Blackburnian Warbler (37)

Dendroica fusca

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: May 10 2022

Details: male, adult, summer plummage

Point Pelee National Park - only metres away along breakwall.

Date uploaded: May 17

Prothonotary Warbler (12)

Protonotaria citrea

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: May 8 2022

Details: male, adult

Point Pelee National Park - Several breeding pairs were taking up residence.

Date uploaded: May 16

Comments (2):
Chris: Now that’s a keeper. I’ve not been able to get close enough for such a shot. Fantastic to see this outcome.
BrianMorin: I encountered four birds over the visit and had a few positive opportunities, one of them quite close, even closer than this, but I liked the reflection. I'll post another later on.

Whip-poor-will (3)

Caprimulgus vociferus

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: May 8 2022

Details: adult

Point Pelee National Park - What a treat to find one along a trail. The bird was heard calling on a few evenings but is a migrant species here. It was perched only 8 inches above the ground.

Date uploaded: May 15

Comments (2):
Chris: Fabulous. Glad you’re out and about at Pelee. Funny, the only one I also had was in the same setting!
BrianMorin: That's great. A day earlier the bird was in the general vicinity, on a bit higher perch but off the trail, with branches in the way, so the result wasn't worth posting.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (9)

Tyrannus forficatus

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: Apr 29 2022

Details: adult, outside normal range

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - What a treat to see this bird. I had the one In Montreal last fall but the setting was nowhere near as good as this. I could always orient myself for the right light unlike with the other bird. The flycatcher was likely blown up by warm stormy weather that originated on the Texas coast a few days ago.

It was very cold first thing in the morning and windy after that, keeping insects low or on the ground. It always fed on the ground and seldom went to a perch so most of my shots were of it on the ground.

Date uploaded: Apr 30

Comments (4):
Ahmad Shah: That is an amazing bird, superb capture, fantastic setting.
BrianMorin: I selected a nice perched shot to show the bird rather than a lawn shot. I got plenty of those. This bird was fabulous and had us enjoying the show for almost four hours before it took a long break for the afternoon.

Eastern Screech Owl (20)

Otus asio

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Details: male, adult

Ottawa - This is a known bird, quite used to people, although this was my first visit in a few years. It roosts a short distance from the nest site which the female is currently occupying. When I shot the photo, the bird was cautiously watching a mother raccoon and two kits high in a tree 8 metres away. They had just emerged for a night ramble. After a couple of minutes it launched towards the raccoons and flew right at the mother's head with wings open, likely dragging his claws on her fur as he flew by, it was that close. After a couple of minutes he repeated the attack and five minutes later did it again, each time engaging her head. It was pretty dark at that point so I didn't see the final outcome but the issue is that raccoons are one of the prime predators for Screech Owl nests.

The shots were taken as darkness was setting in so this was at only 1/10 second on tripod using a remote and ISO was up to 3200 (I don't have a mirrorless camera so ISO is an issue). Many of the shots incredibly were in focus and looked not bad. I got lucky.

Date uploaded: Apr 24

Comments (5):
Chris: What a story! Great job in the conditions! Out here, I’ve yet to see or hear a western screech, and a biologist told me there were none found in the entire Vancouver region…only one far east of the city during a detailed census.
BrianMorin: I wonder if the expansion of Barred Owls has done them in. That would be a primary predator for a Screech Owl.

Harris's Sparrow (8)

Zonotrichia querula

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Apr 18 2022

Details: male, molting, outside normal range

Vankleek Hill - A species that breeds in northern Manitoba, this bird was present in a yard all winter. I failed on two previous attempts to see it so after waiting a couple of hours I was happy to finally spot it. The bird was still moulting but was far along in its progression to breeding plumage. It sang for me for about an hour which in its opening was very similar to an abbreviated White-throated Sparrow song.

Date uploaded: Apr 20

Comments (4):
Chris: Fabulous. I’ve only seen one ever, an immature in Chateauguay Montreal. It also took 3 trips and lots of scope work to id. That one looks great.
BrianMorin: In the end it worked out better because I got to see the plumage looking much closer to breeding colours.

Fox Sparrow (28)

Passerella iliaca

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Apr 18 2022

Details: adult

Vankleek Hill - It took me a while to find one this spring. Our numbers are always low.

Date uploaded: Apr 19

Comments (4):
Sue Bishop: Beautiful,Brian!
BrianMorin: This is one of my favourite sparrows, probably in part because we don't see many.

Pine Warbler (16)

Dendroica pinus

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Apr 15 2022

Details: male, adult

Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary - I had my first spring warbler singing away. Pines are usually early and can tolerate the cold well as long as they have enough food. When insects are not available they will eat seeds as well as berries.

Date uploaded: Apr 16

Comments (4):
Chris: Fabulous. Love their song as well - good that you got him low down. In and around Long Point, I've seen/heard them 100 feet up!
BrianMorin: Agreed re the normal height. They are often well up there in evergreens.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (27)

Melanerpes carolinus

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Details: male, adult

Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary - Locally uncommon species. I'm hoping the bird finds a mate because the habitat is perfect and there are plenty of existing nest sites on the market. :)

Date uploaded: Apr 15

Comments (4):
Chris: Terrific find. Lots of dazzling colours to find that mate.
BrianMorin: I heard it first then followed the calls. It never came down too far but at least it moved into the light a few times to grab some shots.

Tufted Titmouse (15)

Parus bicolor

BrianMorin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Apr 12 2022

Details: adult

Cornwall - A pair set up territory in a conservation area and the male was singing heartily. An uncommon to rare breeder.

Date uploaded: Apr 13

Comments (4):
Chris: Amazing to see and superb capture too! It’s interesting this species isn’t expanding more rapidly to the north, given its a hardy bird.
BrianMorin: It has been a slow expansion with breeding concentrated in very low numbers along the southern border in Ontario. The population is actually declining again in the southern part of the province but holding in the East.