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The Baltimore Oriole is a common summer bird of gardens, parks and open woodlands. As seen in these photos, it feeds on the juice of oranges which have been cut in half (above), on nectar in hanging feeders (below) and even at hummingbird feeders (bottom).
BarrytheBirder
The Swainson's Hawks recently written about in three previous blogs have taken to gathering materials for a nest, presumably. One of the hawks is pictured below with nesting materials in its beak. The photo was taken at quite a distance away and it somewhat out of focus.
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Photo by BarrytheBirder
The Baltimore Oriole pictured above has visited our balcony hummingbird feeder a couple of times lately. It perches on the side of the feeder and the nectar inside runs to the side of the feeder. The nectar seeps out between the feeder bowl and the perch cover and the 'Baltimore' sucks up the drips. Clever bird.
Please comment if you wish.
Barry the Birder
Photo by BarrytheBirder
A fellow resident at Delmanor Retirement Residence in Aurora, Ontario, where I live, showed me a photo he took of the Swainson's Hawk I have written about and published several photos of, in my last two blogs. But his photo shows that the hawk has returned from Florida (probably) WITH A MATE!
I hope to get photos of the pair in the next few days, which I shall also post in Barry the Birder blog in the very near future.
This Swainson's Hawk should normally be languishing about 2,600 kilometres from here, in the central United States. That it is currently flying about Aurora, just north of Toronto, Ontario, is extraordinary. That it seems to have picked up a mate while in Florida this past winter and has returned to Ontario, instead of the midwest USA, is almost beyond belief.
Stay tuned...more to come hopefully.
Barry the Birder
Photos by BarrytheBirder
Photos by BarrytheBirder
The Swainson's Hawk (Buteo Swainsoni) that was to be found here in Aurora, Ontario, north of Toronto, for most of last summer , before disappearing and presumably heading south to Florida for the winter, has returned to the same spot in Aurora early in June of this year.
This bird normally resides in Canada'a lower western provinces, the American western states and northern Mexico. They do rarely find their way east to Ontario. I presume I will see this raptor around and about for the rest of the summer and fall.
More
Swainson's
Hawk
photos
tomorrow...
Please comment if you wish.
Photos by BarrytheBirder
Male Northern Harrier
Female Northern Harrier
One of my favourite raptors, the Northern Harrier is an elegantly long-winged, long-tailed hawk that hunts by flying low over open fields and marshes, looking and listening for prey. It takes many rodents and sometimes birds.
It perches low or on the ground, sometimes in trees or on tall poles, and it usually flies low above the ground. It was formerly known as the "Marsh Hawk". It is best known by its shape and low, slow flight, with its wings angled up in a shallow V.
Its contrasting white rump is conspicuous. Adult males are gray with black wingtips. Female and juveniles are brown, and the juvenile is rusty orange below. Females are also whiter with more streaks. The voice of the Northern Harrier is most silently but it sometimes gives a thin whistle.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder
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Great Egret
While Luther Marsh is near the northern range limit for Great Egrets, as many as a dozen (or more) of these big birds can be seen together at the Marsh. The much smaller (by half) Snowy Egret may also be found at Luther Marsh, but in much smaller numbers...single pairs are sometimes seen. The larger Great Egret, while much larger than the snowy, is also distinguished by its yellow bill, compared the Snowy's black bill.
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Macauley Library photo
Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in Canada and the U.S.A. are common and widespread. They like dense cover, but can become rather tame around gardens, parks, even apartment balcony feeders like Pat's and mine. they are notable for their fairly long tails.
House Sparrows, imported from Europe and now thriving in Canada and the U.S.A., are major competitors of Song Sparrows and unpopular with many people for this reason.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder
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Photos by BarrytheBirder
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Photos by BarrytheBirder
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