Foot of Beare Hill, Pickering

[Shortsighted]

I was not intending to venture out today because I have too much sanding and Aqua coating to do on kitchen cabinets and I'm still in a funk because I speculated that the warbler migration might be over early, so what's the point. I hate it when I get like that. I could hear a thrush song this morning somewhere in the woodlot across the street. It sounded like a Wood thrush, but what do I know. I decided, then and there, kitchen cabinets be damned, I'm puttin on boyding clothes and heading into the bush. By the time I was outfitted the thrush was silent. Nonetheless, I struggled through the dense woodlot and out the other side where a hydro corridor opens up. I then traced the liminal zone but only found one yellow warbler singing. Oh well, I figured that since I'm here I might as well cross the hydro corridor and visit the southern foot of Beare Hill (former refuse dump). As I approached the trees I could hear a myriad of warbler calls and songs. Sure enough the trees were bearing the fruits of a moment of peak warbler migration. There were warblers everywhere, but mostly at mid-story or higher. The flies and some mosquitoes, yes they are finally here, were pestering me enough to make taking photos very difficult. I did not expect an insect menace and therefore didn't spray on any DEET. In the short time that I could stand being bitten I noted: Am. Redstart (M), Magnolia (M), RE Vireo, Chestnut-sided, B&W, Myrtle (M), Blackburnian (M), BT Green, BT Blue, Wilson's, Tennessee, and what looked like a Yellow-throated, but that was just a glimpse and may be wishful thinking. I thought that it was a Magnolia at first but it has a off-white breast without streaks except for a few thin ones on its flank. I have not off-loaded the few photos that I took so I don't know if I managed to get anything in focus, even at ISO 1000 and 1600. At those elevated sensitivity settings I can't really expect to do much cropping without generating a cacophony of chromatic noise. All I started out looking for was a thrush, or maybe a Great Crested flycatcher. I must find my DEET. I hope I don't have to buy any cuz that stuff is expensive.



Blackburnian


Black & White


Red-eyed Vireo


Blackburnian


Chestnut-sided


Blackburnian

[Charline]

Perhaps get a mosquito face cover or jacket? I have a few of these. Nice photos.

[Shortsighted]

I once tried a beekeeper's head cover and a mosquito net hat, but not at the same time. Either modality was inconvenient and made me look even more like a dork. DEET works well but I can't tolerate the smell of it, although I didn't find it offensive when I was younger. By the time the biting insects become an issue the migration has usually run its course, except perhaps for shorebirds, but there is no great place for those birds in the city. CSSP sometimes has some but it's too far away from me. TTP might host some but that is also a long drive and then demands a marathon trek down the spit and I'm getting too old for that. ABB might have some if there is high water over the dune habitat.