Baby hummingbird ~ one day old

Photos by Dave Kemp...

My west-coast friend, Dave Kemp, in Richmond, British Columbia, has been rewarded for his patience by the Rufous Hummingbird he has been photographing for the past three weeks.   The first of her two eggs has just hatched.   Number two egg should hatch tomorrow or the day after.   Momma Rufous was quick to start feeding her chick, as can be seen in the photo above.   Below, the new chick huddles beside its own hatched shell and the shell of its soon-to-be-hatched sibling.   The egg provided nourishment for 17 days before the wee bird hatched.  

In the photograph below, which Dave took a few days before the first egg hatched, the mother hummingbird is seen on her nest.   The nest, by the way, is only 3 feet off the ground and 1 foot into the brush.   There is concern that this situation presents some peril for the hummer and her nest.

Below are a couple of shots that Dave took at Iona Beach on the same day as the Anna's chick hatched.   The first photo shows a group of Caspian Terns and the bottom photo is a Spotted Sandpiper.   More of Dave's great photos can be seen at pictureperfect.nu/photogallery

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BtheB

Oriole has become daily visitor

Photo by BarrytheBirder

A female Baltimore Oriole has been visiting one of the hummingbird feeders in the backyard  for a couple of weeks now.   This the first Oriole ever to become a regular visitor at our feeders. I finally decided to buy an oriole feeder but so far this lady bird prefers to use the hummingbirds' feeders.   In this photo she looks a little wet from a rain shower moments before.   

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BtheB

Swan Lake ~ Markham

There are two pairs of Mute Swans on Swan Lake in the old village of Markham.   One of the pairs have two 'ugly ducklings' or cygnets to care for.   Today, at the lake, the male swan with the two cygnets spent most of the afternoon chasing off the male swan of the other pair.   It was amusing at first but quickly wore thin and I soon preferred the quiet interludes of peaceful swans. 

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BtheB

Anna's hummer on her nest and feeding

Photos by Dave Kemp

My friend Dave Kemp out in British Columbia has just sent these great photos of a female Anna's Hummingbird on her eggs and in the air.   See more of Dave's photos by going to pictureperfect.nu/phptography/
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BtheB 

Notable birds at Cold creek today

Photos by BarrytheBirder

It was wet and chilly around Cold Creek Conservation Area today but I considered myself lucky to see and hear Bluebirds, Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Ruffed Grouse and Great Crested Flycatcher.   Not only is Cold Creek a great place to watch birds, but its amenities keep getting better.   It is open Mondays to Saturdays now, from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.   The Township of King has made huge strides forward in returning Cold Creek to its former glory days of 20 and 30 years ago.

One of the blessings of this spring's unusual weather has been the incredible blossoming of wild trees and shrubs in King Township, including Cold Creek Conservation Area.   In the photo above (taken June 7th) lane-ways and hillsides at Cold Creek are laden in large white Black Locust blooms that look like a covering of snow, from a distance.   The sound of birds here is wonderful.   Below, Gareth Hussey works at one of the gardening chores he has at Cold Creek.

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BtheB

West coast photos by Dave Kemp

Rufous Hummingbird

Wilson's Warbler

Killdeers

Birdwatchers in Eastern Canada are quite familiar with the Wilson's Warbler and the Killdeer, but most have probably not seen a Rufous Hummingbird.   In the summer, the Rufous Hummingbird is usually restricted to British Columbia, southern Alaska, Washington, Oregon and northern Idaho.   Once in a blue moon, one will show up up in the east in the fall.   If seen in the east in spring, it is usually an accidental, blown way off course.   Thanks for the photos Dave.

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BtheB

Wren's call delights us

Photos by BarrytheBirder

House Wren 

Troglodytes aedon

My wife and I are completely captivated by the first-ever nesting pair of House Wrens that have moved into the one-and-only birdhouse in our backyard.   Everything about them appeals to us; their appearance, their personality, their tameness and most of all their voices.   Our National Geographic Field Guide describes the sound as: "Exuberant song, a cascade of bubbling whistled notes", while our Audubon Handbook says: "Song a rapid, liquid, bubbling chatter, often given throughout the day".   Our Royal Ontario Museum Birds of Ontario says: "Male sings complex series of rapid, bubbling notes that rise in pitch and volume, then fall toward end.   Calls includes chatters, rattles, and harsh, scolding notes.   Incubating female produces short, low whine."   Above all else, for their size, they are amazingly loud!

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BtheB