Add Cape May Warbler to the Backyard Bird List....

****Editors Note: I wrote this back on Wed May 16th 2018 --- I forgot to publish it so I am publishing it late. This is backtrack birding! ****

n May 15th, just the other day, I had gone to Ojibway Park (after work) and had a decent list of birds... and I basically went home to eat dinner and then quickly continue to bird another part of the park.

But as I was eating dinner (it was Taco Tuesday), I noticed some birds flitting around in a tree in the hedgerow behind my yard. Two Yellow Warblers? Nice. A Baltimore Oriole? Beautiful. Swainsons Thrush ? Yes nice buffy face.... Grey Catbird (meow) and then...Could it be???? No... A Cape May Warbler?... I was standing on my back porch! 

Needless to say I grabbed my camera and took an obligatory series of photos...

Looking at these photos are pretty amazing, and I'm glad I can share them with the world on this blog (and through ebird). I can't help but notice that at this time of year, its really cool to see how trees have this explosion of foliage in the form of new leaves -yes- and also the delicate beauty of the catkins that various trees produce. Taking a closer look at these photos also gave me a chance to look at the leaf shape to identify the tree species... It seems to be a Bur Oak - A White Oak species that is famous for making casks for Whiskey and Bourbon (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that ID). Ask any Whiskey fan and they will tell you that the best flavours come from a barrel that is lightly charred and made from Virgin White Oak. (I'm a big fan of the award winning "Lot 40" whiskey made by the JP Wiser's folks in Walkerville's Hiram Walker distillery ... but that is a topic for another day. Lot 40 is matured in Virgin White Oak Casks).

While I was photographing this Cape May Warbler - I also was listening to the song of Song Sparrows, and several Wood Thrushes - singing in the adjacent forest (South Cameron Woodlot). 

Some other birds I've had in my backyard this spring season include:

• Palm Warbler 
• Hermit Thrush
• Swainson's Thrush
• Baltimore Oriole (breeder?)
• White crowned Sparrows
• Ruby throated Humingbird (breeder)

I am keeping a mental yard list of birds that I've seen in my back yard and its getting better and better.  It begs the question... If I'm seeing this just by randomly looking out just a fraction of an hour per day... what else it out there?!?

Good birding!

Dwayne