Pioui de l’Est

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Woodchuck/Groundhog/Siffleur Marmota monax

Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata

'Quiet Place’ in NDG, May 26

  I had plans to read a book in the park, but then I realized there would be people there. I thought “Hmm…people…or creatures?” Creatures won, of course, and I did a lazy circuit of my secret gardens, in the smiling afternoon sun.

  Given the time of day, I wasn’t expecting much, but I ended up encountering three ‘first of year’ birds for the patch: Swainson’s Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewee (2-3 individuals, none singing), and a silent Black-throated Green Warbler filtering through the high canopy. Ended with 19 species in 90 minutes. I like creatures.

Waning Migration

Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus

American Robin Turdus migratorius

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Woodchuck/Groundhog/Siffleur Marmota monax

Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata

European Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

Leafy lanes

Flower Moon

-Migration is tailing off, with only two warbler species among 26 total – both were new for the patch warbler list (16 now): Blackpoll Warbler and Common Yellowthroat, which were both heard, then seen poorly.

-A Common Yellowthroat (appropriately named Paruline masquée, or 'Masked Warbler,' in French) was also singing and skulking in a row of bushes in front of a community centre, next to a fairly busy street in NDG.

-A Least Flycatcher calling, and an Eastern Phoebe still.

-Quite a few (8-10) Red-eyed Vireos singing and chasing each other through the treetops.

-Still a pair of nesting Warbling Vireos in territorial song.

-Had a glimpse of a Philadelphia Vireo (95% certain).

-Got a dragonfly lifer in an overgrown field: Four-spotted Skimmer, a dapper and wide-spread (circumpolar even!) species.

Baywatch

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea

Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea

Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea
(female)

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Woodchuck/Groundhog/Siffleur Marmota monax

‘Quiet Place’ in NDG, May 19, 2024

  It’s not spring without waking up early at least once to go birding, right? Heh, unless I’m on a Korean island, I’m really not a morning person, even for the birds. Anyway, I woke up bright and early today with plans to go to the Falaise that runs along the southern edge of NDG, but my knee was in a mood, so I hit up my patch again. Truth be told, this was maybe the second time I’ve visited in the early morning, as it tends to be my lazy afternoon ritual. But heck, the folks who espouse the whole ‘early bird gets the something something’ saying may be onto something – there was a decidedly fresh mix of birds in, and the action quieted down the closer to noon it got. Birding early in the morning works, who knew? 🤣

  Six warbler species were encountered (Tennessee, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped, Bay-breasted, and Wilson’s), but they were fairly widely dispersed. Tennessee were the most vocal and numerous (low double digits), with low single digit numbers of the others. Wilson’s Warbler was a personal first for the site, making it my 14th warbler there – still some work to do! Kind of surprised (insulted?) that I’ve never bumped into an Ovenbird at this spot…

  My bird encounter of the day was an extended look at a lovely Bay-breasted Warbler. It fed and sang at a leisurely pace, often at eye level, in a big oak. This is my all-time favourite wood-warbler, perhaps for its rebellious ‘no yellow’ colour palette. I also get a kick out of the finger-paint smudges of berry (‘baie’ in French) along the flanks. It’s like someone ordered a Chestnut-sided Warbler from Wish, heh heh.

  Two Warbling Vireos were still singing in the same spot as yesterday, a situation that gave off nesting vibes. This was confirmed when I spotted one of them carrying nesting materials. Cool! Another pair was spotted at the opposite corner of the site, also acting territorial.

  Yesterday there were two Red-eyed Vireos…today they were all over, with perhaps 6-10 heard, singing from every wooded area. Will REVIs nest at this site too?

  New in were Scarlet Tanagers, with a male singing in the early morning. A silent female was later seen nearby, and a male was seen bathing in a puddle later on in a different area.

  As I was getting ready to leave, I could have sworn I saw another birder in the distance, or at least someone in the birding pose. I didn’t go over right away because I was puzzling over a warbler call. By the time I slowly birded my way over to the general area, they were gone. Perhaps it was all a dream, spun from sleep deprivation and a heat mirage.

  What else? I saw a Groundhog pup, and it was the size of a Guinea Pig. Badass.

  I logged 29 species in 3-ish hours. Time for a nap.

Nettle knees

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias

Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes

Old Orchard

Apple Blossoms

Lovely bit of scrubby forest edge

Stinging Nettles

'Quiet Place' in NDG, May 18, 2024

-Hot and sunny (but pleasantly so), with some interesting birds spotted in shady wooded areas in my local patch

-24 species in 2 hours

-I wore my thin Korean hiking pants, which let the breeze blow through when the weather heats up…apparently the material lets nettles blow through too…my knees still tickle…

-A Tennessee Warbler was singing without cease, but remained invisible against the greenery

-The Hermit Thrushes have finally arrived, right where I expected them to be (in the deep dark woods)

-An Eastern Phoebe still in the area where it looked like a pair was attempting to nest

-A small group of Cedar Waxwings moving through the treetops

-Two each of singing Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos (both new for the patch list)

