Noisy Sunday afternoon

My Sunday afternoon walk along the open-field-bordered northern end of the 4th line was simply a cacophony of sound, from the rubber-band-scraping of the wood frogs along the swollen ditches to the chattiness of barn and tree swallows dipping above them, with the occasional twanging of a purple martin, woven into a background of displaying bobolinks, vociferous redwings, chirpy goldfinches, creaking grackles, and singing Savannah and song sparrows. And in the distance, high overhead, the whirring of a displaying snipe.

Snipe

Magnolia time

Male and female yellow warblers were dancing about the newly emerging greenery around the fairgrounds Friday evening (16 May), gleaning insects. Some of these birds will remain here to nest, others will fly as far north as our tundra to do so. Amongst these bright yellow birds I glimpsed a male magnolia warbler. It, too, had a bright yellow underside, but with a pattern of well-defined black streaks radiating down the breast and belly from the neck. White eyebrow and broad wing bar were conspicuous against the blue-grey of the upper side of this striking and distinctive little bird. It makes its appearance as the magnolia tree blossoms. On the island, the one in front of the Cruickshanks is magnificent.

Adult Male Magnolia Warbler

Although we thought we heard a meadowlark as we approached the grounds, there was no sight or sound of it once we had arrived. We have seen one here on previous occasions.

Yellow Warbler Landing (photo taken 16 May)

I also thought I heard briefly the mewing of a catbird, but could not confirm it.

A couple of shockingly bright orange (& black) male Baltimore orioles flew from us. Two white-crowned sparrows were spotted feeding on trees, near the trunks. Otherwise, we noted the usual song sparrows, starlings, and robins, as well as tree swallows and gulls overhead. A lone Caspian tern carrying something in its bill also flew over us.

Earlier in the day, we had watched a turkey vulture, wing feathers well splayed, soar over the village.