May 1st - May Day - Haldimand Bird ObservatoryHaldimand Bird Observatory

Great shot of the demise of a fish….. -CR

I would like to try and put a positive spin on this (just) past April but….I can’t….April showers brought…sure, some flowers, but also a hell of a lot of mud which I had to slog through every day. But….we’ve turned the corner and things are looking up. Today I saw 6 new species for the year: Gray Catbird, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Baltimore Oriole. (And this is on top of the Olive-sided Flycatcher I saw yesterday!) I think the next 2+ weeks are going to be awesome so try to get outside and enjoy them. You might be amazed at what you find in your backyard.

People have continued to send me photos from their various excursions into their immediate environments. So much to see locally, really locally, and one positive aspect of the “Great Pause” is that you have the opportunity to see what you’ve been missing. Thanks to everyone that contributed!

Handsome male Myrtle Warbler. -CAJ

Acting a bit like a Reddish Egret……Great Blue Heron. -CR

They certainly aren’t a handsome bird…..Turkey Vulture. (Unless, of course, you’re another Turkey Vulture.) -CR

Tufted Titmice have become commonplace in Haldimand so it seems. This bird (one of a pair) is just a little downriver from Ruthven. -FJS

Well hidden: a pair of American Goldfinches (female on the left, male on the right). -LET

Mourning Doves and a Robin. -LET

Liam is still trying to work the bugs out of his new camera……Pileated Woodpecker. (Evidently he has taken to wearing a beret and is talking of cutting off an ear….) -LET