Rondeau Ric

with worm.
This is one bird who's name actually makes sense.
A small bird with a black throat and olive green on its head.

A spring migrant that we wee each May.
Just like the other warblers he flits around grabbing insects and caterpillars off the bushes and plants making it hared to get a decent photo.

Dendroica virens

Labels: bird, birds, black-thraoted green, black-throated green warbler, Dendroica virens, migration, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, spring, spring migration, warbler

I don't know what they were selling but I will take a dozen.

We saw this little store in the back streets of Barcelona.
Sounds like their product would be a hit in north America.

American avocets show up in our area each year. They aren't common but they aren't rare either.
A fellow birder called us to let us know there was just the one avocet about 3 miles outside of Rondeau Provincial Park.
The bird was exactly where she said it would be.
That is rare as birds have wings and know how to use them.

The avocet is a large, slim shorebird with a very slender upturned bill. In breeding plumage the head and neck have a pinkish tan or orangey buff colour.

Recurirosta americana

Labels: american avocet, avocet, bird, birds, migration, nature, Recurirosta americana, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, spring migration

The Golden-winged warbler and the Blue-winged warblers hybridize where their ranges overlap.
This results in two types Brewster's and Lawrence's warblers.

The resulting bird has a combination of field marks.

Labels: bird, birds, blue-winged warbler, brewster's warbler, golden-winged warbler, nature, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, spring migration

The normal habitat for the Cerulean is high in deciduous forests foraging for insects in the tree tops.
Due to cold weather and a major shortage of insects this Cerulean was foraging on the ground giving bird watchers great looks.
Nice for the birders but stressful for the warbler.
Ceruleans are a small warbler with a short tail. Blue above with white below.

Dendrocia cerulea

Labels: bird, birds, cerulean, cerulean warbler, Dendrocia cerulea, migration, nature, ric mcarthur.rick mcarthur, rondeau ric, spring migration, warbler

This is the first time I had a good look at the ruby colour on the ruby crowned kinglet.
They are fast movers that rapidly hop from branch to branch.
This one was displaying the crown, in full sunlight, and paused long enough for me to get the photo.

Regulus calendula

Labels: bird, nature, regulus calendula, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, ruby crown, ruby crowned, ruby crowned kinglet, spring

We were in Amsterdam for a few days before going off to a wedding.
We did the tourist thing and did the canal tour by boat.
Interesting seeing a city from the water, lots of bridges and houseboats.

Labels: amsterdam, boat tour, bridges, canals, holland, netherlands, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau ric, water