Thrush , which was threatening to become a nemesis bird. I never saw one at Thicksonâs Woods or Pelee this year.
This is a good day, though not without its dangers. Hugh asked if it was okay if he brought his butterfly net. I unthinkingly said yes. While quietly looking at some interesting sparrow in deep grass, I feel a cold whoosh of air just as my hat is knocked off. Hughie practically decapitates me. âIt was an interesting skipper,â he says insouciantly, adding sadly, âI missed him.â
âWell, you didnât miss me,â I say. He seems surprised and mentions something about my not being in the way next time. This experience stands me in good stead the rest of the year whenever I see the olâ net come out. I have fond memories of the Reisefuehrer tripping through long-grass meadows in his Bermuda shorts, baseball cap, and ever-present sneakers, pursuing butterflies or dragonflies and looking for all the world like a slightly more manic Nabokov.
Loggerhead Shrike (May 25). Carden Alvar, Wylie Road, out behind bluebird box 10; where else?
Upland Sandpiper (May 25). Wylie Road, teetering on a fence post like a snipe; plus Vesper Sparrow , plus Common Night hawk at Alvar Road.
Clay-colored Sparrow (May 26). Cameron Ranch. Turns out I can hear these suckers from seven metres away. Piece of cake. Nothing like the olâ Grasshopper Sparrow, which I practically have to be right on top of. Also Merlin in Kirkfield.
Yellow-throated Vireo (May 29). Opinicon Road. Margaret hears it and I locate it in a far-off treetop. I claim to have heard it to save face.
Photo by Andrew Don.
Upland Sandpiper. Carden Alvar. On the alvar, these birds compete for the fence posts with the Wilsonâs Snipe.
Golden-winged Warbler (May 29). Opinicon Road. Margaret hears it as we drive by talking with the windows closed and the radio on.âOh, wasnât that a Golden-winged?â asks Margaret unexpectedly. I donât tell her I couldnât hear a Golden-winged if it was perched on my ear and thrust its beak down my ear hole. We jump out and find a little group of them in nearby trees. My faith in Margaret, already considerable, grows. âWell, Iâm sure you can at least hear that,â says Margaret as they sing away merrily. I claim to be revelling in the concert. I watch carefully. Each time one of them opens his gob, I say, âOh, wow. Listen to that
Photo by Sam Barone.
Golden-winged Warbler (male). Carden Alvar. Try showing one of these to a non-birder in your scope!
little guy.â This technique works well with Brown Creeper also, I find. Just donât get out of sync.
Alder Flycatcher (Number 250! May 29. It is at this stage that I start my countdown, numbering every bird.). We find the bird east of Cobourg in a special place Margaret knows. The bird drives me crazy with its calling before it finally zips out and sits on the wires for a minute before hiding again.
Ruddy Turnstone (251, June 1). Cobourg Harbour, crawling all over the broken cement slab breakwater; not scenic, but it beats having them stealing fries from your dinner table in Tobago.
Northern Bobwhite (June 4). Long Point area. I think I have a bird for my heard-only extras list. Bruce Falls counted this bird on his Baillie Birdathon and charged everybody for it. I figure if it was good enough for Dr. Falls, it is good enough for me. But I am wrong. I soon find out it is not good enough for the OBRC (Ontario Bird Records Committee). Apparently these birds are considered releases or escapees. Damn. And Bruce wonât give me my money back! He tries to claim his wasnât an escapee. This doesnât work when I try to use it on Margaret. The OBRC owes me one.
Cattle Egret (252, June 4). Seen from the car, head deep in cow dung near the poetically named town of Gasline.
Lark Sparrow (253, June 4). Long Point area. Margaret and I nearly miss this bird until Hugh staggers across a lumpy field and
This is a good day, though not without its dangers. Hugh asked if it was okay if he brought his butterfly net. I unthinkingly said yes. While quietly looking at some interesting sparrow in deep grass, I feel a cold whoosh of air just as my hat is knocked off. Hughie practically decapitates me. âIt was an interesting skipper,â he says insouciantly, adding sadly, âI missed him.â
âWell, you didnât miss me,â I say. He seems surprised and mentions something about my not being in the way next time. This experience stands me in good stead the rest of the year whenever I see the olâ net come out. I have fond memories of the Reisefuehrer tripping through long-grass meadows in his Bermuda shorts, baseball cap, and ever-present sneakers, pursuing butterflies or dragonflies and looking for all the world like a slightly more manic Nabokov.
Loggerhead Shrike (May 25). Carden Alvar, Wylie Road, out behind bluebird box 10; where else?
Upland Sandpiper (May 25). Wylie Road, teetering on a fence post like a snipe; plus Vesper Sparrow , plus Common Night hawk at Alvar Road.
Clay-colored Sparrow (May 26). Cameron Ranch. Turns out I can hear these suckers from seven metres away. Piece of cake. Nothing like the olâ Grasshopper Sparrow, which I practically have to be right on top of. Also Merlin in Kirkfield.
Yellow-throated Vireo (May 29). Opinicon Road. Margaret hears it and I locate it in a far-off treetop. I claim to have heard it to save face.
Photo by Andrew Don.
Upland Sandpiper. Carden Alvar. On the alvar, these birds compete for the fence posts with the Wilsonâs Snipe.
Golden-winged Warbler (May 29). Opinicon Road. Margaret hears it as we drive by talking with the windows closed and the radio on.âOh, wasnât that a Golden-winged?â asks Margaret unexpectedly. I donât tell her I couldnât hear a Golden-winged if it was perched on my ear and thrust its beak down my ear hole. We jump out and find a little group of them in nearby trees. My faith in Margaret, already considerable, grows. âWell, Iâm sure you can at least hear that,â says Margaret as they sing away merrily. I claim to be revelling in the concert. I watch carefully. Each time one of them opens his gob, I say, âOh, wow. Listen to that
Photo by Sam Barone.
Golden-winged Warbler (male). Carden Alvar. Try showing one of these to a non-birder in your scope!
little guy.â This technique works well with Brown Creeper also, I find. Just donât get out of sync.
Alder Flycatcher (Number 250! May 29. It is at this stage that I start my countdown, numbering every bird.). We find the bird east of Cobourg in a special place Margaret knows. The bird drives me crazy with its calling before it finally zips out and sits on the wires for a minute before hiding again.
Ruddy Turnstone (251, June 1). Cobourg Harbour, crawling all over the broken cement slab breakwater; not scenic, but it beats having them stealing fries from your dinner table in Tobago.
Northern Bobwhite (June 4). Long Point area. I think I have a bird for my heard-only extras list. Bruce Falls counted this bird on his Baillie Birdathon and charged everybody for it. I figure if it was good enough for Dr. Falls, it is good enough for me. But I am wrong. I soon find out it is not good enough for the OBRC (Ontario Bird Records Committee). Apparently these birds are considered releases or escapees. Damn. And Bruce wonât give me my money back! He tries to claim his wasnât an escapee. This doesnât work when I try to use it on Margaret. The OBRC owes me one.
Cattle Egret (252, June 4). Seen from the car, head deep in cow dung near the poetically named town of Gasline.
Lark Sparrow (253, June 4). Long Point area. Margaret and I nearly miss this bird until Hugh staggers across a lumpy field and
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