White-crowned Sparrows arrived!

[Halton Hills]

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I have no idea who that is....... :lol:


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[Rob'in'To]

And what a backyard when blooming.   :lol:

[Rob'in'To]

A pair of White-crowns are still hanging around daily.

And early yesterday evening a Catbird was hopping around near the back deck.  I figure he's just passing through and heard all the buzz from this property and got curious.  He was picking about some of the shrubs and the ground around them.  Cool to see, even for the brief 5 minutes or so.

[Howieh]

I still have at least four white crowned sparrows and a pair of frisky chipping sparrows but not much else. Even my cardinals have become scarce, in fact I'm sure it's a new pair because the previous pair would wait in the bushes a few feet away when I filled the feeder while this years pair never shows up until the coast is clear! Here's hoping the cardinal family will return with cardinal babies instead of the usual cowbird!

I heard an oriole yesterday in the backyard but no visuals (thickening foliage is quickly becoming a detriment to backyard bird photography)

[Wingnut]

Went up to Sauble Beach area on Friday to open my trailer. Hung a feeder while working and saw a White-breasted nuthatch as well as many chickadees and finches. Surprised to see a white crowned sparrow scavenging the ground below. I suppose the Bruce Peninsula area is on the sparrow's migration path, would that be accurate?

[Howieh]

Well, after being here and quietly feeding for about two weeks my white crowned sparrows have suddenly started singing. Does it mean anything special? I'm really going to miss them if and when they leave!

[NicoleMaree]

We spotted a white-crowned sparrow this morning in our yard - north of Toronto in the Mulmur hills. We're glad it stopped by on its way north.

[Rob'in'To]

I still have a pair of White-crowns here.  It's been a couple weeks now.  I hear them every morning with that familiar song.  I wonder if the weather is keeping them here?  I should look into my archives of photos from last Spring and check the dates of when I saw them for comparison.

A pair of Baltimore Orioles are here plus one other male.  Think I saw a second female but it was such a quick sighting, not 100% certain.  The boys were fighting quite a bit the last few days.  But today I saw them sharing the space back there, actually sat in the raspberry bushes together at one point.  Nice to see.  I am certain the one pair will stick around for the season, they did last year, and when late August came, I had 5 Orioles around for a couple weeks.  Curious if they were the young'uns?  

This morning I have been treated to a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks feeding at my straight safflower feeder.  I saw one male a couple weeks back.  Curious if it's the same male and he brought his mate in?  I have never seen RBGBs in my yard before.  Not sure if they nest in the GTA or not.  Would be cool to have this pair as an addition to summer visitors.

If it weren't so darn crappy outside, I'd be trying to get a few pics.

[Rob'in'To]

I have a few Juncos bouncing around my backyard this morning.  What is up with that?!?!

[Rob'in'To]

Okay, went out to fill a few feeders, try to take a pic of the Grosbeak and I have a Pine Siskin buzzing around.  The Juncos are still here as well.  Hmmmm?  And the White-crowns were bouncing around the back as well.

[Howieh]

You still have juncos?? Mine left last week but the white crowned sparrows are still here. Maybe I should stop feeding them so they will head north to breed. I keep seeing warblers reported well north of the lakeshore but I haven't seen any (Bayview & Steeles area) - will probably head down the the spit or Col. Sam on Saturday.

[Rob'in'To]

I haven't seen a Junco in my yard since probably late March.  Well, that is until yesterday.  None today so far.

I used to wonder if feeding the birds all through the year would cause some kind of disturbance where one might not migrate because of me.  But over the years they still come and go through the seasons.

Juncos and Nuthatches are here November to April.

Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles from April to October.

Baltimore Orioles from May to August.

The Downy Woodpeckers are around all year.

But the Hairy Woodpeckers are April to November.  I figured it would be the other way around, seeing them more through the winter months when there is less natural food.  But it is nice when the summer months come around and the Hairy pair show up with a young'un, feeding him right in our backyard.

I get a lot of Hawk action through the winter.  As soon as there is a snow fall, the Hawks are in my yard.  They do a really good extermination of the Pigeons that come around.  The warm weather comes, the Hawks disappear, the Pigeon colony grows and it's like this cycle as the winter returns.  I remember the first couple years of backyard bird feeding where some days I had counted 27 Pigeons!  The most ever these days is maybe 12.  I've changed food so less is being tossed to the ground.  And while I do feed all year, I do cut back in the summer.  Also the feeders change from summer to winter with the different birds that come around.  It's a lot of work at times but I enjoy it.

[Halton Hills]

And what a backyard when blooming.   :lol:

Here's my White Crabapple at peak bloom.......exactly 3 weeks later than last year.

No more White-crowns this morning.......lots or Orioles though..... :wink:


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[Rob'in'To]

Wow!  What a tree!

Our White-crowns have moved on as well.  The Grosbeaks disappeared on Friday when the weather finally turned nice.  Orioles remain...  thankfully.