May 25 - 31

Tracked a singing chestnut-sided warbler to a neighbour's birch tree one morning.  Also, have heard a couple of times a warbler-like noise, which I am pretty sure is an American redstart - I might even have seen it once or twice, I thought I saw a little black bird with orange bits, not big or orange enough to be the oriole, but it was so quick I ignored it until I was listening to bird songs on the computer and figured I was hearing it, which made it more likely I had seen it as well. 

Common birds: swan (2 days), turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk (2 days, flying), robin (6 days), goldfinch, cardinal (pair 2 days, male +1, female +1), mourning dove (2 days), house sparrow (6 days), starling (6 days), grackle (3 days), red-wing blackbird (male 3 days, female 4 days), chickadee (2 days)

Spring visitors: song sparrow, chestnut-sided warbler, American redstart??

Heard: red-breasted nuthatch, song sparrow, American redstart

Pt. 2

May 18 - 24 tags.

May 18 - 24

See last week re. thrushes.  Also, there was a warbler in the big evergreen one day, it was too far and too small to get a really good look at, but it was also singing, and with that in mind, it was possibly a cape may warbler.

Common birds: chickadee (2 days), red-wing blackbird (male 2 days, female 3 days), grackle (3 days), starling (3 days), house sparrow (3 days), mourning dove (4 days), cardinal (pair 5 days), downy woodpecker (2 days), blue jay (2 days), goldfinch (2 days), robin (3 days), turkey vulture (2 days), crow

Spring visitors: song sparrow, Lincoln's sparrow, brown-headed cowbird (female 2 days), baltimore oriole (3 days), Swainson's* thrush, magnolia warbler, warbler (ID? cape may?), parula warbler

Heard: song sparrow, red-breasted nuthatch

Pt. 3

Tagging!

Pt. 2

Tags for May 11-17.

May 11 - 17

Some bird migration still - not seeing as many warblers as the last couple of springs, but seeing a few different things.  I saw a mourning warbler this week, a new one for our garden, as well as the gray catbird, which although I've heard/seen it elsewhere I don't think I've seen it in the garden before.  Another new one for the garden is the Lincoln's sparrow I've been seeing. Then, there's a warbler-like noise I heard as well.

The thrushes are tricky, the veery and hermit thrush I can ID, the Swainson's and gray-cheeked look very similar, but their song is a bit different.  Based on seeing and hearing it, I've decided to call this week's thrush the Swainson's, but I might be incorrect.

The great-crested flycatcher wasn't in the garden, it was in a local public garden/park, but still counts! I saw a warbler there, in trees, not brightly coloured.  Based on appearance and sound, I think Tenessee warbler, but not certain. 

I've also been hearing what I think is the chipping sparrow.

Common birds: chickadee (1-2, 4 days), red-wing blackbird (male, 7 days, female, 1-2, 2 days), house sparrow (7 days), swan (2 days), Canada goose (2 days), robin (7 days), blue jay (1-2, 4 days), grackle (6 days), cardinal (pair 5 days, male +1), turkey vulture (2 days), starling (5 days), mourning dove ( 1-2, 5 days), goldfinch (5 days), red-breasted nuthatch (2 days), red-tailed hawk (3 days, flying), cormorant, house finch, mallard duck, downy woodpecker

Spring visitors: hairy woodpecker, song sparrow (3 days), Lincoln's sparrow, veery (2 days), yellow-rumped warbler (ID?), palm warbler (ID?), brown-headed cowbird (pair), great crested flycatcher, gray catbird, mourning warbler, magnolia warbler, Swainson's thrush*, baltimore oriole

Pt. 2

Tags for May 4-10.