-Also new for the patch list (#61) was a Great Blue Heron floating northwest

-A restless Black Swallowtail, along with plentiful Red Admirals and Cabbage Whites, were out and about

-Trees are fully leafed out, birds are getting hard to spot 

Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus

White-striped Black Moth Trichodezia albovittata

Triliums

Westmount Summit, May 17, 2024

-Insanely quiet at the Westmount Summit, on a lazy evening go-around with Dan

-Two singing American Redstarts and a pair of noisy Merlins near the lookout, and not much else

-Eleven species in an hour

Bits and bobs

('Falconer,' © Seoul History Museum, Seoul History Archive)

Reading from Dark Flock, masked up like it's 2021
© Steven Gao

  While recently editing another two volumes of ‘Sleep Encyclopedia’ for Bettersleep, I came across the ‘Korea’ entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica from 1911. Plenty of eyebrow-raising and dated facts/points-of-view, to be sure! I’ll only post the entry for fauna here, which may be of interest to fans of Korean wildlife. Tigers and Leopards in Seoul!

“Fauna.—The tiger takes the first place among wild animals. He is of great size, his skin is magnificent, and he is so widely distributed as to be a peril to man and beast. Tiger-hunting is a profession with special privileges. Leopards are numerous, and have even been shot within the walls of Seoul. There are deer (at least five species), boars, bears, antelopes, beavers, otters, badgers, tiger-cats, marten, an inferior sable, striped squirrels, &c.

Among birds there are black eagles, peregrines (largely used in hawking), and, specially protected by law, turkey bustards, three varieties of pheasants, swans, geese, common and spectacled teal, mallards, mandarin ducks, white and pink ibis, cranes, storks, egrets, herons, curlews, pigeons, doves, nightjars, common and blue magpies, rooks, crows, orioles, halcyon and blue kingfishers, jays, nut-hatches, redstarts, snipe, grey shrikes, hawks, kites, &c. But, pending further observations, it is not possible to say which of the smaller birds actually breed in Korea and which only make it a halting-place in their annual migrations.”

—

  In other news, endless thanks if you supported Dark Flock, my wacky collection of ‘Twilight Zone Birding’ short stories during its crowd-funding/pre-order stage. If you haven’t already received your copy, fear not, it will arrive in the next week or so! I’ve been informed by the publisher that there has been a ‘production bottleneck’ that sees the books being delivered to them in small batches, and they're being sent out as soon as they get them. Glad I don't have to worry about all that, heh. Last week’s launch/reading went well, in spite of me catching a well-timed cold. Thanks for those that came out on that night to listen to me ramble! PS, bonus points if you can identify the bird in the flip-book bit...

—

  In ‘first-of-year’ news, I heard Chestnut-flanked and Black-throated Green Warblers singing in NDG Park yesterday (May 15). Today (May 16), I heard FOY Tennessee Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, and even what was surely a Philadelphia Vireo there.

Warbler 1

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica

Tip-toe through the something somethings

‘Quiet Place’ in NDG, May 12, 2024

  Quiet Place lived up to its secret code name today. Super quiet on the bird front – I was expecting a thin strain of warblers and/or further mid-May migrants. Not complaining, it's always nice to get out of the house. I ended up with 20 species in 90 minutes, with nothing in abundance except for Chipping Sparrows and European Starlings. Three new patch species were listed (Chimney Swift, Blue Jay, House Finch), bringing the running total to 58.

  Still a pair of Eastern Phoebes staking out a suitable under-eave nesting spot, but no nest was seen. A pair was doing the same thing in this spot last year, but they never seemed to nest. I noticed an American Crow observing the pair closely today, maybe that’s the issue. "Too many crows, never enough phoebes" could be a new proverb or something. I'd say that in a sombre voice and people would nod and grunt in approval, then stare into their drinks, a single tear burning down their cheeks.

  The blank warbler sheet was avoided at the very last minute, with a lone Magnolia Warbler spotted 20 feet before I left. The flank streaking on this bird was quite a bit finer than I’m used to.

  Oh, I had my first NDG Chimney Swifts on May 6th this year.

Warblers 7

Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis

Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina

Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Northern Parula Setophaga americana

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla

Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus

Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus

White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Veery Catharus fuscescens

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Current Mood

-37 species in three hours in the Cem, on World Migratory Bird Day

-Plenty of first-of-year birds, and nice bright warblers, but you had to work for them (Nashville, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Cape May, Canada, Yellow-rumped, and Northern Parula)

-Two Canada Warblers (early?) and two Magnolia Warblers in the M2 crypt area, along with single Cape May and Black-and-white Warblers, a Blue-headed Vireo, and a House Wren

-A handful of vocal Great Crested Flycatchers noted throughout

-A Tree Swallow on Mountain View

-A squadron of Pine Siskins at the feeders, and a Veery beyond the stream

-I reckon Rose-breasted Grosbeaks could alternately be called ‘Cut-throat Finches’

-I have a sunburn

-The end