BARRY the BIRDER

Jul 10, 2026

Ephemeral wings...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Flicker of bright wings,

A sip of nectar's sweet kiss,

Summer whispers by.

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BarrytheBirder

Jul 9, 2026

Red-tailed Hawks to Swainson's Hawks...

BarrytheBirder

I am 84 years old. I became interested in birding in my early twenties, and one bird I became very attracted to in my early years was the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

They were prevalent in my part of southern Ontario, a few kilometres north of Toronto, and quickly became my hawk.

Decades let, when I became 80 years of age, I saw my first Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni). I saw it four years ago, over the Town of Aurora, Ontario, where I now live.

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Swainson's Hawks are prevalent in the plains and prairies of the central and western U.S.A., but do drift eastward to be seen in Ontario, as in my case. I am now a bit fanatical about this 'Buteo'. I see them many times a day over Aurora and I am particularly impressed with hoe they soar with up-tilted wings in high teetering, vulture-like flight.

I believe, in fact, that the Swainson's Hawks soar even higher than the Red-tailed Hawks. The two birds are very similar in in size and measurements. My Nastional Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern America says the following about the Swainson's range: ...nests on plains and prairies...primarily a fall migrant in eastern North America, rarely in southern Florida and south Texas.

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BarrytheBirder

Jul 7, 2026

Swainson's Hawks confrontation in Aurora, Ontario...

A Swainson's Hawk swoops in from the left...

...for a seemingly head-to-head confrontation with another Swainson's Hawk on the right.

But they instantly parted and disappeared befor I could get a third picture. Oh well, next time maybe.

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Barry the Birder

Jul 6, 2026

How fast is a hummingbird?

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Hummingbirds routinely reach flight speeds of 38 to 48 km/h (20 to 30 mph), but during courtship dives, males can achieve maximum velocities ranging from 88 to 86 km/h (55 to 60 mph).

Relative to their wee size, these are among the highest speeds ever recorded for any invertebrate.

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BarrytheBirder

Jul 5, 2026

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Photo by Barry the Birder

Hundreds of times a day

she visits the feeders,

seemingly insatiable.

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BarrytheBirder

Peregrine Falcons at Keswick...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Lots of Peregrine Falcons continue to appear in southwest Keswick, Ontario, on the Ravenshoe Sideroad. They are found atop huge nests atop the light towers of the big baseball park and perch on much of the agricultural irrigation equipment on the north Holland Marsh lands. They feed on nearby fish in the south end of Lake Simcoe and in the north Holland River.

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Barry the Birder

Jul 4, 2026

Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera)

Painting by Phil Chadwick

Phil Chadwick is a one-time resident of King Township, Ontario.

Usually a locally uncommon warbler of open second growth, woodland edges, and brushy pastures. Adult males have a yellow crown, grayish-blue upperparts, with noticeable black throat and ear patch.

They breed from central Minnesota through the Great region to southern New England, south in the Appalachians to northern Georgia.

They are declining in some areas, due apparently to competition with Blue-winged Warblers. This bird winters mostly in the tropics.

Phil Charwick artwork is available at fineartamerica.com., Santa Monica, California.

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Barry the Birder

Jul 3, 2026

Swainson's Hawks continue to fill Aurora's skies

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Several Swainson's Hawks, particularly endemic to the west-central U.S.A., and Kansas in particular, continue to inhabit southwest Aurora, north of Toronto, Ontario. They have seemingly replaced the Red-tailed Hawks that used to frequent the area.

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BarrytheBirder

Jul 2, 2026

American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)

Photos by BarrytheBirder

The American Tree Sparrow is a cold-weather sparrow that nests at the edge of the arctic tundra, in open areas with scattered trees and brush.. It is seen south of Canada in winter only, when flocks roam forest edges, brushy fields, groves of small trees and gardens, often with other sparrows and juncos.

They have a gray head and nape crowned with a rusty cap, two-toned bill, dark chest spot and two white wing-bars. Its song is musical clear whistles and warbles.

They are high northern nesters, breeding from northern Alaska east to northern Labrador, but winter from southern Canada to nortern California, central Texas, and South Carolina.

Their song is a noticeably syncopated series of clear, whistled notes, often doubled or tripled and high-pitched at the beginning.

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BarrytheBirder

Jul 1, 2026

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

Photos by BarrytheBirder

A big sparrow that is usually found on the ground under dense thickets, scratching in leaf-litter with its feet. It is usually seen only in small numbers, but is distinctive because of its rusty-brown overall colouring, especially in the east of North America.

They winter from southern California, and from southern Kansa east to New Jersey and south to the Gulf Coast.

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BarrytheBirder

Jun 30, 2026

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

Photos by Barry the Birder

Very common in the east - scarce in the west

White-throated Sparrows have a conspicuous and distinctive white throat, dark bill and a yellow spot before the eyes. Upper parts are rusty-brown (see photo) They haunt the undergrowth of parks, woods, undergrowth and gardens in winter, foraging on the ground, frequently with other sparrows or juncos. They usually summer in northern forests.

Their song is a clear whistled 'Oh, sweet, canada-canada-canada'.

Adults have two colour morphs; white-striped birds usually mate with tan-stiped ones.

Their hunched short-necked posture (again see photo above) is unlike the the erect stance of White-crowned Sparrows (see photo below).

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Barrythe Birder

Champion migrator...SWAINSON'S HAWK

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Swainson's Hawks are renowned for having one of the longest migrations of any North American bird of prey. They travel a total round-trip distance of about 12,000 to 14,000 miles (roughly 20,000 to 24,000 kilometres) every year.

Their annual journey takes them between their summer breeding grounds in western North America (stretching as far north as Canada and the top of Alaska) and their wintering grounds in the grasslands and pampas of southern Argentina.