Catbird and Kingbird: May 2021

Though rain was not in the forecast, there was considerable light rain during my visit to Humber Bay.

I had my first Catbird and Kingbird of the spring.

The Catbird is a familiar bird about suburban hedges in southern Ontario. It is all gray except for the rufous undertail area and a black cap:

Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird

The Eastern Kingbird is common in warmer weather in semi-open habitats with a mix of grassy fields and trees.

Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird

MYSTERY BIRD

I will identify it at the end of the post.

Other birds:

Double-crested Cormorants
Red-winged Blackbird (female)
Yellow Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Song Sparrow
Mallard (female)
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Barn Swallows
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Barn Swallows
Song Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Double-crested Cormorant
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallows
Long-tailed Duck (female)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Song Sparrow
Common Gallinule
European Starling
Mallard (female)
Common Grackle
Tree Swallow
Warbling Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Yellow Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird (female)
Canada Geese
Common Grackle
Ring-billed Gull (juvenile)
American Robin
Red-breasted Mergansers
Caspian Terns
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Yellow Warbler
Mute Swan
Yellow Warbler

MYSTERY BIRD

The brown head identifies this as a male Brown-headed Cowbird.

Brown-headed Cowbird (male)

MAILBOX

I enjoy adding the garlic mustard to my salads!
It is pleasantly edible.!
It enhances store bought greens……
I joke that I should start a false rumour that garlic mustard is an aphrodisiac, then it would be eradicated in record time!!!!!!!!

NATURE POETRY

There is no time like Spring,
When life’s alive in everything,
Before new nestlings sing,
Before cleft swallows speed their journey back
Along the trackless track—
God guides their wing,
He spreads their table that they nothing lack—       – Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830–94) 

Miles Hearn

2 thoughts on “Catbird and Kingbird: May 2021

  1. Lisa Volkov

    Got the mystery bird! BEFORE you featured one which referred to the brown head. I got it BECAUSE of the brown head–of course!
    I know the first two birds well. The Kingbird by (frequent in the Don Valley) sight, the Catbird by its sound! It’s so good to see them again. Once again, thanks for the wonderful pictures, Miles!

    Reply

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