackbirds, newly arrived, were also vocal:

Red-winged blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)

In 3rd place were American Tree Sparrows. Around the time that Red-winged Blackbirds arrive, Tree Sparrows start thinking about heading northward to their tundra breeding grounds.

American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow

A few Gulls called from the skies above:

Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull

The next singers, due any day, should be the Song Sparrows.

Song Sparrow

Other birds today:

Canada Geese
Canada Geese
Greater Scaup
Mallards
Mallard (male)
Mallards

Here are some sights from my July 2020 walk here:

Red Soldier Beetles
Elecampane
Red Soldier Beetle

MAILBOX

Have you seen these Miles? Well worth the fare. 

NATURE POETRY

It's a year almost that I have not seen her:
Oh, last summer green things were greener,
Brambles fewer, the blue sky bluer.

It's surely summer, for there's a swallow:
Come one swallow, his mate will follow,
The bird race quicken and wheel and thicken.

Oh happy swallow whose mate will follow
O'er height, o'er hollow! I'd be a swallow,
To build this weather one nest together. - Christina Rossetti

MIles Hearn


3 thoughts on “Lots of Singing at the Pickering Waterfront Trail: March 2021

  1. Debi

    Happiness!
    The cardinal’s song
    A flit of red
    What could be wrong?
    Don’t ask!
    However we are coming along
    One vaccine at a time.
    We will stay strong
    With the help of nature
    And Mile’s photos, it won’t be long.

    Reply
  2. Ruth Calman

    You are so right about the song sparrows. Had my first one yesterday morning in High Park. Hadn’t realized it was such an early migrant. My silver lining vis a vis the pandemic is that I bird every week so am learning so much about migration. With the help of you posts of course!!!

    Reply
  3. Lisa Volkov

    Debi! Such wonderful poetry, and so “right on”! I loved it!
    Beautiful subway art at Chester Station. I can’t wait to see it some day!
    And yes–the song birds are coming back, spring is in the air, I saw crocuses coming up in the neighbourhood–it’s simply delightful! Thank you, too, Miles, for reminding us of the greenery and flowers to come, I can’t wait! Beautiful, that Pickering walk–ah yes, Cardinals, Red-wing Blackbirds and…Song Sparrows (not to overlook the Tree Sparrows, Gulls, etc. pictured here as well)! Thanks, Miles!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *