The Tree Swallows are Back: Early April 2021

You can almost set your watch by the Tree Swallow’s spring return to Toronto. Last week of March every year. Perfect timing as there were clouds of delicious Midges flying about.

Red-winged Blackbird with Midges

On this morning of threatening rain I visited Col Sam Smith Park hoping to see and hear the Tree Swallows:

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow

There were many. Photographing darting swallows is a difficult affair. Here is the best I could do today. I’ll keep trying.

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallows
Tree Swallow

In addition I found an adorable Pied-billed Grebe. “Pied” means “having two or more colours.” The Pied-billed is the most wide spread grebe, found on small marshy ponds and waterways across most of the continent. This little grebe has one of my favourite bird calls:

Pied-billed Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe

Red-necked and Horned Grebes were also present:

Red-necked Grebes
Red-necked Grebe
Red-necked Grebes
Red-necked Grebes and Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebes
Red-necked Grebes

Other birds:

Dark-eyed Junco
Red-breasted Merganser (male)
Brown-headed Cowbird (female)
Brown-headed Cowbirds (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Song Sparrow
Gadwall
Long-tailed Duck (female)
Long-tailed Duck (male)
Lesser Scaup
Mallards
Common Goldeneye (female)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Buffleheads
Bufflehead (female)
Bufflehead (female)

NATURE QUOTE

“True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings.” – Shakespeare

Miles Hearn

3 thoughts on “The Tree Swallows are Back: Early April 2021

  1. Lisa Volkov

    It’s so exciting to see the birds coming back, like the Tree Swallows! Also, the winter ducks still there–and the Grebes are beautiful. Thanks for including the call of the Pied-billed Grebe. Every time you capture a bird with its bill open for squawking, it cracks me up. The Red-winged Blackbird looked particularly obnoxious. Thanks, Miles!

    Reply
  2. rosemarie fischer

    gorgeous!!!! Spring is in the air,miss the Nature walks,doing my “own”….only,nobody can tell me the names of the birds and buds I see.Thank You Miles for keeping us in the “loop”……..

    Reply

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