Hirundine Headaches

Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia

Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolour

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata

Purple Martin Progne subis

female Purple Martin Progne subis

Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor (top)
Bank Swallow Riparia riparia (relatively dainty)

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentine
(Love that Godzilla tail...)

Reserve Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, Île Sainte-Bernard, Châteauguay, May 6, 2021

  Been a lonnnnng time since I visited Margaret D’Youville. Was sunny, fresh, and windy out, and relatively birdy. We logged 66 species, which seemed decent. When I checked later, I realized we’d missed 18 species on the day, according to eBird. Those damn morning birds, heh. Today, 11 different birders combined for 102 species, which makes me think that my crazy idea to find 100 species there in a day is not so crazy. It would mean a long day, but I’m in.

  There were six species of swirling hirundine to pick out from amongst the dervishes of Tree Swallows. It was headache-inducing at times trying to puzzle through the distant clouds of blurs, but also fun as hell. Some juvie Tree Swallows had me thinking Bank Swallow (aka Sand Martin) for a bit, until we got onto the real deal, and saw how crisp their chest bands ought to be. Tree Swallows arrive in late March, and it takes them 25-45 days to incubate/fledge, so juvies at this time are not as early as they first seemed.

  What else? They tore down the covered bridge thing over the Grande Digue, which seems a shame. Another Rough-legged Hawk near the (closed) North Point was fun to watch. Four species of warbler were seen, including Northern Parula. They’re heeeeere.