April 23rd - 30th

It's coming towards the end of the month and things are starting to warm up a little. The nights are still quite chilly, but I can see that Spring is finally in the air. 

There are definitely some things starting to grow and a few buds around.

 

It's lovely to finally see things growing. I love this time of year! 

Lots of lovely birds around again this year. The spring migration is really starting to hop! Walking through the fields and woods the air is filled with songs of different birds calling to one another. 

Lots of warblers about.

There seems to be a lot of yellow warblers on the other side of the lake, flitting from reed to reed close to the water. They are so easy to spot as they are so brightly coloured. 

One of my favourites to see at this time of year is the Palm Warbler. They are a little bigger than some warblers and their bellies rounder. 

I love the rusty spot on the top of their heads. 

The lovely Yellow-rumped Warbler. Another one who likes to sit on the reeds by the lake ready to catch a bug or two. 

I usually hear this little warbler before I see them. A Common Yellow-throated Warbler. Lovely little thing that seems to like the fields of Asylum Lake. 

It's another week when there are a lot of birds around. As I walked through the woods and fields there seemed to be lots of them to see. At this time of year they are singing their hearts out wooing mates. 

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. I don't usually see many of these about so it was a real treat to spot him going from branch to branch - really hard to catch in a photo. 

House Wren. Such a tiny bird with a really big song. It always amazes me when I hear them singing.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Lovely little bird. 

A Rough-winged Swallow. A nice spring visitor to the lake. They don't seem to stick around in droves, but there are always a few around. 

Grosbeak. A male. They are so much more colourful than the females. 

Catbirds. They really do sound like cats meowing when they call out! The first time I heard one I thought there was a cat stuck in a tree! I love these birds. They are such a lovely colour of grey, with a darker spot on their heads and red under their tails. I see them sometimes in my garden eating the grape jelly I put out for the Orioles. 

Brown Creeper. Despite their rather sad name they are interesting birds. They like to creep up tree trunks. I've been spotting them down near where the lake drains into a smaller stream. They eat the bugs they find in the bark. 

Hermit Thrush. They are pretty birds with interesting shades of brown, spotted chests and the most wonderful song. They are another one whose call I usually hear before seeing them. 

Brown Thrasher. They have the most amazing golden eyes. Such wonderful birds to see. It was nice to see it low enough to be able to photograph. I usually see them as I walk through the field on top of a tree singing their hearts out. 

A robin gathering dried grass for nest building. 

Tree Swallows and Blue Birds still trying to decide who will win the birdhouses! 

Chickadees. These birds are year-round residents. They say their name when they call out. Chick-a-dee-dee. 

Another year-round resident and one of my favourite woodpeckers. This is a lovely male Pileated Woodpecker. Male Pileated have a red moustache. The females don't. They are the biggest woodpecker and have quite loud, distinctive calls. 

There were a LOT of woodland and field birds around this week. What did I see on the lake?