More neighbourhood wildlife!

Immature Broad-winged Hawk

It has been very exciting to find even more great wildlife while touring my neighbourhood.  The Broad-winged Hawk pictured above is a perfect example. Actually two such hawks were seen together which makes me wonder if they will be nesting.  I have already found a Cooper's Hawk nest and will devote future blog posts to both these species.

Male and female Mallards

White-breasted Nuthatch

A pair of these nuthatches has been scouting out a few tree cavities and trying them on for size.  I will continue to keep an eye out for an active nest.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

European Starling

American Kestrel

I was thrilled to see a Kestrel.  This beautiful little falcon is on the decline and this is the first one I have seen in several years.

Bathing Beauties

Probably due to weather conditions and strong southerly winds, many of the migrating warblers moved into the Montreal area in May and stayed longer than usual.  Large numbers stopped over in the Botanical Gardens to rest, bathe and feed.

Luckily for me, I found a secluded area with a small stream which attracted quite a variety of bathers.  

Here is a selection of some of the residents and visitors (warblers) who frequented the stream and gave me the opportunity to witness their enjoyment of a cool bath!

Cardinal (female)

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

American Goldfinch

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Magnolia Warbler (immature or female)

Chestnut-sided Warbler

American Redstart

Baltimore Oriole

Tennessee Warbler

Photogenic birds

Although I mentioned in the last post that birds prove to be difficult photographic subjects, here are some that were quite cooperative. In fact the Black-and-White Warbler came so close I had to keep walking backwards to try to keep it in focus!

White-breasted Nuthatch peeking out of a tree cavity.

Black-and-White Warbler

Downy Woodpecker on a stalk of Mullein